A former Edo State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Ngozi Osarenren, says teacher training is an elixir for developing the nation’s education.?

She stated this at a leadership seminar on Sustainable Development, Sustainable Conversations, entitled Building Viable Frameworks for Sustainability in Lagos. ThistlePraxis Consulting organised the event.

Osarenren, a Counselling and Psychology professor at the University of Lagos, noted that the perception that teaching was an all-comers profession was wrong.

She said, “Teacher training must be a focus if sustainable development must be achieved. Beyond better salaries, there must be skill enhancement for the teachers in order to ensure motivation and confidence.”

This, she said, would forestall circumstances where some teachers abandon their responsibility.

On corporate social responsibility in education, she noted that the private sector should go beyond donating buildings and get involved in happenings in such schools.

The education professor, who also frowned on the insufficiency of instructional materials in schools, noted that this had affected the quality of graduates from the nation’s schools.She also urged the event sponsors, Etisalat Nigeria to endow professorial chairs on research and to train outstanding students for specialised roles in emerging industries.

Among discussants on the occasion were the Chief Academic Officer, Kepler, Chrystina Russell; Lagos State Team Lead, DFiD-ESSPIN, Olabode Oyeneye, and the Chief Executive, West Africa Vocational Education, Misan Rewane.

The CEO, The Education Partnership Centre, Dr. Modupe Olateju, moderated the discussions while an International Education strategist, Prof. Pai Obanya, also presented a paper.