Don calls for re-orientation on teaching, learning strategies

NAN-H-22
Re-orientation
By Bushrah Yusuf-Badmus
Ilorin, Nov.1, 2016 (NAN) Prof. Mohammed Shittu, Global Vice-President of the International Association for Community Development, has called for the re-orientation of students and lecturers from being certificate-driven.
Shittu, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Ilorin, said that students were more concerned about acquiring certificates and not being skilful and competent.
“We are suffering from diploma disease, which means an orientation by which most teachers and students are only concerned about certificates.
“They are not concerned about becoming competent, skilful and getting the knowledge and attitudes to become functional, in an organised society.
“We need a new orientation in terms of learning and teaching strategies, in view of our vision for change.
“We have to refocus our thoughts and actions in becoming competency-based training outlets.
“We should be a training institution that builds competency among our learners, not just to make them certificate-driven in their thoughts and actions,’’ Shittu said.
The professor, also the President of the Institute of Community Development in Nigeria, said the rush for certificate was the reason for the high rate of examination malpractice.
“It is not only students that are guilty of this but teachers; too, who teach without a programme to make the learner learns to understand the knowledge.
“Teachers are only concerned about students writing examinations and leaving at the end of the session.
“The system is in shambles at all levels; and that explains why people engage in examination malpractice, to get whatever they want.
“But if it is not certificate-driven, examination malpractice will not be attractive,’’ Shittu said. (NAN)
BAY/FLP/PAD
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Edited by Folorunso Poroye, controlled by Peter Dada