Union faults conversion of colleges of education to varsities

The Senior Staff Union in Colleges of Education (SSUCOEN) has appealed to the Federal Government to stop incessant conversion of the Colleges of Education to universities.Mr Danladi Msheliza, President of SSUCOEN said this in a communique jointly signed by Nwenyi Isioma, National Secretary of the union on Thursday in Abuja.The communique was issued at the 38th National Delegates Conference of the union held at Federal College of Education (Technical) Bichi, Kano State.Msheliza said that the Conference viewed recent decision to convert some Colleges of Education (COEs) to universities as a misguided and short-sighted move.According to him, this will have far-reaching devastating consequences for the education sector.'This conversion will not only lead to the erosion of the unique identity and purpose of COEs, which have historically provided high-quality teacher training but also threaten the very existence of these institutions.'Moreover, it ignores the critical need for specialised teacher train ing and development, and will likely result in a watered-down, generalised education that fails to meet the specific needs of our students and educators.'We urge the Federal Government to recognise this ill-conceived decision and prioritise preserving and strengthening our COEs, rather than dismantling them under the guise of a so-called upgrade,'he said.He also noted that the conference expressed concern on the removal of subsidy on fuel and electricity tariff.He noted that this had caused untold hardship for Nigerians and therefore called for immediate reversal of the anti-masses policies.Msheliza also noted that conference strongly condemned the government's proposal to impose a cybersecurity levy on the already overburdened citizens and businesses.'This move is nothing short of a draconian measure that will only serve to further suffocate the struggling masses and stifle innovation and growth in the digital economy.'The government should focus on investing in robust cybersecurity measures, pro moting digital literacy, and supporting the development of a vibrant and inclusive digital ecosystem that benefits all Nigerians,'he said.He said the conference however called for the re-enactment of the Act establishing Federal Colleges of Education.On minimum wage, he said the conference called for approval and support on what organised labour was pushing forward as the new minimum wage.He also said other demands of the conference include the payment of revitalisation fund, mainstreaming of staff of Demonstration Schools, among others.Source: News Agency of Nigeria