The Kano Zone of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed concern over alleged intimidation and threats against some of its officials by the management of the Kaduna State University (KASU).

Its Coordinator, Mr. Abdulkadir Muhammad, expressed the consternation in a statement in Kaduna.

Muhammad stated that the zone had received a disturbing report on the issuance of queries to the KASU Branch Chairman and Acting Secretary, Dr. Peter Adamu, and Dr. Akos Ibrahim, respectively.

He added that the queries were vindictive and were issued to the two officials for communicating the decision of the branch’s congress through the media.

He stated also that the congress agreed to communicate to the public its angst against reopening of the university by the management while ASUU strike subsisted.

“We condemn the action of the university management which singles out the branch chairman and the acting secretary for a possible reprimand over an action that emanated from members of the branch,” he said.

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“As a duly registered trade union recognised by law, we shall not tolerate any form of threat or intimidation against any member or official of our union for exercising constitutionally guaranteed rights of embarking on industrial actions.

“The Kano Zone of ASUU wants to re-emphasise that the on-going national strike action of our union is patriotic and necessary for the restoration of our long-neglected university system,’’ he stated.

Muhammad advised the university’s management against any action that could worsen the current precarious industrial relations climate.

He called on the management withdraw the “vindictive and hastily issued queries’’ to the two ASUU officials.

“The zone’s leadership is closely monitoring developments in the university, and we remain prepared to take appropriate action at the appropriate time on the matter,’’ Muhammad stated.

An authoritative source in the university who spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed that the ASUU officials were queried for sabotaging efforts by management to resume academic activities.

The varsity’s management had announced on April 26 that academic activities would resume on May 9 for the continuation of the second semester 2020/2021 academic session.

The university’s branch of ASUU stated on May 1, however, it had not pulled out of the on-going ASUU strike.

The union, in its statement, dissociated itself from the circular released by the university on April 26 asking students and lecturers to resume academic activities on May 9.

The Kano Zone of ASUU covers Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Bayero University, Kano, Kaduna State University, Kaduna, and Yusuf Maitama Sule University, Kano.

It also covers the Federal University, Dutse, Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil, and Sule Lamido University, Kafin Hausa.

A new study has highlighted the need for effective technology tools and techniques for monitoring virtual learning to close learning gaps created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study conducted by the T4 Education and EdTech Hub in Nigeria and five other low- and middle-income countries – Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Philippines, and South Africa – found that the high cost of data, and education assessment methods failed to accurately gauge learners” progress and identify learning losses created by COVID and piled pressure on teachers.

Findings from the study were contained in a report titled: “Effective Assessment and Progress Monitoring in an Online Environment’.

Gathering data from focused group discussions with teachers and school leaders in each country, the report highlighted how consistent access to electricity and lack of devices proved a big challenge for teaching students and tracking their progress during the pandemic.

The cost of data was also widely cited by study participants as an issue students and teachers had to contend with. Cheaper data rates at night meant students often had to work later in the evenings.

A teacher in a rural area in Nigeria described how some parents could not afford to buy N100 worth of data (.20 GBP/.26 USD) that is used up within five to 10 minutes for their wards’ education.

To help manage data costs, one suburban school replaced Facebook with WhatsApp and Telegram for tuition because they use less data.

Another suburban school switched from digital assessment to sending home printed worksheets.

In one case, a teacher in a remote area not badly affected by COVID-19 held “illegal” classes during lockdown. In another instance, a school leader, who could not reach her own students, provided evening classes to the children who lived in her neighbourhood.

When digital tools could not be employed, text and voice notes were commonly used for both instruction and assessment as practical ways of disseminating materials without using too much data.

The practice of recording video lectures, posting on YouTube, and then sending the link to their students was another method used by teachers. When students had free time and access to a device, they would study the posted materials, then take a quiz to check for their learning. One teacher noted a positive aspect of this process, “It’s kind of self-paced”.

The pressure of attempting to ensure learning continued and progress was monitored effectively online, despite limited device access and data cost issues, created extremely inefficient workflows for teachers reliant on receiving hundreds of WhatsApp messages a day from students at different hours.

This created significant workloads, stress and often direct financial costs for teachers. The lack of student access to devices during the day often meant teachers working into the night.

Executive Director of EdTech Hub, Verna Lalbeharie, said of the situation: “The extreme challenge placed on teachers in Nigeria and around the world to provide continuity of learning for students in a long-term emergency environment is something from which we must learn.

“There is no piece of technology that can replace the art of good teaching. This was true before the pandemic and has been deeply underscored in the last two years.

