NCCE commences review of teacher education curriculum to raise standards
By Uji A. Iliyasu, Abuja
The National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) has commenced a comprehensive review of the curriculum for colleges of education and the 2020 edition of the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) Minimum Standards, aimed at strengthening the quality of teacher education in Nigeria.
The review exercise was formally flagged off at the Nasarawa State College of Education, Akwanga, by the Executive Secretary of the NCCE, Professor Paulinus Chijioke Okwelle.
He explained that the initiative was designed to address identified gaps in teacher preparation and align the NCE programme with emerging national priorities, global education trends, and the realities facing teacher education institutions across the country.
Professor Okwelle noted that the review process has brought together a wide range of stakeholders, including teacher educators, policymakers, practitioners and development partners, whose collective expertise would enrich the outcomes of the exercise.
He disclosed that a key feature of the revised curriculum would be the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and related digital competencies.
He said the new framework would embed AI awareness, ethical use of emerging technologies, data literacy and adaptive digital pedagogy, in line with global best practices and the future of work.
“This approach will ensure that future teachers are not merely consumers of technology but effective facilitators of AI-enabled learning. It will also position Nigerian teachers to function confidently in technology-rich classrooms and align teacher education with national development aspirations,” he said.
Okwelle recalled that the National Policy on Education (2013 Revised) recognises the NCE as the minimum qualification for entry into the teaching profession at the basic education level, stressing that the quality and relevance of the NCE Minimum Standards are of critical national importance.
He added that the NCCE has, in recent years, pursued far-reaching reforms to reposition colleges of education for relevance, quality and sustainability. Prominent among these reforms is the operationalisation of the Dual-Mode mandate, which now empowers colleges of education to award Bachelor’s Degrees in Education independently, without university affiliation.
The NCCE boss described the review of the NCE Minimum Standards as timely, noting that it would further enhance access, institutional autonomy, enrolment and public confidence in colleges of education.
He commended Nasarawa State Governor, Engr. Abdullahi Sule, for his support for teacher education and his presence at the flag-off ceremony, urging all stakeholders to engage constructively to ensure the success of the exercise for the benefit of Nigeria’s education sector.