Category: Education

Adams International College, a tutorial centre in Oshodi, has gifted the Federal Nigerian Society for the Blind, Cappa Oshodi N500,000.

The College, in a statement, said it would grant academic scholarships to the students willing to pursue their academic growth irrespective of their impairment as part of activities to mark the Valentine’s Day celebration.

Presenting the cash, Adams International College Proprietor, Adams Adebola, said the gesture came from their desire to impact life and society.

He spoke about his unhappiness with how people have neglected visually impaired people.

“I know this is a neglected part of society. People go to different places to ensure they show love, but this is a place that has been neglected by private individuals. There is more to be done here. When we observed, we found out that people have not been coming here.

”My coming here has always been the greatest moment of my life. It gives me the privilege to impact society and do something. People are always waiting for the government but we must allow the government to do everything for us which is why we are here. I am always super excited to be here, at the school of the blind on February 14, to show them, love,” he stated.

The proprietor, who was excited about the turnout of the students from the College, stressed the need for touching the lives of people around.

Read Also : Coalition advocates 12 years of free education for girls

He also pleaded with private individuals and the government to adequately support visually impaired people.

He said: “We teach our students that they must understand the meaning of love, that love is not about going to places but about touching peoples’ life. We are trying to break the slender walls that they should go everywhere to ensure they show love to people in a more positive way. There are people around us who need love and they must show that love. In a practical way that will not be questionable.

“There is a lot of money that is wasted away and we need to look out for those who have needs in our society and ensure that we support them. I want to let them know that people are in need around us. People are going through depression, we must look out for people like that and identify them. : I want the government to do more for those with disabilities. They must provide an enabling environment for them to study, and scholarships to those who still want to go to school. They must not abandon them because many of them are falling into depression every day and are contemplating suicide, which is why we must be ready to support them.”

The Secretary of the organisation, Oluwamayowa Oke, while receiving the cash gifts, appreciated the College for consistently coming to its aid in the last 15 years.

He called on other meaningful Nigerians, companies, and cooperate bodies to support the visually impaired students and the organisation.

No fewer than 3,000 students have benefited from the free JAMB form by candidate of Accord in Oyo Central senatorial district Faozey Oladotun Nurudeen.

The step, according to him, was to build solid foundation for youths by making education attractive through financial grants, tech support as well as providing resources and opportunities for them.

The distribution of the free forms, which commenced on February 6, elicited positive remarks from parents of the beneficiaries.

They said it have relived them from burden considering unfavorable economic situation.

Read Also : JAMB extends UTME registration by one week

The Accord candidate assured of his commitment to quality representation, educational support, better life for women in the rural communities, up skilling and upgrading farmers among other.

He said: “Education is unarguably the foundation for the future, this assertion is clearly to be taken seriously for a sustainable society.”

He however urged his constituents to vote for him and his party in the forthcoming general elections so as to continue to enjoy dividends of democracy.

• Dowen holds inter-house sports

IT is imperative to change negative perceptions about sports because it is a potentially significant source of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) and catalyst for boosting the economy.

The Executive Chairman, Lagos State Sports Commission, Mr. Sola Aiyepeku, stated this at the 21st Inter-house sports festival of Dowen College, held at the Yaba College of Technology Sports Stadium.

Aiyepeku, who was represented by Director of School Sports, Lagos State Sports Commission, Dr. Yomi Oluwasanmi, decried the absence of regular school sports platforms. This, he said, has hampered grassroots sports development and its evolution into a sustainable industry.

“To achieve this necessary and vital transition (of sports) into a sustainable industry, the current perception of sports must be transformed by regarding it as realistic  career option for a talented youth and a potentially significant source of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR),” he said.

Principal of Dowen College, Dr. Adebisi Layiwola, said sports remained important in improving health and inculcating discipline, perseverance and patience in people.

“Sport is an important aspect of our lives that helps in improving our health as well as teaching us some qualities like hardwork, teamwork, patience and discipline,” she said.

At the event, many primary and secondary schools, including St Finbarrs College, Akoka; Atlantic Hall, Epe; and Meadow Hall, Lekki,  participated in different activities like relay race, chess, basketball, table tennis.

After the keenly contested games by the different houses, Sapphire emerged winners with 47 medals, Ruby came second with 42 medals, and Topaz placed third with 34 medals.

Co-founder of KNOSK N100-A-Day Charity Secondary School, Kingsley Bangwell, has restated the commitment of the school to provide education to kids from poor homes.

Bangwell said the school was doing all it could to support the Federal Government to reduce the number of out – of – school children in the country.

