Dr. Blessing Ijioma, the Provost, Alvan Ikoku Federal College of Education (AIFCE), Owerri, has attributed the declining students’ performance in external examinations to dearth of quality teachers in Mathematics, Physics and Sciences.

Ijioma said this while interacting with newsmen shortly after conducting them round the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) projects in the institution on Saturday in Owerri.

She said there was need to provide incentives to students training as teachers in the science subjects in order to attract intelligent ones into the profession.

Said the Provost: “We have to brainstorm on this; we are turning out credible English teachers but we have a problem with Physics, Mathematics and Chemistry.

“Students who are very good in these subjects do not like to attend colleges of education.

“Government should give scholarship, bursary or other incentives to students studying Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Integrated Science and Introductory Technology.

“Government should take the learning of these subjects seriously in order to build solid foundation for technological development.”

Ijioma expressed optimism that the Federal Government would approve the upgrading of elite colleges of education to universities of education in order to attract quality students.

The provost said that in many countries, the minimum qualification for teaching was Bachelor of Education degree (B.Ed).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some of the TETFund projects in the state include the School of Agriculture and Vocational Studies, Micro-Teaching Laboratory and Biology Research Laboratory.

Others are Virtual library, Examinations Halls, office blocks, classrooms among others. (NAN)

•Photo shows Alvan Ikoku Provost, Dr. Blessing Ijioma.