The Provost, Federal College of Education (Technical) Umunze, Anambra State, Dr Theresa Okoli, has stressed the need for ICT skills among students to compete favourably in this digital age.
She said computer literacy had become compulsory for staff and students to meet the evolving world’s expectations.
The provost stated this while addressing newly admitted students of the college during the 33rd NCE/11th joint matriculation ceremony for the 2021/2022 academic session held at the Convocation Arena. Five hundred and sixty-two students were admitted into the NCE degree and Professional Diploma in Education (PDE).
While congratulating the students on their successful admission into the college affiliated with Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Okoli said her vision is to introduce digital classrooms to all college academic programmes. According to her, deploying ICT tools in classrooms would make learning more interactive and enhance the quality of output. She expressed gladness that the focus on ICT in the college was gaining attention, with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) rating the institution high in ICT facilities and resources.
Okoli noted that the college enjoys an uninterrupted academic calendar that enables students to graduate in record time.
Okoli, also the National President of the Association of Women in Colleges of Education in Nigeria, explained that the college places a high premium on entrepreneurship in fulfilling its motto: ‘To educate for self-reliance’.
The provost said the college would continue to provide a fertile environment for excellence to thrive and charged the new students to emulate the outstanding academic performance of Miss Ezugwu Chinenye of the Department of Early Childhood Education, who won the 2020/2021 Federal Government scholarship for students in tertiary institutions.
Also worthy of emulation were Miss Onuorah Deborah Chinelo of Computer Maths, that won the MDGs/SDGs female scholarship in 2019, Miss Nwafor Blessing, Miss Ibemeka Favour Ozioma and Mr Samuel Chiemerie, that have secured federal government scholarships for their brilliant academic records in the college.
Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Prof Charles Okechukwu Esimone, urged the students to study diligently.
As part of the matriculation ceremony, the Parents Management Forum led by Chief Don Uka was held at Dr Alex Ekwueme Auditorium. During the interactive session with the college management, excited parents commended the leadership of the college for the high moral standard of the institution, as well as the improvement in learning facilities.
