The Nation Newspaper

Category: Education

  • Is Nigeria’s 10.5m out-of-school children figure over-estimated?

    Is Nigeria’s 10.5m out-of-school children figure over-estimated?

    Vice Chancellor of Buckingham University, United Kingdom, Prof. James Tooley, is set to prove or disprove his hypothesis that the figure of 10.5 million children out-of-school in Nigeria is over-estimated. He said he had secured funding to conduct studies in northern and eastern Nigeria on the matter. Assistant Editor BOLA OLAJUWON reports.

    Many Nigerian top politicians and education administrators were worried when the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) said 10.5 million children were out of school in Nigeria – the highest rate in the world. The UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, Peter Hawkins, who stated this in a statement while commemorating the International Day of Education, commended the Nigerian government for the pledge to increase the annual domestic education expenditure in the country by 50 per cent over the next two years, and by 100 per cent by 2025.

    Worrisome reports

    However, Hawkins said even though primary education is officially free and compulsory, about 10.5 million of the country’s children aged 5-14 years are not in school. Only 61 percent of 6-11 year-olds regularly attend primary school and only 35.6 percent of children aged 36-59 months receive early childhood education.

    “In the North of the country, the picture is even bleaker, with a net attendance rate of 53 percent. Getting out-of-school children back into education poses a massive challenge,” UNICEF said.

    Among those who were worried about the figure was the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila. He described the reports as worrisome.

    A contrary argument

    But, Vice Chancellor of Buckingham University United Kingdom, Prof. James Tooley, has hypothesised that Nigeria’s out-of- school figure is not as high as touted by various agencies and he is set to prove it.

    Tooley said the figure is not likely accurate based on previous research he had conducted in Lagos.

    Speaking at a roundtable with the theme: Out of school children: Who Should Do What, organised by the Global School Forum (GSF) in conjunction with the Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED) in Abuja, the Professor of Education Policy and Research said many of the children not accounted for in public and recognised private primary schools could be found in low-cost private schools serving the poor.

    According to him, he is set to prove or disprove his hypothesis in a study he said he had got funding to conduct in northern and eastern Nigeria.

    “There is lot of data out there that suggests Nigeria has a really big problem. It is said that Nigeria has the largest number of out-of-school children in the world. I am not sure it is true. The statistics are based on number of returns to government from registered schools without considering children in low cost private schools,” he said.

    Will the new study bring cheering news?

    Tooley said he was confident the study would yield similar results to the one he did in Lagos about 22 years ago that showed that many of the 30- 35 per cent of children not attending school in Lagos back then were in low cost private schools. He said that study reduced the number of out-of-school children in Lagos to four to five per cent.

    “Twenty-two years ago, it was said that 30-35 per cent of children in Lagos State were out of school. The more I went into the poor areas of Lagos, I could not see out-of-school children; I saw hundreds of children in unregistered schools.

    “The official figure of out-of-school children for the North and the East is very high. But it was the same situation when I visited Sokoto. As I went into the poorer areas is Sokoto, there are many low-cost private schools in these communities. And there are more girls attending these schools than boys.

    “We want to find out for sure. I may be wrong; it is a hypothesis but the situation in Sokoto seems to be the same as Lagos,” he said.

    Tackling out-of-school crisis

    Even if his hypothesis is disproved, Tooley said the government could tackle the out-of-school crisis by recognising low cost private education as an avenue to mop up children not attending school, especially as research had also shown that learning takes place in such school more than public-funded schools.

    Case studies from Ghana, Kenya, India, others

    Tooley said the phenomenon of the poor patronising low-cost private schools for their wards was not limited to Nigeria, but was the case in Ghana, Kenya, India, Pakistan and other countries as well.

    “It is not just happening in Lagos. It is the same in Kampala, Pakistan, India, and Accra – all over the global south. There are many other studies after mine that have looked at this phenomenon. Poor parents can spend 10 per cent of their total income on school fees for the whole family and there are low-cost schools serving these families,” he said.

    President of AFED Mr. Orji Emmanuel urged governments to recognise the role that low cost private schools play rather than demonise them. He said they should be regarded as a homegrown solution to a local problem.

    “We believe that government cannot do it alone but non-state actors cannot do anything without government support. We have been able to achieve something meaningful in Lagos, Ogun, Rivers and Osun because the government gave us a chance,” he said of low-cost private schools under AFED.

    He added: “Fresh graduates can be trained to start low-cost schools instead of searching for jobs. It can be seen as a Nigerian solution to address the out-of-school children problem.”

