FG Bemoans Lack of Competent Teachers for 37 Trade Subjects

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The federal government has expressed worry over the lack of competent Technical Vocational teachers and instructional materials for 37 trade subjects in schools.

Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said that the National Council on Education had approved the mandatory inclusion of trade subjects in the secondary school curriculum and entrepreneurship.

Adamu disclosed this in Abuja at a National Conference on “Repositioning Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) through Policy and Legislative Options for National Development”.

According to the Minister, “the 37 Trade subjects, which were already being offered as compulsory subjects in schools, lacked skilled teachers.”

Adamu was represented by Dr. Masa’udu Kazaure, the immediate past Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).

The minister commended the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) for creating an opportunity to reflect on the nation’s experiences in TVET as well as to plan for the journey ahead.

Adamu further commended the context of skill development for the citizenry through sustainable policies and legislation.

“Presently, most of our schools lack competent teachers and instructional materials for effective handling of the 37 Trade subjects already offered as compulsory subjects in Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) since 2013. The ministry, through NBTE, developed 41 (forty-one) National Occupational Standards (NOS) and 95 qualifications covering eight (8) economic sectors of the country.”

Adamu added that the ministry had taken far-reaching measures on policy formulation and programme implementation to provide a recipe for youths to survive in today’s harsh economic environment.