Provost makes case for creative techniques to tackle social problems

Provost of the Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo, Dr. Rasak Adefabi, has challenged stakeholders in the knowledge industry to develop a framework that produces a trained and competent citizenry that is able to adapt and respond very quickly to the dynamics of rapidly changing economic and political landscapes of the modern world.
He said this emerging social space relies on and enables well-educated citizens amongst its people to drive the innovation, entrepreneurship and growth of the society’s economy.
Adefabi made the call in his address at the institution’s 4th
National Conference, with the theme, EMERGING DISCOURSE IN EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.
The Provost noted that while many nations have
embraced the need for education to achieve sustainability, only limited progress has been made in Nigeria at any level.
While attributing lack of progress to have stemmed from many sources, he added that in some cases, a lack of vision or awareness has impeded progress.
“It is important that the education system of the country be
strengthened by allowing new thinking within the educational system to
introduce new, creative and innovative solutions to problems of
sustainability. It is also important for our higher institutions of
learning to incorporate sustainable development aspect into their
curriculum, as this approach will enable all of us to see development
as everyone’s talk”.
Adefabi called on educationists to shift the paradigm from lecturing
to teaching, so as to see themselves first as teachers than as
lecturers.
Said he,“it is by so doing that we make teaching meaningful to
learners. This is the age that we need to evolve strategies and
methods that will make learners discover themselves, and contribute to
learning, and by extension to national development. Teachers of today
need to come up with creative techniques to help breed ideas to
resolve social problems. Student-centred diplomacy should be our
priority as an important strategy in teaching”
In his opening address, the state Commissioner for Education,
Professor Adeniyi Olowofela, represented by the Director of Higher
Education, Ministry of Education, Mr. Kunle Adeosun, commended the
college management for its pro-activeness and sense of devotion in the
overall administration and organizing the conference at this crucial time.
The commissioner gave an assurance that government would be delighted
to receive resolution of the conference for study and possible
implementation in its programmes and policies.
Welcoming participants, Dr. Farayola, chairman, research and
publication committee, said the conference arose out of the fact that
there had been some issues contending with educational development
sustainability in the country.
According to Farayola, “these issues must be addressed with all
seriousness with a view to looking for lasting solutions. Education
which should be an asset to this present generation and generations to
come is becoming defaced due to inadequate funding, politicization, conflict between and among the Federal, State and Local Governments in the management of education, unstable conditions of teaching staff at various levels of education, as well as high teacher/student ratio, among others”.