He made the commitment during a Strategic Planning Session on low-cost education leveraging the KNOSK N100 A Day School Model sponsored by MacArthur Foundation at the weekend in Abuja.

KNOSK N100-A-Day Charity Secondary School in Kuje Community – a suburb in the Federal Capital Territory is an education initiative of Youngstars Development Initiative (YDI), designed to ensure that children, especially girls from low-income families and poor households, attend and complete secondary education.

According to Bangwell, the goal is to provide students from low income homes access to education.

He said: “The Knosk N100 day school project is primarily designed and established for children from poorest households. Our commitment and vision is to see as many of these children back to school.

“Nigeria has an unsustainable number of children that are out-of-school – 18.4 million. That’s technically three or four times the size of Singapore. That is massive; it portends a lot of challenges.

“If these children do not go to school today, in ten years, they will be young adults without skills and livelihood opportunities and they must survive. In order to survive, they will do things that will put the rest of us in danger.”

Deputy Director, Senior Secondary Education Department, Federal Ministry of Education, Joseph Achede, commended the KNOSK N100-A-Day Charity Secondary School for supporting the government.

He said the government was interested in promoting skills education.

He said: “The Federal Government is also tending towards functional education – skills education. We are no longer interested in just paper qualifications. We want children that will come out of school with skills.

“That is why the Federal Ministry of Education is empowering the Unity Colleges, especially the technical schools, so that our children will not just come out with paper qualifications but have skills.

“That is why we have mainstreamed skills into the curriculum so that when children finish school, they will also have skills. Because skills are what drive the world.”

Jos South Local Government has engaged 102 ad hoc teachers to fill spaces created by the retirement of some old hands, its Chairman, Mr. Gideon Dandereng, has said.

Dandereng, addressing the local government’s workers in Jos, said the efforts had also reduced the rate of unemployment and impacted on the quality of education in Plateau.

“Since I became chairman of this council, people retire from service on a daily basis.

“The public schools are under-staff; we want to ensure that children of nobody become somebody in future,” he said.

Dandereng congratulated the new workers and urged them to be committed and hardworking.

He said the teachers would be on probation for two years.

“Your level of commitment will determine whether you will be converted to permanent status,” he hinted.

Dandereng, who is vying for the Jos East/Jos South Federal Constituency seat on the platform of the All Progressive Congress (APC), promised to empower more youths and women if elected.

“I am not an accidental politician; I am committed to changing my people’s narrative that is why I want your votes.

“If elected, I will appoint two Senior Special Assistants to oversee the issue of employment at the federal level.

“Their work will be to move from one ministry to another and from one parastatal to another just to make sure employment is given to you,” he said.

The area’s Education Secretary, Mr. John Monday, described the recruitment of the add-hoc teachers as timely, “owing to dearth of teachers in our public schools”.

“We want to thank you for this effort and we promise that we will not fail you and the local government. We shall ensure that these teachers are posted to schools that lack teachers,” he said.

Grace Utaji, one of the new teachers, thanked the chairman for the gesture and promised to perform her job diligently.

A group of pro-education non-governmental organisations (NGOs) has designed a manifesto to guide delivery of quality education to pupils and students in Adamawa State.

The group, working under the collective name of Education Champions Network (ECN), produced Adamawa State Level Civil Society Manifesto, which highlights deficiencies in education delivery, including low budget funding and insecurity. The ECN also suggests solutions.

Officials of the NGOs, The Inclusion Project, LEDAP, Centre LSD, SCAAD Initiative and ACE Charity, are  reaching out to politicians with the manifesto tagged: “Re-Imagining Education”.

They are sensitising the candidates to prioritise education with guidance from the manifesto, if they get elected into office.

During a workshop organised in Yola for reporters, where the manifesto was introduced, the Women’s Rights Officer of Centre LSD, Emmanuela Nwahiri, explained the concept and production of the manifesto.

She told our correspondent that the project is supported by Malala Fund, which wants every girl to go to school, and that the development of the manifesto is a major plank of efforts to improve education delivery in Adamawa State.

She explained: “We had a technical session with civil society organisations (CSOs), being the people in the grassroots and know what the issues are, for their inputs into the content of the manifesto.

“Now with the manifesto, we have had a meeting with traditional and religious leaders and presented the manifesto to them so that they could project its recommendations to their own people.

“Next week, we are going to meet with candidates for the coming election to present the manifesto for them to adopt.”

 The manifesto highlights three major areas of need in education delivery in Adamawa State, namely inadequate funding, poor quality learning environment, and insecurity.

For better funding, the manifesto recommends 22.5 per cent of the state annual budget dedicated to education, as against 11.4 per cent allocated for the 2023 fiscal year by the Adamawa State Government.

