Tertiary Education and National Transformation: Challenges and Future Expectations.

1. Tertiary Education and National Transformation: Challenges and Future Expectations.

2. Presented By Professor Isaac .U. Asuzu(DVM,Ph.D, FCVSN) Vice-Chancellor Federal University Oye-Ekiti

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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

7. 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.

8. 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

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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

12. 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.

13. Doing the same but better Innovate and improve IMPROVEMENT Change: new issues New approaches INNOVATION Diagram adapted from Yorke, 1994 Current situation 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.

14. 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.

15. 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.

16. Thank You