Repositioning teacher education: Strategy for equipping the Nigerian child with skills and competencies to succeed in the competitive global community

Abstract

The past decade has seen globalization and emerging technologies fundamentally transforming every society (developing and developed alike) by creating a knowledge economy that influences the way people live and interact with one another. Obviously, the teacher is quite conversant with the processes of education, growth and development. The standard of education in a country is largely a function of the quality of its teachers in the educational system. Such teachers must be endowed with the spirit of enquiry, creativity and can fit properly into the global community. It is therefore essential that nations provide their children with an education that prepares them to participate and adapt to a rapidly changing global competitive environment, where an average student will have multiple careers before retirement. It is through teacher education that teachers for the global child will be educated; hence this process should be revamped towards the demand of globalization. This paper offers challenge for a re-position in the new wave of globalization by reviewing the policies of education to include a sound programme of Teacher Education that will emphasize and incorporate global demands of the Nigerian child.

Key words: Repositioning teacher education, Nigeria, teacher competencies, global competitiveness.