Teachers’ Institute Evolves a 5-Year Strategic Plan
Kaduna, Feb 09, 2002 (This Day/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) — The governing council of the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), Kaduna has approved a five year strategic plan which will transform the institute into Africa’s foremost distance education institution and one of the leading distance education institutions in the world.
Disclosing this, the institute’s Director and Chief Executive, Dr Ahmed Moddibo Mohammed said the strategic plan which will be launched by Vice-President Atiku Abubakar on Monday, February 11, 2002 as part of activities to mark the 25th anniversary celebrations of the institute, will ensure that education is better managed, funded and delivered to the greatest majority of Nigerians.
Dr Mohammed who disclosed that major constraints facing the institute is the skepticism about the Distant Learning Scheme (DLS) and funding, said as part of the silver jubilee, “the first ever teachers’ summit in Nigeria will be held whose outcome will revolutionalise education generally in the country and teacher education in particular.
To be attended by renowned educationists, administrators and policy makers, two primary school teachers and two post-primary school teachers from each state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory have been invited as participants. In addition, the registrar of the Teachers’ Registration Council will participate as a discussant in the education summit, he added.
Dr Mohammed said that apart from upgrading under-qualified and untrained teachers, other functions of the institute include fostering and enhancing international linkages and partnerships in the education of teachers and formulating policies and initiating programmes that will improve the quality and content of education in Nigeria.
According to him, another area in which NTI has made immense contributions to teacher education is course material development for distance education. In this regard, Dr Mohammed disclosed that self-instructional course books have been produced in three volumes of modules each which cover the Teachers College II syllabus.
Highlights of the silver jubilee celebrations include opening ceremony by President Obasanjo on Monday, February 11 which will be followed by two lectures to be deliverwed by Prof. N.K. Ambasht, chairman of the Ntional Open School, India and Prof. Olu Jegede, co-ordinator, National Open University, Abuja.
The celebrations will end on Thursday, February 14, with the closing of the teachers’ summit by the Minister of Education, Prof. A.B. Borishade and the conferment of awards to deserving staff which will be performed by Governor Ahmed Makarfi of Kaduna State.
The celebrations will end on Thursday, February 14, with the closing of the teachers’ summit by the Minister of Education, Prof. A.B. Borishade and the conferment of awards to deserving staff which will be performed by Governor Ahmed Makarfi of Kaduna State.
by Josephine Lohor
