AUTHORITIES of Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo, have lamented the falling enrolment figures recorded by the college in recent times. Consequently, they are calling on the state government to convert the institution to a University of Education.
Registrar of the College, Mr. Sam Nwarisi, made the call while addressing journalists, who were on a tour of facilities funded by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, to enhance teacher education in the school.
Nwarisi noted that enrolment in the institution has dwindled over the years because of lack of interest in the Nigeria Certificate of Education (NCE) programme, by candidates seeking tertiary education in the state.
He, however, disclosed that the college was firming up affiliation plans with Ebonyi State University, as a way of shoring up enrolment figures.
On the state of infrastructures in the institution, he noted that the impact of TETFund intervention was massive as over 90 per cent of the classrooms, lecture theatres, offices and libraries were provided by the fund.
He said TETFund’s intervention in infrastructural development has made teaching and learning in the college easy.
Nwarisi said over a hundred lecturers from the college have also benefited from the TETFund academic staff development, and have gone ahead to acquire Masters’ and Doctorate’s in diverse fields.
He added that the staff development programme has improved lecturers’ output and strengthened the quality of education in the institution.
Formerly a college of agriculture, it was converted to a COE in 2000, while TETFund intervention in the college started in 2011.
According to Nwarisi, before the intervention the school lacked basic infrastructure to function properly as an academic institution.
The registrar however appealed to the fund to construct a perimeter fence for the institution in order to protect the facilities that have helped transform its architectural landscape.