“What we can do, however, is enhance that art by providing teachers with evidence-based, effective tools and assessment systems which are essential to tackling learning losses in low and middle income countries exacerbated by the pandemic. And drawing on the lessons learned in this report, we can prepare for and properly monitor student progress the next time a crisis forces schools to close.”

The Corp members serving under the Mushin/Odi-Olowo Local Government Area, Lagos State, as part of their weekly Community Development Service (CDS) programme, recently visited schools in the area for public enlightenment campaign.

The members, under the Thursday CDS group saddled with sanitation, maintenance and beautification, donated cleaning agents and tools as well as sensitised the pupils on the importance of a dirt-free environment and healthy living.

The group was received at the Ilupeju Senior Grammar School by the school’s Head Teacher, Mr. Olurotimi Joseph Egunyomi, who thanked them for their generosity and urged them to keep up the good work.

He sadly explained that he could not be part of the formal meeting with the students as he had urgent issues to attend to.

He, therefore, wished for other meetings, which he would attend.

The Corps President, Gbolahan Vera-Cruz, introduced the visiting corps members to the students and made their intentions known. He urged the pupils to be of their best behaviour as it was in their best interest.

The group’s general secretary, Majoroh Oghenetega Tobore, took the students through a lecture on the use of each of the items donated. The items include cutlasses, liquid soap, disinfectant, deodorant and others.

The students, in return, responded gleefully as they showed that they understood the message passed by the visitors.

The Corps’ vice president, Frances Chinonye Joel, asked the pupils questions on the lecture to determine whether they understood the essence of the visit.

Gbolahan gave the closing remarks and urged the students to maintain cleanliness at all times, promising further visits.

A non-profit organisation, Ovie Brume Foundation, has hosted over 500 students from 30 schools in Lagos State to celebrate this year’s children’s day in Lagos.

The celebration, which happened at the Government Senior College, Victoria Island, Lagos, witnessed a lot of activities, including march past, essay, poetry, art, dance, drama and games.

According to the foundation, the event was aimed celebrating and honouring the society’s most valuable resource – children – with diverse activities to instill good behaviour.

A board member, Wale Itokosu, who spoke with The Nation on how the foundation has helped students, said:  “The foundation was set up to assist indigent students particularly to further their education. The foundation has a programme called ‘Project No Excuse’ and it is aimed at sponsoring indigent students. So, we pay for their school uniforms, books, transport and also provide a conducive environment for them to learn life skills at the Ovie Brume foundation centre, in Victoria Island.”

Itokosu, who gave the keynote address on the topic “Investing in our future means investing in our children”, said more emphasis should be focused on investing in education, being the driving sector for the new knowledge-based economy.

“The old economy used to be extractive, crude oil, and Shell and Exxon Mobil used to be the biggest companies. Now, the biggest companies are Facebook, Tesla, Inc among others that are based on knowledge and intellect,” said Itokosu.

He thanked the Lagos State government for allowing the students to partake in the celebration and also the teachers for supporting the initiative.

A 12-year-old student from Wahab Folawiyo Junior High School, Eletu Oluwatobiloba, who recited a poem at the celebration, expressed how happy she was to have been part of the programme.

She said: “I feel very great; it is an experience that helps us to be ourselves and also have fun.”

However, sharing what she would love to see happen better in the society, she said: “Well, what I’ll just like to see happen better in society is for people to get to work together, together in unity, peace and love;  and to be able to make our nation a better place.”

First City Monument Bank(FCMB) has partnered PressPayNG to launch a digital platform to support  tertiary students who cannot fund their education with soft loans.

PressPayNG is an education technology platform committed to human capital development.

Speaking  during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, FCMB Managing Director, Mrs. Yemisi Edun, noted that the partnership is aimed at assisting 1.5 million students to actualise their dreams of tertiary education.

According to her, this would boost human capital development in the country,reduce drop out rate and boost access to  higher education.

“So many students cannot sponsor their education. It is expected to help 1.5 million students in the next three years to actualise their educational dreams.  The value proposition is to boost human capital development in the country, reduce dropout rate and make higher education accessible,” she said.

Divisional Head, Personal Banking,FCMB, Mr. Shamsideen Fashola stated that the collaboration would go a long way to solve problems in the education sector. He added that the platform was open to parents, guardians, schools,among others.

Chief Executive Officer of PressPayNG, Mr. Abiola Metilelu, said the expanding demand for tertiary education necessitated the partnership.

