Alarmed by the premium placed on certificates in this part of the world, the Vice Chancellor, Covenant University, Ota, Prof Abiodun Adebayo has decried the emphasis on certificates and degrees at the expence of skills acquisition.
The University administrator, who spoke virtually at the Nigeria Education Conference and Awards (NECA) 2021, convened by The Educational Tide Media, said, the University and other institutions should be likened to the refinery where raw materials are refined to bring forth good products , rather than a place where meal tickets are guaranteed.
According to Prof Adebayo, the quality of the output is a reflection of the quality of the curriculum of the institution. He charged stakeholders in education to always stay abreast with modern technology.
” Any institution that does not keep abreast with global trends will be left behind. For example, most of the gadgets such as the cameras, phones, photocopiers and automobiles used in time past are now obsolete.
” Take a look at the banking process in the past and juxtapose with what obtains now, especially with the automated system and the fact that you can do transaction from the comfort of your home.
The Don also took a swipe at the education stakeholders. He said, ” How responsive are the stakeholders in education– proprietors, administrators etc. The world has left us behind in education. It is about how you can use modern technology to help our learners and not just baking certificate holders. In the western world, employers are looking for problem solving employees” , He concluded.