About 40 secondary schools in Ogbaru Local Government Area of Anambra State have received 150 desktop computers in memory of a philanthropist, the late Igwe Valentine Onyema.

The beneficiaries include St Lwanga Secondary School, Okpoko, and King Ambassadors Secondary School, Atana.

Making the presentation, the donors, who are children of the philanthropist, said the gesture was aimed at ensuring sons and daughters of the community were not left behind in Information and Communication Technology-driven economy and sustainable development.

The children gave out the computer to honour the late philanthropist and his late wife, as well as support their brother’s reelection bid.

They also said the move was their own way of encouraging education which his parents worked hard to encourage in the area as well as to support re-election bid of his brother and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Chukwuka Onyema.

They said: “It is never too late for Ogbaru council area to connect to the information technology through the use of computer in building knowledge, economy and creating sustainable development.

“Although Ogbaru is a rural area at the bank of River Niger, the infrastructure have through effective representation makes it better than some localities in the country.

“Today, every facet of human endeavour is enabled through electronic and internet facilities starting from schools and Ogbaru will not be left behind.

“Nigeria has adopted electronic-related voting system, cashless policy, computer-based test for schools, and in every 50 persons, over 35 of them play electronic games.”

Directors, Infotech Technological Centre, Malik Ehiede, expressed joy with the role his company played in setting up the CBT Centre, which attracted many residents of the area, most especially youths.

“When we were setting up the CBT Centre, one thing Chukwuka Onyema, insisted on was that everything that will be used in it must be of best standard, particularly the furniture,” Ehiede said.

The House of Representatives candidate said he had attracted many empowerment programmes and developmental projects to his constituent, including two hospitals that would soon be handed over to two churches in the area.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and Global Partnership for Education, in collaboration with Federal Ministry of Education, have distributed digital learning devices to 20 selected schools in Niger State.

Commissioner for Education in Niger State Hajiya Hannatu Salihu said at the distribution of the digital learning devices in Minna that the devices would aid smooth implementation of Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) in the state.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NLP is an e-Learning platform powered by Microsoft with mobile and offline capability that enables students continue learning and gain skills beyond classroom.

Salihu explained that the Federal Ministry of Education, in partnership with UNICEF and GPE developed the NLP, to support children and youths in continuing learning and acquisition of skills for the future.

She said NLP platform is  providing over 13,000 digitalised curriculum, instructional and supplementary learning materials in all core curricular subjects for primary one to six, JSS1-JSS3 and SS1 to SS3.

She explained there was the need for head teachers, principals, heads of departments and private school owners and other relevant stakeholders to take advantage of the opportunity to key into the initiative.

She added that keying into the initiative would move educational system in state forward.

The commissioner called on heads of beneficiary schools to make maximum utilisation of the devices and ensure their safety.

She added that the ministry would not take it lightly with any school engaged in mismanagement or poor handling of the devices.

Mallam Farouk Mashegu, UNICEF Focal Person in Niger Ministry of Education, said the devices were 440 samsung galaxy tablets (complete with pouches and screen guards) and 40 projectors.

Others, he said, were 20 Airtel routers to 20 selected schools across 15 local government areas.

Mashegu said the benefiting schools included Model Primary School Nasko, Ubandoma Primary School, Sai’du Namaska Primary School Kontangora and Limawa Model Primary School Minna and  Dr. Yahaya Bawa Primary School Bosso.

Others are Zarumai Model School Minna, Central Primary School Sarkin Pawa, Shuaibu Naibi Primary School Suleja, Model Primary School Agaie, Ndayako Primary School Bida, Muazu Ibrahim Commercial Secondary School and Central Primary School Kutigi.

Also, Richard Leander Primary School Borgu, Central Primary School Wushishi, Central Primary School Kagara, Central Primary School Rijau, Estu Bawa Primary School, Muhammadu Kobo Junior Secondary School Lapai, Central Primary School Gulu and Lenfa Primary School Lapai.

The beneficiaries appreciated the donors for the gesture and promised to make good use of the devices as well as ensure their maintenance.

Despite the implementation of Lagos State Safeguarding and Child Protection Programme in schools, there is a need for more action to ensure the safety and well-being of pupils. DAMOLA KOLA-DARE reports.

With the dust yet to settle on the death of 12-year-old Whitney Adeniran, there are growing concerns on how schools can strengthen safety and security measures while ensuring the well-being of wards in their custody.

The case of Chidera Eze, a five-year-old pupil of the Redeemers Nursery and Primary School, Ogba, Lagos State, who drowned last year during a swimming lesson organised by the school in Ikeja, attracted public outcry.Therefore, private schools have been urged by stakeholders to address their laxity on safety of pupils whether in school environment or not.

