THE STRATEGIC PLAN OF THE FACULTY OF EDUCATION

I HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The Faculty of Education emerged as one of the foundation faculties of the University of Jos in 1976. It began under the Acting Deanship of Dr. N. E. Obioha after which Professor N.M. Cooper came in, as the first substantive Dean. Initially, there were only two Departments - Foundations and Curriculum Studies. Students in the faculty were administratively managed in two Departments; The Department of Curriculum Studies enrolled and registered all students of the faculty until the Special Education Department was introduced in 1978. Thereafter, The Special Education Department registered its own students while Foundations was more pre-occupied with postgraduate training. There was little wonder therefore, that by 1977/78, the department was able to graduate the first batch of postgraduate students, even before it graduated its first degree students. Thanks to the high calibre staff that founded the faculty and laid the foundation of the admirable postgraduate programmes run by the faculty today.

The history of the faculty is that of steady growth. Student enrolment in 1976 was only 50 and has now grown to 500. Academic staff in the faculty were only 9 in 1976 and has increased to 85 by 1998. Programmes have similarly expanded in depth and breadth following the restructuring of the departments in the faculty.

The undergraduate enrolment grew so large that it could no longer be effectively managed by a department by 1994. The accreditation of courses in Nigerian Universities by the National Universities Commission and the survival of The Foundations Department informed the transfer of the liberal arts-based courses and staff to the newly created Department of Arts and Social Science Education in 1994. The staff, students and science-based programmes that were left, after the transfer, became The Science and Technology Education Department. The steady growth and development of the faculty during the 1990s necessitated the creation of additional departments. Hence, it is anticipated that additional departments will be created within this planning period, not only to make the faculty more relevant in meeting national needs but also to achieve optimal productivity of both staff and students.

II. THE FACULTY MISSION STATEMENT

The Faculty of Education normally offers a four-year full-time programme leading to the Bachelor of Arts, Science and Special Education degrees. The objectives for these degree programmes are derived from the National Policy on Education namely:

* to produce highly motivated, conscientious research-oriented and efficient classroom teachers,

* to encourage the spirit of inquiry and creativity in teachers,

* to help teachers fit into the social life of the community and society at large and to enhance their commitment to national objectives,

* to prepare teachers with the intellectual and professional background adequate for their assignments and to make them adaptable to changing situations,

* to enhance teachers’ commitment to the teaching profession.

In more specific terms therefore, first degree education graduates are trained to:

* acquire sound knowledge of the subjects they will be expected to teach in schools in order to make a meaningful contribution to the education of the children.

* acquire skills for teaching effectively and efficiently the subjects in which they are specialised especially at post-primary level.

* understand the concept of teaching as applied to the classroom.

* acquire an understanding of the philosophical, sociological, psychological, historical and economic bases of education and the factors that influence education.

* show awareness of the national philosophy of education, and implement school programmes to achieve prescribed objectives.

* acquire the necessary skills and abilities for performing the varied functions of the teacher.

The admission and examination guidelines in the faculty are as specified by the University. The faculty prescribes and offers all courses in education, and recommends courses in the teaching subject areas, which are delivered, to the students, in the various other faculties. Students are required to take courses in General Studies. For one to graduate as a teacher, these courses as well as the prescribed courses in any one of the teaching subjects listed below must be passed.

a. Arts And Social Science Education b. Science & Technology Education

- English - Biology

- Economics - Chemistry

- French - Geography

- History - Mathematics

- Social Studies - Physics

- Christian Religious Education c. Special Education

- Learning Disability

- Hearing Handicaps

- Visual Handicaps

In consonant with the aims of higher education and the faculty’s mission statement, the faculty is actively involved in teaching to produce high calibre teachers for the Nation. Thus, the faculty is involved in preparing teachers in various programmes in Arts & Social Sciences Education, Science and Technology Education and Special Education at the diploma, undergraduate and post-graduate levels. In addition to the first degree full time programmes, the faculty is appropriately responding to its community needs via services to government sponsored part-time programmes. From its humble beginnings, training for government parastatals, non-government organisation started in the 1970s as a Plateau State Project and has assumed national dimension by 1986. It has since continued to grow from strength to strength, as a viable tool for producing the much needed professional teachers for improving and sustaining the quality of education in the nation’s schools.

Individually and as a faculty, staff have embarked upon several research efforts focused on the educational problems of the immediate locality as well as that of the entire nation.

The staff of the faculty is of high calibre and of excellent national and international standing. The presence of such staff confirms the preparedness of the faculty to carry out its mission statement. With this pool of human resources, the faculty is prepared for even greater challenges.

IV. THE VISION OF THE FACULTY OF EDUCATION

To be rated among the three best faculties of education in Nigeria.

V. GOALS AND STRATEGIES:

FS = Faculty Strategy

Goal 1: Comprehensive strength in undergraduate programmes

FS 1.1 Support all departments to gain full accreditation status.

