The College of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) and students’ Union of the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), have urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to upgrade the college to a University.
COEASU and the students’ body said the conversion was long overdue.
COEASU Chairman, Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education branch, Mr. Ige Ajayi said the college possessed the required manpower, facilities, and structure to award degrees to youths craving for university certificates.
He noted that staff and students expected the announcement at the 50th and 60th anniversaries of the institution, but the state government didn’t upgrade the college to degree-awarding status.
He said: “It is no longer news that AOCOED is old enough to be upgraded to university status. The need for change in status for AOCOED to become a University of Education is long overdue. Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education is the oldest tertiary institution established by the Lagos State Government with the aim of advancing the frontiers of knowledge among pre-service and in-service teachers as well as other stakeholders through teaching, research, and creation of lifelong learning opportunities that are relevant and responsive to national and global needs.
“AOCOED, since 1958, has evolved from several stages, based on the dynamism and quest for knowledge by Lagosians from a Grade III teacher training college, named Lagos Day Training College in 1958, it became Grade II Teacher Training College; then NCE-awarding college in the 1970s, and a degree-awarding institution in 1999 in collaboration with University of Ado-Ekiti on sandwich degree programme in education courses and got approval in 2009 from the National Universities Commission (NUC) to run full-time degree programmes.
“It is on record that the resource team from NUC on three occasions gave 100 per cent accreditation to the college’s 26 programmes. The college has produced notable Nigerians who have contributed, are contributing and will continue to contribute to the overall growth of the state and Nigeria in all spheres of life.’’
The COEASU chairman noted that the college had a rich pedigree with its affiliation with Ekiti State University.
He said: “AOCOED could boast of qualified human resource, adequate infrastructure, accredited curriculum, Webometrics ranking, mega-city status of Lagos, socio-economic benefits, improved students’ subscription, staff job satisfaction, among others.
“Needless to say, that with PhD holders close to 75 under her belt and about 30 getting close to the finishing line both home and abroad, while about 12 are waiting to defend, not many universities can beat this human record. There are some universities with less than 20 PhD holders that run so many degree programmes,’’ he said.
Ajayi said, AOCOED had demonstrated its readiness to transform to a university by passing three consecutive rigorous accreditation exercises from the NUC in the last 15 years.
“Transmuting to a university will not be less than an affirmation of 16-year record of having graduated over 25,000 sandwich degree students, and over 4,000 full-time degree students in the last nine years, in collaboration with Ekiti State University.’’
He also said, “the old universities like UNILORIN, UNILAG, UI, and LASU were utilising brilliant minds in the college for their academic and administrative works.
“All the states in the South-West, with less economic status, have at least two universities. Majority of the students in those universities by a survey are drawn from Lagos residents. Therefore, transiting AOCOED to a university of education will be timely, as it will help Lagos residents stay in the state of excellence for their studies.
“Given that there is unanimity of purpose among the staff unions and the AOCOED community is enough assurance that the entire college community desires its transition to University of Education,” he said.
He noted that the state government had promised to upgrade the college, He, however the government not to renege on its promise.
“This should be kept. Needful to add that at the time the college management conveyed the good news of the state government’s plan to transmute the college to university status to the AOCOED community, it was overwhelmingly received with enthusiasm, exhilaration, jubilation and appreciation to the people’s governor. It will be very demoralising for the staff to hear otherwise,” he added.
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