The Kaduna State House of Assembly has passed a bill amending the law establishing the Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan Waya, to allow the institution to operate a dual mandate system.

The bill was passed after passing the third reading, with the chairman of the House Committee on Education, Mahmud Lawal, presenting a report on the bill.

He said that the amended law empowers the college to run both the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree programmes concurrently without affiliation to any university.

He said that before the amendment, the college could only run degree-related programmes through affiliations with universities such as Ahmadu Bello University, Kaduna State University, and others.

He stated, “The main objective of the amendment is to grant the college autonomy to award degrees and post-degree qualifications independently, in line with the National Policy for Colleges of Education.”

He added that the law also aligned the institution’s governance structure with current trends in tertiary education administration.

Mr Lawal explained that the tenure of the provost had been reviewed from two four-year terms to a single non-renewable term of five years, a model now adopted by most universities and colleges of education.

He said similar tenure adjustments applied to other top management positions, including the registrar and librarian, who will now serve a single five-year term.

He noted that the law also makes provision for the establishment of additional campuses across the state and creates the position of deputy provost in charge of campuses to oversee their administration.

“This amendment gives the college legal backing to operate as a multi-campus institution and respond to the growing demand for teacher education in Kaduna State,” Mr Lawal said.

He further disclosed that the law incorporates the approved retirement age of 65 years or 40 years of service for academic staff of tertiary institutions.

On implementation, Mr Lawal expressed confidence that Governor Uba Sani would assent to the bill, saying that the governor had been fully briefed on the need to strengthen the college.

He described the Kaduna State College of Education as the only state-owned college of education in the state, stressing the importance of repositioning it to meet contemporary educational needs.

“The commitment of His Excellency to improving education in the state is not in doubt, and we are confident this law will be fully implemented,” he said.

(NAN)