More than 500 prospective students sat for the entrance examination into technical colleges across Delta State on Saturday, as education officials and parents called for sustained investment in technical and vocational education.
The examination was held simultaneously at the Model Technical College, Asaba, and other technical colleges across the state, forming part of the admission process for students seeking to begin technical education.
The Permanent Secretary of the Delta State Ministry of Technical Education, Dr Anthony Okwunze, who monitored the exercise in Asaba, said the examination was designed to assess the aptitude and interest of candidates before their admission into the colleges.
He noted that the turnout reflected a growing interest in practical education among parents, citing an example of a mother who travelled from Warri specifically to enrol her child.
“I met a woman who came all the way from Warri simply because she wanted her child to acquire practical skills. This is very encouraging because we are now focusing more on practical education,” Okwunze said.
He explained that the ministry’s goal was for students to leave technical college with a specific skill they could use to support themselves while pursuing further education or waiting for university admission.
“When these children complete their education up to Senior Secondary School Three, they should leave with a particular skill that they can use to become productive,” he said.
Okwunze commended Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for his support of technical education and hinted that a supplementary examination could be organised for candidates who missed Saturday’s exercise, depending on demand.
At the Model Technical College, Asaba, teachers described the exercise as calm, organised, and successful. One of the supervising teachers, James Mele, said the examination would help the institution select candidates with the right aptitude for technical training.
One candidate, Bright Chukwuka, said the examination was not too difficult and expressed confidence in his performance.
For parents, the decision to choose technical education was largely driven by their children’s interest in hands-on learning. Parent Tony Okwechime said he was particularly impressed by the level of discipline at the school, noting that students who arrived late were asked to clean parts of the school environment before returning to their classrooms.
“That demonstrated a good level of discipline and organisation. The system here appears to be intact, and discipline is very important in the upbringing of our children,” he said.
However, another parent, Mrs Collins Recheal, raised concerns about inadequate facilities at the school, particularly the absence of electricity during her visit and reports of damaged infrastructure from her son.
She called on the government to improve basic facilities, arguing that effective technical education required functioning workshops, equipment, and a conducive learning environment.
Her concerns echoed a wider call from parents and education observers for sustained investment in the infrastructure needed to make technical education truly effective across the state.
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