    Orji reiterated that AFED would not stop its drive to drastically reduce the number of out-of-school children, using the medium to invite major players to be a part of the association’s third African Education Conference holding from June 15 to 16 in Abuja.

    He said the conference was part of efforts to keep the cause of reducing the out-of-school children in Nigeria on the front-burner.

    Nasarawa State Education Commissioner, Hajiya Fatu Sabo urged Prof. Tooley to choose her state as one of those to be studied in northern Nigeria, promising the Governor Abdullahi Sule-led administration’s cooperation to make the study a success.

    Impact and Innovation Manager for GSF, Habib Kolade said the foundation was ready to contribute its quota to addressing the problems of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

  • Jostling for 500,000 admission spaces in varsities begins Friday

    Jostling for 500,000 admission spaces in varsities begins Friday

    All is set for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination being conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB). It will kick-off tomorrow. BISI OLADELE, IBADAN, FRANK IKPEFAN, ABUJA, NWANOSIKE ONU, AWKA, OGOCHUKWU ANIOKE, ABAKALIKI, FUNMILAYO OJOYE-KEHINDE, LAGOS, KOLADE ADEYEMI, JOS, ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE, KADUNA, TOBA ADEDEJI, OSOGBO and DUKU JOEL, DAMATURU, report.

    About 1,837,011 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidates will begin jostling for the 500,000 admission spaces in public universities in the country from tomorrow. The examination, which is computer-based, will be conducted in 645 centres approved by JAMB nationwide. The examination will last for nine days (from May 6 to 14).

    Of the 1,837,011 registered candidates, 1,769,197 registered for UTME and 100,153 registered for the direct entry examination.

    Last year, the board registered 1,338,687 candidates for the UTME and 75,328 for direct entry.

     

    Warning to candidates

    For those sitting for the examination, the board has handed down rules that candidates should obey.

    The board warned candidates against bringing electronic gadgets and other unauthorised materials like eyeglasses (unless recommended); USB, fez caps, calculator, tape recorder, camera, wristwatches, bangles, and cell phones, among others, into the examination hall.

    It said these items remained banned in the examination hall during the conduct of the UTME.

    The board said these through its Head, Public Affairs and Protocols (PAP), Dr. Fabian Benjamin.

     

    Arrival at exam venues

    The examination body admonished candidates to arrive at the venues of their examination one hour before its commencement. Benjamin said this would afford the candidates the opportunity to go through biometric verification prior to their admittance into the examination hall.

    He warned that any candidate who is 30 minutes late into the examination venue would not be allowed to sit for the examination.

    The JAMB spokesperson advised candidates to strictly adhere to the examination schedule as stated in their notification slips, which would be made available to them in due course and would feature the venue, scheduled date, session and time of the examination.

    “All candidates are required to be seated only in the allotted seats assigned to them and should follow the instructions as issued out to them by the examination officials and should not attempt to leave the examination hall until one hour after the commencement of the examination,” he said.

     

    Adhering strictly to examination etiquette

    Benjamin reminded the prospective candidates of the need to adhere strictly to the examination etiquette, warning that a stiff penalty awaited anyone who ran afoul of the laid-down rules and regulations governing the examination. He reiterated the zero-tolerance of the board for examination infractions and other unwholesome practices that could undermine the sanctity of its examination.

    He maintained that as a responsible organisation, the board was, as usual, committed to providing a level-playing field for all candidates in the upcoming UTME.

    Benjamin said: “The board’s UTME, apart from being a medium for assessing candidates’ ability, is also used to rank their performance in a cohort of aspirants for tertiary education.”

    The UTME, as a standardised test, is guided by rules and regulations that must be strictly followed by both the examiners and candidates to arrive at a valid and specific objective, he said.

    He went on: “Examination etiquette is encapsulated in the candidates’ code of conduct comprising rules and regulations that must be followed by all candidates before, during and after the examination.”

     

    Candidates and CBT centres preparation

    The Nation’s correspondents visited some centres across the country to know the adequacy of preparation made by them, in terms of processes and criteria put in place for a safe and a well-equipped environment for candidates writing the exams.

     

    100 NSCDC officers deployed for exam in Osun

    Ahead of the test, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Osun State, has deployed over 100 officers across the CBT centres.

    Its spokesperson, Olabisi Atanda, in an interview with The Nation, warned impostors to stay clear of the JAMB CBT centres in the state, vowing to deal with them legally.

    She said: “We are deploying 100 officers and men. They are to guide against all forms of misconduct, impersonation and exam malpractices.

    “No matter the antics employed by unscrupulous persons bent on frustrating the policies of the government and dispossessing Nigerians of their property, the long arms of the law would get at them and justice will be served.”