Whitney’s death and controversy

Adeniran had died during the school’s inter-house sports at Agege Stadium, Lagos State, last Thursday.  In reaction, her father, Michael Adeniran, took to the social media on Saturday night calling for a probe into the death of his daughter. He also demanded justice from the Lagos State government and the police.

He sought an explanation from the school on what actually happened. Adeniran stated that his daughter had no health issue  when the school bus picked her up for the event.

However, the school noted that the slain pupil slumped in “public view and not under any hidden circumstances”. Thus, she was taken to “the nearest medical facility) where the doctor on duty administered oxygen and every aid possible on her”.

“… On January 20, 2023, it is in our records that she had complained about a not-too-buoyant health and we immediately contacted her parents.

“Her father came to the school to take her home. We emphasised to her parents to take a critical look at her,” it said in a statement.

While the school said Adeniran “slumped in public view”, her father alleged that she was electrocuted.

He told BBC Pidgin on Sunday that he learnt from her classmates at Chrisland School that his daughter was electrocuted.

The deceased’s father alleged that his daughter “died from naked wire from one cotton candy vendor machine after she touched it and she was electrocuted immediately she leaned on it”.

“I have documented evidence that my child died from electrocution and it was not cardiac arrest.

“She was hale and hearty; she was not sick. And let me state it clearly, by the time I saw her corpse, her lips and tongue had already turned black,” he said.

School closure and coroner inquest

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Government had ordered temporary closure of the school pending the outcome of a full investigation into the incident. It also ordered a coroner’s inquest to ascertain the cause of her death, adding that findings of the investigation will be made public in due time and those found culpable would seriously be sanctioned.

Effective child protection programme in schools crucial

But beyond the raging controversy, stakeholders want schools, especially private schools to stop paying lip service to the well-being of their wards and ensure effective implementation of the Safeguarding and Child Protection Programme in schools.

Last year, the Lagos State Government, under the auspices of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency and the Office of Education Quality Assurance, began the implementation of the Safeguarding and Child Protection Programme in schools.

The sensitisation programme was intended to educate principals, heads of schools and school administrators on the Safeguarding and Child Protection policy of the state government.

The Executive Secretary of Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency (DSVA), Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, stressed the need for child-centred institutions to adopt and ensure full implementation of the Safeguarding and Child Protection policy.

For the Director-General, Education Quality Assurance, Mrs. Abiola Seriki-Ayeni, it is imperative for schools to recognise the role they play in ensuring the wellbeing and safety of children, since they are in school for longer periods of the day.

She urged participants to take advantage of the free online course: “Introduction of Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy”.

The Executive Order on Safeguarding and Child Protection programme underscores measures schools should take in ensuring the safety of their wards – some of which include safer recruitment procedures, adopting a safeguarding policy, having a designated safeguarding officer and establishing reporting, recording and feedback mechanisms.

CPN, CSA, NAPTAN seek more action on pupils’ safety

Coordinator, Child Protection Network, Lagos State Chapter, Mrs. Ronke Oyelakin, has called on Lagos State Ministry of Education and other relevant stakeholders to review sporting activities in schools.

She also called for a ban on inter-house sports until the review is done.

The CPN coordinator said the purpose of this review is to provide up to date information for health professionals on how to proceed in an emergency situation associated with the sudden cardiac arrest of children athletes.

Oyelakin, who condoled with the deceased’s family, sought the intervention of the Lagos State Government as well as security agencies to investigate the incident and ensure justice is served.

She said: “Meanwhile, sports participation is not without risks, and consequently, the development of safe conditions for our children should be a major task for every school participating in inter-house sports.

“The primary responsibility for safeguarding children and young people rests with their parents and carers. So, if the child is in school, the sole responsibility is the schools and must be accountable if anything goes wrong. Every institution must have a clear and duly followed safety management systems, which include a safety plan, training and induction, monitoring, supervision and reporting.

“Here is a call to the Lagos State Ministry of Education and other relevant stakeholders to review sporting activities in schools. The purpose of this review is to provide for health professionals and people with updated information, based on  guidelines, of how to proceed in an emergency situation associated with the sudden Cardiac Arrest (CA) of children athletes. Child safety is highly important for any career or institution.

“This should be investigated as well that Chrisland School held such an event without a fully equipped ambulance, paramedics, medical personnel or safety corps, except a school nurse.”

Coordinator, Commonwealth Students Association, Miss Precious Ebere, said: “Any educational institution’s primary concern should be to ensure the safety and security of every child, and it is critical that the school takes prompt action to avoid similar tragedies from occurring again.

