COEASU cautions FG over admission exemptions in colleges of education, calls for stakeholder engagement in policy decisions.
The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has expressed concern over the Federal Government’s recent policy granting admission exemptions to candidates seeking entry into colleges of education.
The union said it was not consulted before the policy was announced, warning that key reforms in teacher education should involve all relevant stakeholders.
COEASU National President, Lawal Bazza, stated this during a press briefing on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said while efforts to boost enrollment in colleges of education are welcome, such decisions must not compromise the quality of teacher training or the future of the education system.
According to him, stakeholder engagement is essential in policy formulation.
“We have stated that we were not consulted in the discussions that led to the development of this policy or shift,” he said.
Bazza stressed the need for a “bottom-top approach” to policy making, adding that the union would convene an emergency National Officers’ Council meeting to take a formal position on the matter.
He warned that lowering admission standards without consultation could have long-term consequences for teacher quality and national development.
Speaking on the outcome of the union’s National Executive Council meeting held in Warri, Delta State, Bazza reaffirmed support for ongoing reforms, including the implementation of the Federal Colleges of Education Act 2023.
He noted that the Act retains the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) as the minimum qualification for teachers and supports a strengthened training structure for student teachers.
Bazza also disclosed that the union has concluded a renegotiation agreement with the Federal Government after about 16 years.
He commended the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Ahmad, for efforts toward implementing reforms in line with the Act.
On industrial relations, he expressed concern over alleged intimidation of lecturers in some colleges and poor salary structures in several state-owned institutions.
He listed states including Kwara, Gombe, Osun, Ebonyi, Ogun, Kaduna, Yobe, Oyo, Borno, Adamawa, Abia, and Imo, where salaries were described as inadequate.
Bazza urged the Federal Government to engage state authorities to ensure full implementation of agreements reached with education unions, warning that failure to do so could threaten industrial harmony in the sector.
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