Transcript Tertiary Education and National Transformation: Challenges

Tertiary Education and National
Transformation:
Challenges and Future Expectations.
Presented
By
Professor Isaac .U. Asuzu (DVM,Ph.D, FCVSN)
Vice-Chancellor
Federal University Oye-Ekiti
Introduction

Tertiary Education is defined as the education
offered after secondary level at a University,
Polytechnic, specialized institutions, open
university and any other institutions to provide
training that will lead to the award of diploma
and degree qualifications.

Tertiary institutions provide the platform for
training people in all spheres of human
endeavour such as the humanities, science and
technology, which are the driving forces of
development.

The quality of tertiary education of a nation
determines its technological advancement and
national transformation.
Main Social Forces That Have Influence On Tertiary
Education

Growing need for highly skilled and educated
workers.

Widespread view of the link between
educated
manpower
and
economic
development.

Increasing links to the international system,
with mobility and outsourcing becoming
important
factors
in
the
perceived
attractiveness of higher education.
Trends In Tertiary Education
 Expansion
of the system:- Student population
doubled between 1991 and 2004 from 68
million to 132 million.
 Diversification
of provision:- To meet
increasing diverse needs of labour market and
also to increase access to tertiary education
as a way to educate larger proportion of
students at lower cost through introduction of
short term programmes.
Trends In Tertiary Education Contd.
 Emergence
of private universities.
 More
flexible modes of teaching are emerging:Distance learning, online delivery of standard
courses in face-to-face programmes, part-time
courses and module based curricula, continuing
education and non-degree courses.
 More
heterogeneous student bodies:- age, gender,
qualifications, cultural, financial background etc.
 New
funding arrangements:- Government saddled
with providing for different sectors(health,
environment, primary and
Trends In Tertiary Education Contd.
secondary education etc.) given rise to
prioritization of allocations. Note: increased
public/private partnerships advocated.
 New
forms of Institutional governance:- Governing
Councils to increase capacity of the institution to take
into consideration internal and external stakeholder
needs, develop new partnerships and find new sources
of income, to enhance the prestige of the institution
(web ranking etc) and to be able to compete globally.
 Global
networking, mobility and collaboration:Internationalization which leads to mobility of
academics, students and professionals giving rise to
internationalization of curricula.
Some Challenges for Tertiary Education
 Due
to poor quality of secondary education,
there has to be an efficient system of getting the
right calibre of students into our tertiary
institutions (screening exams and experiences).
 Find
sources of funding:- Honorary degree
awards based on finance is wrong. Increased
public/private sector partnership is good. Increase
in tuition fees is absolutely necessary but highly
politicised in Nigeria – money is needed to keep
the hostels and provide adequate facility
Some Challenges for Tertiary Education Contd.
for teaching and learning. However, there must be
a corresponding requirement for accountability.
 The
challenge of adjusting our curricula to train
students who have entrepreneurial skills (to fit
into industries and the private sector). The NUC
has made some courses compulsory.
 Need
for pedagogical approaches – leaving the
old traditional way of memorizing to that of
critical thinking and judgment. This makes the
difference
between
Education
in
Europe/America and what is practiced in
Nigeria.
Some Challenges for Tertiary Education Contd.
 Training
of teachers – Staff development and need
for continuing education.
 To
stem the issue of cultism and other social vices
in our institutions. Managements must insist on
zero tolerance to cultism rather than subscribe to
cultism as a means of protection.
 Issue
of Access and Equity:- Access is defined as
places and facilities available for potential
applicants.
 Existing
tertiary institutions are unable to meet
with high demand for tertiary education.
 Quota
system and related problems.
Some Challenges for Tertiary Education Contd.
Quality Assurance:- NUC is doing this by
accreditation exercises at regular intervals. This
becomes absolutely important as new schools
are coming on board (both private and public
sectors). Quality assurance should be both
internal and external. The internal quality
assurance mechanisms must become
a part of the management and decision making
schemes within the institution. Quality should
be understood as both the achievement of the
institution’s stated purposes and the ability to
meet National and International quality
standards. Quality Assurance is about
evaluation and evaluation about power. It is
easy to be tempted to define quality from a
top-down
position
and
it becomes
intoxicating when TEIs do as they are told
because they need to have a good report.
IMPROVEMENT
Doing the same
but better
Current situation
Innovate and
improve
Change:
new issues
New
approaches
INNOVATION
Diagram adapted from Yorke, 1994
There is need to develop institutional capacity for self
regulation. This should be the aim for Quality Assurance i.e.
aim to promote quality and help the institution to improve
its operation as well as enable the review of its operation
and make any necessary change.
Future Expectations
Better
access to tertiary education – more
institutions, distance learning programmes,
increased funding opportunities.
Well
trained graduates with entrepreneurial
skills, improved (< 70%) job opportunities,
reduced crime rate.
Growth
in national economy due to improved
skills, industrial growth due to improved R & D,
enhanced public/private sector partnership.
Future Expectations Contd.
Improved
health and social amenities –
well trained medical personnel, improved
medical care and facilities, provision of
constant power, water etc.
Food
for all due to improved agricultural
practices leading to diversified economy.
Thank You