Chairman of the Governing Council of Rivers State University (RSU), Nkpolu Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt, Justice Mary Odili (rtd.) has called for the reintroduction of Teachers Training College (TTC) in Rivers State in order to enhance the intellectual capacity of teachers in the State.
Justice Odili made this call at the presentation of a book, titled, “Dr. Christie Toby: Touching Lives, Raising leaders”, held in Port Harcourt, Wednesday.
The 358 paged book written by Dotun Adekanmbi, is episodic and has intricate narrative, touching different disciplines of knowledge and depicts the life of Dame Christie as a life of sacrifice from childhood characterised by moving from place to place due to her father’s postings to different cities.
She stated that she has always been pained over the nation’s education system which has suffered because of government policies.
“I have prayed and craved for an opportunity to unburden my mind over this, and God has answered my prayers”, she said.
According to her, it was providential to be nominated as chairman of the book presentation, noting that there is distress in the education policy in the country.
”Why phase out the Teachers Training College system (for Grade Two Teachers)? Now, we see half-baked teachers everywhere. The foundation of education has been swept off”, she stated.
She noted that untrained teachers now teach children in schools, noting that Dr Christie Toby’s early training with grounding in teachers’ college was what made her very strong in teaching and education management.
“The skills acquisition scheme of Dr. Peter Odili/Gabriel Toby administration was different because it had methodology. Please, return to the Teachers Training College (TTC) system”, she said.
She appealed to teachers, school managers, and parents to “get the book and read it well, as it is impactful and educative”.
Also speaking, the book reviewer, Dr. Williams Wodi, said the book depicts “Dame Christie Toby: a life of sacrifice from childhood to now. Moving from place to place due to her father’s nomadic life or postings to different cities.
“She concluded her education at Cardiff which is known worldwide as the centre of teaching.
“The tragedy of Nigeria’s education is that it boasts of teachers that rather need to be taught. They boast of academic titles instead of capacity, illiterate teachers. The damage done by these illiterate teachers will need 50 years of hard work to repair”.
He made some observations about the book, especially the need for organic linkage of the chapters, saying that the observations noticed can be treated in the next edition.
In her opening remark, Mrs. Ibim Semenitari opined that it was a tasking project, but it is good for a deserving mother, the woman who deserves her flowers and thanked every one who attended the programme for the honours done to her mother.
Earlier in her speech, the celebrant, Dame Christie Toby, expressed her delight and gratitude, highlighting the many experiences in early life that sharpened her career and path in later life.
“My goal was simple: To contribute in the field of education in a very difficult system. I didn’t know it would enrich my life and the lives of others.
“I am today proud of my students: many of them have turned out big in their fields”, she said.

By: Akujobi Amadi