By EDITH TSOKAR

The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) says Nigeria is entering a “new dawn” in teacher education, with sweeping reforms aimed at repositioning Colleges of Education for better learning outcomes.

The Executive Secretary of the commission, Dr Angela Ajala, made this known in Abuja at a media parley on the repositioning of teacher education in Nigeria.

According to her, no education system can rise above the quality of its teachers as teacher education remains the foundation of national development.

“Every nation is ultimately shaped by the quality of its teachers. If Nigeria wants better classrooms, it must prepare better teachers,” she said.

While acknowledging past achievements in strengthening teacher education, she said reforms had become necessary to address declining learning outcomes, shortages of qualified teachers and the changing demands of modern education.

Ajala explained that the world, technology and learning environments had evolved, insisting that teacher preparation must also change to reflect digital realities, innovation and global skills demands.

The NCCE boss said the Commission was shifting from being only a compliance regulator to a development-focused agency that would prioritise classroom outcomes and learner performance.

She added that attention would no longer be limited to infrastructure and documentation alone, but also to the effectiveness of teachers produced by the system.

She commended the Dual Mandate Policy for Federal Colleges of Education, which allowed qualified institutions to award both the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and Bachelor’s Degrees in Education independently.

She said the policy, backed by the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, represents one of the most significant structural reforms in teacher education in decades.

According to her, implementation of the policy is expected to begin from the 2025/2026 academic session, while full rollout is scheduled for the 2026/2027 session.

She added that the reform would expand access to higher education, reduce pressure on universities, strengthen teacher professionalism and enhance the attractiveness of Colleges of Education.

On admission policies, she said discussions were ongoing to improve access to teacher education while maintaining strict professional standards, adding that quality would not be compromised.

She called on stakeholders, including state governments, academic institutions, unions, development partners and parents, to support the ongoing reforms.

She said teacher education was central to Nigeria’s survival and development, stressing that the future of the country depends on the quality of teachers in classrooms today.

“This is a new dawn for teacher education, Colleges of Education and Nigerian classrooms,” he said.

She reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to strengthening teacher preparation, protecting standards, expanding access and building a stronger education system for national development. (NAN)

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