    In an interview, a candidate, Faith Makinde, said: “I am a bit nervous because this is my first time of writing the exam but I am well-prepared to sit for the exam. I have been attending extra classes in preparation to sit for the exam.”

    At some of the centres visited in Osogbo, Osun State capital, it was observed that the officials of the centres were putting the vicinity in order by cleaning and clearing the bushes around the area. Some of the places visited included the CBT centre at Service Area, Agunbelewo and Technical College along Capital area of Osogbo.

     

    UI DLC, Amanda ready for UTME in Oyo

    The University of Ibadan Distance Learning Centre (UIDLC), Ibadan, Oyo State, stated that it’s fully prepared for the UTME. Its Director, Prof. Emmanuel Omobowale, told The Nation that the centre was well-prepared for the examination, pointing out that JAMB had already inspected the centre.

    He said: “We are prepared for the examinations. Everything is in place. There is no problem as regards UI DLC CBT. We have three halls of 500 capacity each, making our centre perhaps the largest around. In fact, we serve as a kind of back-up for JAMB because if there are issues with any other centre in Ibadan, JAMB moves the candidates to our centre. We are fully ready. Our centre is definitely the place to be when talking about CBT exams in Ibadan.”

    At Amanda CBT Centre, Oluyole Ibadan, Oyo State, an official of the school, who said he was not authorised to speak because the proprietor  was not around, said the centre was prepared for the examination. He added that their facilities were intact and ready for candidates to use.

    He noted that the centre wouldn’t have been given permission by JAMB to conduct the examination, if they were not qualified.

    He, however, said he could not speak on the total figure of candidates expected for the examination, saying that JAMB office was in the best position to speak on that.

     

    Operators keep mum in Lagos

    The Nation visited two accredited CBT centres at the Yaba and Onike.

    On getting to the CBT centre at the Yaba College of Technology, our correspondents were directed to the office of the Director of CITM, who was said to be in charge of matters concerning the exams. The Nation was refused access to her on the ground that she was not available and that there was no prior appointment.

    At The Human Development Initiatives CBT Centre, Onike, it was gathered that a mock examination for JAMB was ongoing there. The centre’s manager also refused to grant an interview, directing The Nation to go to JAMB Office in Lagos.

     

    Centres, candidates ready in Kaduna

    In Kaduna, Kaduna State, the CBT centres and candidates are ready for the examination.

    The Nation, however, observed that some CBT centres had been shut by the authorities due to irregularities and technical failure in the conduct of the previous UTMEs.

    Our correspondent observed that many candidates were trooping to CBT centres to print their slips to know their centre and seat number.

    At one of the centres visited, Malam Umar Faruq Memorial Computer Centre, inside Sardauna Memorial College, Kaduna, the operators were seen test-running their computer systems.

    Head of the centre, Popoola Muhammed Lawal, said the 275-capacity centre had successfully conducted UTME since 2016, and, as such, they knew what was required of them as a centre and always ready to perform beyond expectations.

    One of the UTME candidates, who were at the centre to print their slips, Gabriel Wisdom, said this year’s exam would be his second attempt, stressing that his expectation was high and he was confident of passing the examination.

    Another student, Precious John, said: “I have printed my slip and I am going to write the exam at Danbo International School CBT Centre. I have read very well for the exam and I have two more days now to do revision. But I am writing mine by 7:00am on Saturday.”

    In another development, some of the centres visited by our correspondent were discovered to have been sanctioned by JAMB and shut down due to one irregularity or the other.

    One of such centres at one of Kaduna GRAs was locked. It was, however, noticed that a JAMB UTME banner was clipped to the wall with a phone number redirecting candidate to another centre.

    However, The Nation’s investigation revealed that the centre was among the erring CBT examination centres shut by JAMB for irregularities.

     

    Anambra CBT operators acquire new systems, generator sets

    Anambra students and examination centres said they were good to go for the examination.

    Before now, students used to complain about system failures at the CBT centres during the examination.

    But the centres’ operators said they had made their own arrangements so that they would not disappoint parents and candidates.

    At the popular Integral Development Konsult, known in Anambra State as IDK, on the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, The Nation was told there won’t be any problem in any way during the examination

    Also, at the GRAFIL Centre, close to Aroma, one of the operators, Miracle Ihejiofor, said they were ready for the test while speaking with The Nation yesterday in Awka.

    He said some of the challenges they used to encounter during the process were power supply and computers’ connectivity issue.

    However, he said those things had been taken care of by purchasing another stand-by generating set to supply power in case of any such failure.

    For the students, their expectations were nothing but to see the systems working without any hitch.