“There are actionable steps both public and private schools can take to improve their wards’safety and security, and advance the Sustainable Development Goal 4. Private schools should conduct regular risk assessments to identify potential hazards and risks to pupils, staff, and visitors. This will help the school to put in place appropriate measures to mitigate these risks. Schools should have a system in place for monitoring the health of their pupils, including regular check-ups and screening for any underlying medical conditions.

“They should provide training to staff on emergency response procedures, including first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and evacuation procedures. This will ensure that staff are equipped with the knowledge and skills to respond quickly and effectively in the event of an emergency.

“The schools should develop and implement safety policies that cover all aspects of their operations, including transportation, sports and recreational activities, and school trips. These policies should be communicated clearly to staff, pupils, and parents to ensure that everyone is aware of the school’s safety procedures.

“They should foster a culture of safety by promoting awareness of safety issues and encouraging pupils to report any safety concerns to staff. This will help to create an environment where safety is taken seriously, and everyone works together to ensure that pupils are safe and secure.

“Parents should be involved in the safety and security of their pupils. This could include regular communication about safety measures, as well as opportunities for parents to provide feedback and suggestions.

“By implementing these measures, private schools can deepen the safety and security of their wards and provide a safe and nurturing environment for pupils to learn and grow.

“In my capacity, I would work with private schools to promote best practices for safety and security, including regular training for staff and the development and implementation of comprehensive safety policies.”

Deputy National President of Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN), Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo said: “What happened in Chrisland is condemnable, and we should never tolerate such carelessness. It is good that Lagos has closed the school pending the conclusion of investigation. The state should ensure that if this recurs, any erring school should be permanently shut down and licence withdrawn.The state government should ensure there are supervisors anytime a school wants to organise activities. Justice should be served to the parents of the deceased.Then there should be adequate supervision of pupils when they are outside school for various activities.”

• Refutes claims of awaiting 2000 graduation list

The University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) has celebrated its new ranking as the fourth best university in Nigeria by Webometric, a reputable international ranking organisation.

The Vice-Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, who announced the development at the weekend said the school under his administration had continued to make steady progress from its last 5th position to its new rank.

Georgewill noted that based on the criteria for the ranking, the institution topped other universities on openness, transparency and excellence.

He attributed the recent position to the collaborative efforts of the management team and other stakeholders adding that they would not rest until the school became the first in the country.

He said: “This is a kind of global ranking that consist of some parameters. And if you look at the current result, the indexes on openness, as in being known by people that the university exist, the University of Port Harcourt ranks number first, although we are number four overall but if you look at the indexes, on openness, it ranks number one higher thn the university that took overall first.

“Also, the index of excellence, we are still number one. But we have a challenge on impact. We are a bit low on impact. Therefore, going forward, this university will do all it can to make sure we improve on our impact rating.

“This university, since we came onboard has focused on reason the university was established, which are teaching and learning, research, community service and entrepreneurship.”

Georgewill, dismissed claims from some quarters that the school had withheld the graduation list of over 2000 students, stoping them from proceeding for their compulsory National Youth Service.

The VC insisted that the institution was not withholding anybody’s results and asked persons claiming to have genuine cases to approach their different departments to check their results.

He said: “In the past three days, some students have been talking about 2000 students on a graduating list that had not been released. There is no such list. There is no awaiting list anywhere.

“This administration ensures that every result that is ready, the Vice-Chancellor, executively, approves that result and wait for the Senate for ratification. So, there is no result anywhere because the VC is there to approve every result.

“I have interacted with some of them even on social media and I have told them to go to their departments. I asked one of the students if she had seen her spreadsheet or her Cumulative Grade Point (CGP)and she said she had not seen it. So I asked how did she know she had finished the programme, and said her course adviser told her that she had graduated.

“Any student, who has issues, please go to your department. Ask for your spreadsheet. A spreadsheet is the total summary of what one had done in one’s course programme. Bring the spreadsheet to the VC. If you said you have finished, go and get your spreadsheet, bring it to me.

“And I have also told the students that if they have any challenge in getting their spreadsheet, when you are in the department call me and I will come and you until you do that, you can not go to the public and say they have graduated and they are holding your result.

“The issue is that some students have not gone to their departments to even see whether they are owing courses or not.”

Other officials of the university such as the DVC, Administration, Prof. Clifford Ofurum; DVC Academics, Prof. Kingsley Owete; DVC Research and Development, Prof. Siminialayi; Registrar, Dr. Gloria Chindah; Bursar, Felicia Ayuwo and the Librarian, Dr. Helen Emajealu spoke on their various contributions to UNIPORT’s new ranking.