The Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) has expressed disagreement with the Federal Government’s decision to remove the requirement of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for candidates seeking admission into Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) programmes.

The union said the policy was introduced without sufficient consultation with key stakeholders in the education sector and warned that it could negatively affect the quality of teacher education in Nigeria.

COEASU made its position known after its National Executive Council meeting, stating that while expanding access to Colleges of Education is important, it should not be done in a way that undermines academic standards or weakens the credibility of teacher training institutions.

It further argued that the decision was made without proper involvement of relevant education bodies, stressing that meaningful reforms should be based on broad participation and engagement rather than top-down directives.

Although the union acknowledged government efforts to improve access to tertiary education, it maintained that easing entry requirements should not compromise the quality of graduates produced by Colleges of Education.

The Federal Government had recently approved the waiver of UTME for NCE admissions as part of efforts to increase enrolment and reduce barriers to higher education. The policy, however, has continued to attract debate among education stakeholders.

COEASU has therefore called for wider consultations to ensure that reforms in the sector strengthen teacher education rather than weaken it.