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Francis Otunta, Vice Chancellor of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, says with the advance of globalisation, internationalisation and commercialisation, training of individuals to become a global citizen has become imperative.
Speaking during the second induction ceremony of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) Nigerian chapter (USA based NGO), which took place at Postgraduate lecture hall ll, MOUAU, Otunta who was represented by Nneka A. Umezulike, Dean College of Education, MOUAU, described KDP as a society whose aim was to foster excellence in education and promote fellowship among those dedicated to teaching.
He said, “What KDP perceived as ideal is even more relevant today when we are in a knowledge driven economy where education is expected to be more functional. With the advance of globalisation, internationalisation and commercialisation, training individuals to become global citizens becomes imperative. This call for proactive measures on the part of the drivers, shakers and movers of education.”
Otunta reminded KDP members that, “the onus of transforming the young ones brought to us as raw clay falls on us. We cannot succeed working from our different shelves. We have to come together to isolate issues relevant to achieving success and to collectively chart a new path”.
Uche Grace Emetarom, the KDP Nigeria President said KDP as a society inducted only those individuals who had exhibited the ideals of scholarship, integrity in service and commitment to excellence in teaching and its allied profession.
She reminded the 22 new members who were inducted as members of the International Honour Society in Education that the mission of KDP was to sustain an honoured community of diverse educators by promoting excellence and advancing scholarship, leadership and service, while its vision was to help committed educators to be leaders in improving education for global citizenship.
In an address, an inductee and Head of Department of Educational Management, Charles N. Agbaegbu commended Emetarom for single handedly bringing KDP from USA to Nigeria to foster excellence in education and promote fellowship among members.
He said, “from today, I believe that after this induction/initiation to KDP membership, there shall be evident change of attitude, we must be indeed become more committed teachers/educators and leaders in improving education for global citizenship.
“The change has begun with us. Let us do things the right way; let us be honest and accommodating. I am very optimistic, Nigeria shall be great, and dignity of man shall be restored in our nation”.
In her remarks, the Committee Chairperson, Angela C. Ekoh-Nweke charged the new members to see themselves as servants to humanity, adding, “as teachers and educators, we should strive to deliver effective learning to our students”.
Earlier in a lecture titled: “Culturally Responsive Teaching And Leading”, during a workshop, the Chairman/facilitator, Mkpa Agu Mkpa advised teachers to respect the right of a child which was in conformity with the social norms, adding that the essence was that, the child would not grow up to be a deviant in the society.
He called on those who drew the curriculum to be sensitive and re-orientate themselves both in writing textbooks and illustrations so as to change the practice, assumptions and belief that one gender was superior to the other.
“Curricular practices sometimes seem to be biased in the sense that through their illustrations, they designed certain professions to the male child and others to the female, which should not be so”, he said.