He noted that it was imperative to tackle the 18 per cent dropout rate in the country.

Metilelu said students would be granted loans, which they will repay within six months. He explained that it was a co-funding system where students save up 50 per cent,while PresspayNG lends out 50 per cent.

“According to the  World Bank, there are 220 million students in the world. Hence, there is an expanding demand for access to tertiary education.  We are determined to address the 18 per cent annual drop out rate  in Nigeria. We are providing supplementary support to students, parents and guardians to make tertiary education sustainable, affordable and accessible,” he said.

He also said there were scholarship opportunities for students through the platform, adding that the initiative would increase enrolment rate in  universities, among others.

Enrolment rate of girls in primary schools in Kano, Katsina and Jigawa is on the increase, figures from the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) have shown.

The figures showed that more girls  aged between six and 11  have been enrolled in schools in the three northern states.

A breakdown of the figures showed that Kano State has 1, 883, 105 girls enrolled in school, Katsina had 966, 859 and Jigawa (503, 968).

In total, about 1.3 million girls have been enrolled in the North West through the Girls Education Project (GEP3) supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom.

However, Kano still has 240, 766 girls that are out -of school, Katsina has 267, 132 girls that are not in school and Jigawa 113, 310 girls who are not in school.

In his presentation, Education Specialist for the United Nations Children’s Fund, Field Office Kano, Muntaka Mukhtar, noted that many girls were dropping out of school because of cultural norms.

Mukhtar, who stated these during a media dialogue in Kano, said this has affected their transition to secondary school.

The dialogue, which was focused on girls’ education under GEP3 is being implemented in Sokoto, Kano, Katsina, Zamfara, Bauchi and Niger by UNICEF.

The £79, 029, 241.85 project funded by FCDO started in 2012 and will end in September.

Mukhtar said: “In the North, we have more girls within this population (6-11). The implication is that most girls either start school too early or are enrolled too late. If they enroll too late, in the northern tradition, it is going to have repercussions in their transition to JSS and to Senior Secondary School.”

Chief of Field Office, UNICEF Field Office, Kano, Rahama Farah noted that a lot still needed to be done to ensure that every girl in Nigeria was enrolled, attended school and completed her education.

“There are a number of barriers that affect girls’ education. The media must also be at  the forefront of  advocating for the action directed at removing these barriers that hinder girls’ education such as child marriage.

“I would like to express UNICEF’s appreciation to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) of the UK for funding the Girls’ Education Project 3 which started in 2012. This support has expanded  access to education for girls, resulting in no fewer than 1.3 million girls having access to education in northern Nigeria.

“With more of similar support, and working together with government and development partners, parents, communities, traditional and religious leaders, we can achieve more by  enrolling more girls in schools, and ensuring they complete their full education.”

A NON-profit organisation, Ovie Brume Foundation, has hosted over 500 students from 30 schools in Lagos State to celebrate this year’s children’s day in Lagos.

The celebration, which happened at the Government Senior College, Victoria Island, Lagos, witnessed a lot of activities, including march past, essay, poetry, art, dance, drama and games.

According to the foundation, the event was aimed celebrating and honouring the society’s most valuable resource – children – with diverse activities to instill good behaviour.

A board member, Wale Itokosu, who spoke with The Nation on how the foundation has helped students, said:  “The foundation was set up to assist indigent students particularly to further their education. The foundation has a programme called ‘Project No Excuse’ and it is aimed at sponsoring indigent students. So, we pay for their school uniforms, books, transport and also provide a conducive environment for them to learn life skills at the Ovie Brume foundation centre, in Victoria Island.”

Itokosu, who gave the keynote address on the topic “Investing in our future means investing in our children”, said more emphasis should be focused on investing in education, being the driving sector for the new knowledge-based economy.

“The old economy used to be extractive, crude oil, and Shell and Exxon Mobil used to be the biggest companies. Now, the biggest companies are Facebook, Tesla, Inc among others that are based on knowledge and intellect,” said Itokosu.

He thanked the Lagos State government for allowing the students to partake in the celebration and also the teachers for supporting the initiative.

A 12-year-old student from Wahab Folawiyo Junior High School, Eletu Oluwatobiloba, who recited a poem at the celebration, expressed how happy she was to have been part of the programme.

She said: “I feel very great; it is an experience that helps us to be ourselves and also have fun.”

However, sharing what she would love to see happen better in the society, she said: “Well, what I’ll just like to see happen better in society is for people to get to work together, together in unity, peace and love;  and to be able to make our nation a better place.”