FS 1.2 Develop new and viable programmes, especially in the areas of Technology (Building, Computer Science and Creative Arts) Educational Foundations, Administration and Counseling as well as Hearing Handicaps and Rehabilitation Services;

Goal 2: First class postgraduate and professional programmes in a significant number of areas

FS 2.1 Regularly fund, produce and maintain The Faculty Journal and other occasional publications at international standard.

FS 2.2 Provide extra support for the Department of Special Education in order to nurture it into a centre of excellence

Goal 3: A quality academic and conducive working environment

FS 3.1 Mount aggressive programmes and short courses to combat scientific and technological illiteracy as well as mass failure in public examinations most especially in science, mathematics and technology subjects.

FS 3.2 Develop the Special Education Department into a Centre for Rehabilitation Services, rendering services to the University Community and beyond in areas of clinical audiology, braille, ear moulds and the development of other teaching and learning materials from its present skeletal level to commercial levels.

FS 3.3 Foster the establishment of a well-equipped and fully functional instructional technology unit geared towards research, training and instructional materials production.

FS 3.4 Support the establishment of a University centered teaching methodology - programmes/seminar for all lecturers to improve teaching and consequently students’ academic performance.

FS 3.5 Encourage the conduct of regular staff and student seminars to exchange ideas and disseminate information on research methodology, research findings and implementation of research recommendations.

FS 3.6 Encourage the University to speedily make the building of and the movement to the permanent faculty complex a reality. In the interim, encourage the University to rehabilitate and develop the current faculty buildings.

FS 4.1 Organise individual and group research projects for staff and students and encourage inter-faculty and inter university cooperation in research activities, staff linkages and exchange programmes.

FS 4.2 Support staff members to regularly attend national and international conferences, seminars and workshops.

FS 4.3 Support other staff development programmes and challenge younger academics to promptly complete their postgraduate work.

FS 4.4 Support the regular promotion of staff as at when due, in line with NUC guidelines.

Goal 5: Effective and efficient utilisation of limited resources.

FS 5.1 Involve capable faculty of education staff in the teaching of content areas as opposed to the present restriction to the teaching of methodological areas.

FS 5.2 Foster increased funding from the NUC to the university through the intake of more postgraduate students.

FS 5.3 Foster increased funding from the university to the faculty, through the use of an internal funding model based on NUC norms.

FS 5.4 Participate actively in the Long Vacation Programme to be run by the Centre for Continuing Education in order to exploit the advantages of the course credit unit system.

FS 5.5 Share a college bus with other faculties in the same college (run in a self funding way) for teaching practice and other relevant academic activities of staff and students.

Goal 6: Increased provision and use of information technology

FS 6.1 Provide free Internet access for all staff and students.

FS 6.2 Establish and maintain a Faculty Computer Laboratory.

FS 6.3 Provide personal computers for all Senior Lectures and Professors.

Goal 7: Decentralisation and Transparency in Administration

FS 7.1 Foster the installation of the collegiate system.

FS 7.2 Discuss and approve annual budgets at the Faculty and Departmental Boards.

Goal 8: Increased Participation of a diverse range of stakeholders

FS 8.1 Mount a science and technology rehabilitation programme through the provision of short courses, induction courses and diploma programmes to popularise science and mathematics in order to raise the scientific and technological literacy of Nigerians.

FS 8.2 Develop a special programme for more effective teaching of English and French with a view to improving performance and the production of sound teachers in response to national need.

FS 8.3 Mount special support services programmes in Guidance and Counseling as well as Educational Planning and Administration to aid schools, the Ministries of Education and the society at large, in the overall interest of quality education and national development.

FS 8.4 Develop education and media programmes in collaboration with the Campus Radio and other media stations in the state.

FS 8.5 Play a leading role in the Nation’s Book Development programme for Secondary and Tertiary levels through collaboration with NERDC Book Development Centre.

FS 8.6 Facilitate the production of teaching and learning aids in commercial quantities.

VI ACTION PLAN

1998 to 1999:

Restructure the departments in the faculty in line with FTE guidelines.

Establish increased academic activities in the areas of rehabilitation in special education, performance-improvement programmes in English and French as well as other educational programmes through the campus and state media.

Support the production of a Faculty Research Abstracts.

1999 to 2000

Commence faculty involvement in teaching of content areas.

Increase faculty activity in the book development programme.

Produce faculty research abstracts.

Commence service programmes in science, languages, and other areas

2000 to 2001

Organise University Seminars on teaching methodology

2001 to 2002

Intensify activities on media programmes

2002 to 2003

Complete the full computerisation of the faculty.

VII COST IMPLICATIONS AND FUNDING ALTERNATIVES

The proposals described above are capital intensive but achievable. In addition to disciplined budgeting and sound accountability, the faculty plans to generate resources internally through the B.Ed part-time and other diploma programmes, educational consultancy services to state and government parastatals, exploring fund-raising through her alumni association and through commercialising the instructional technology, ear-moulds audiological services and rehabilitation services centres.

                            Back to Contents Page - Click Here