COREN Reiterates Need for Work- oriented Curriculum

By James Sowole

The Council for Registration of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), has reiterated the need to ensure that all students are equipped with the knowledge, competence and qualities needed to be successful after school.

The Registrar/Chief Executive of COREN, Professor Joseph Odigure, who made this known recently while delivering the 10th convocation lecture of Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State titled ‘The Reality of University Education Objectives: Post Convocation Life’, said schools should be structured and operated so that those outcomes can be achieved and maximised for all students.

According to him, the traditional education system of yesterday has outlived its usefulness because it is teacher-oriented and lecture-based, curriculum centred and formal in transmitting information from.the teacher to the student.

“Knowledge and skills learnt are not always coupled to a specific outcome, so the learning takes place in a vacuum.

“More attention is put on what is taught rather than what student learnt. Students are given grades and ranking, comparing each other not on skills, but examinations. The students therefore become exam oriented or Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) driven. Graduates are not completely prepared for the work life.

“The lack of emphasis on soft skills needed in jobs like the communication skills, interpersonal skills, analytical skills, working attitude and many more, makes it very difficult for graduates to fit into the working environment.”

Odigure, who was confered with Honourary Doctoral degree of the institution, said success at institution level is of limited benefit, unless learners are equipped to transfer academic success to life in a complex, challenging, high technology future.

According to him, “today’s job environment requires specific learning outcomes. All learning activities must be towards, not what the teacher is going to teach, but what the outcome of that teaching should be, what the learner is supposed to do and at what standard.

“We need complete restructuring of curriculum, assessment and reporting practices in our education to reflect the achievements of high order learning and mastery rather than accumulation of course credits.”

Speaking after he was conferred with the Honorary Doctoral degree of the institution along with three other recipients, the COREN registrar promised to assist the institution in the areas of certification of the university engineering programmes and in terms of manpower of the engineering faculty.