BY CHRIS OCHAYI
The Federal Government yesterday approved the disbursement and installation of science laboratory and workshop equipment worth N15.377 billion to 51 polytechnics and monotechnics across the country.

Education Minister, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i, who disclosed this at a meeting with the 51 beneficiary institutions, the National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, ETF and other stakeholders, noted that the move was in fulfilment of earlier commitment and agreements by the government to tag along with the recommendations of UNESCO.

The projects, expected to be funded by the Education Trust Fund, was timely intervention in the technical education sector, aimed at complementing the government’s effort in improving the capacity, widen access, promote industrial peace and  revitalise the Technical and Vocational Education and Training, TVET, to drive the much needed development in the country.

According to the Minister, “the Federal Government, through the NBTE, had in 2000 and 2007 signed an Aide Memoire with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Orgainsation, UNESCO, for the development of new curricula, E-books and training manuals for use in our polytechnics, monotechnics and other specialised institutions.

“In our relentless effort towards the consolidation of the gains achieved in that partnership, the ministry of education anchored the presidential initiative to revamp and revitalise TVET.

“The Federal Executive Council, FEC, has given approval for the supply of laboratory and workshop equipment to 51 polytechnics and monotechnics to complement the efforts of NBTE towards development of curricula that could march the needs of industries and the competitive world.”

In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of NBTE, Dr. Mas’ud Kazaure, stressed that a major component of the effort was the provision of modern laboratory and workshop equipment for effective implementation of the new and revised curricula.

He said “to bring these institutions to meet the needs of industries and internationally acceptable standards, the NBTE had produced 200 new curricula for National Diploma (ND), Higher National Diploma (HND), and Post-HND programmes, 20 new curricula for programmes offered in Innovation Enterprise Institutions.

“The board in addition produced 17 new curricula for programmes offered by Vocational Enterprise Institutions, 88 new ones for technical colleges and developed 356 e-books.

Executive Secretary, ETF, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu in his address, emphasised that study of sciences has remained the pivot for development and must be given a priority attention in the nation’s educational institutions.

He said unfortunately, N26 million was the highest allocation given to the technical education sector in the past. This he said has improved to about 700 percent, representing about N200 million allocations in 2010. He explained that a total of N1.69 billion has also been allocated for staff training in that sector.

“Empathises must be on sciences and that is why the intervention is focused on provision of laboratory for the study of sciences and technical courses. Science is a very easy discipline but cannot be effectively taught without sufficient equipment. More funds should go to sciences and ETF is ready to intervene in this regard,” he said.