    Miss Genevieve Orji and Miss Obiora Chinaza, who spoke with The Nation, said: “We don’t expect system failures during the examination. But, we have prepared ourselves adequately. We also pray for God’s help.”

    One of the parents, Dr. Ephraim Nwosu, lamented that some of the centres were always overcrowded, making it difficult for some students to do well during the examination.

    He called on JAMB to create more centres to decongest the existing ones, adding that 648 centres were too small for the number of students who take the exams every year.

     

    JAMB candidates roam Jos streets to print slips

    The Sallah holiday in Plateau State forced many candidates to roam the streets in search of computer-based centres to print their slips.

    Some of the centres visited did not open for business, because of the Sallah holiday. A few opened for business and candidates trooped in to print their slips with ease.

    However, a candidate, Hassan Adamu, said: “I registered on March 4, but, as you can see, I’ve been roaming the streets in search of a computer-based centre to print my slip.”

     

    Ebonyi CBTs operators are ready

    Two of the centres in Ebonyi State, Ebonyi State University and CSMT Secondary School Abakaliki, said they had upgraded their infrastructure in preparation for the examination.

    Ebonyi State University spokesperson Patrick Itumo, said the  CBT centre was well-prepared and equipped for the exams

    “We are ready for the exams. We have over 300 work stations and all modalities have been put in place to ensure hitch-free exams,” he said

    At the CSMT Secondary School, The Nation could not speak with the principal. A security officer said the principal was not around as it was a weekend and a public holiday.

     

    Yobe SS3 pupils in final preparation for exam

    Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education in Yobe State, Dr. Sani Idris, told our correspondent in a telephone interview that the state government had embarked on a three-week extension for SS3 students to coach them on the forthcoming examination with much emphasis on the computer.

    “What we have done as a government to help our students in the state was to embark on a three weeks extension programme for all the SS3 students. Much of the emphasis was on the computer-based test and how to use the computer. We do not have a specific arrangement for computer but it was rather built as part of the extension programme that we did during the holidays,” Dr. Sani said.

  • SS2 pupil is Africa’s Maths champion

    SS2 pupil is Africa’s Maths champion

    Senior Secondary 2 student of International School, Ibadan, Victor Adetunji, is Africa’s Maths Champion 2022. He beat over 10,000 participants across Africa to the title.

    For the feat, he earned $5,000 worth of university scholarship at the just-concluded Cruxlearning Mathematics Contest Africa.

    Cruxlearning Mathematics Contest Africa (CLMCA) is a pan-African competition where over 10,000 SS2 students from 24 African countries registered for the annual contest through the online platform where qualifying exams was conducted. The top 18 were shortlisted for the second stage of the reality TV Quiz Show designed to demystify mathematics, identify and reward outstanding students for their brilliance in the subject and social skills.

    After four weeks in the Mathslounge, the second stage ended with the last six geniuses engaging in a thrilling final encounter with the Dean to determine Africa’s Math Champion. Root – Victor Adetunji – emerged the champion with $5,000 worth of university scholarship followed by Alpha – Femi Ositade of The Ambassadors College, Ota in second place, winning $2,500; and Curve – Joyce Onubogu of British Spring College Awka in third place and winning $1,500 worth of scholarship.

    The story of Root, who survived eviction twice during his stay in the Mathslounge, is the definition of luck, resilience and brilliance.

    The 15-year-old, whose parents are lecturers at the University of Ibadan, was described by his mother as very diligent. She appreciated the organisers of the contest for the honour and opportunity given to her son.

    The winner also expressed gratitude to God and dedicated his victory to Him, his teacher and his parents.

    He also acknowledged the impact of the four weeks spent in the Mathslounge on his life, describing the opportunity he had to engage in the various tasks and activities as life-changing for him.

    Adetunji said it had gone a long way in helping him develop better social skills, logical reasoning, application of mathematics in everyday activities and also opened his mind to develop solutions to various challenges affecting Africans.

    In his welcome address, the Founder of CruxDeals Limited, Oladapo Ojo, reiterated the pivotal role of mathematics as the catalyst for innovations and development in the quest to catapult Africa to the league of digital nations in the world.

    “It is our hope that Cruxlearning Mathematics Contest Africa (CLMCA) will increase and heighten the interest of a lot more African youths in the study of mathematics and in so doing, produce the next Albert Einstein,” he said.

    He saluted the over 10,000 participants, especially the six finalists, for their performance and assured that the organisers would continue to support the academic development of African children.

    CLMCA is supported by Cruxlearning, a safe and convenient eLearning platform that offers teaching and continuous evaluation for primary and secondary school students; Credit Wallet; Chanelle Microfinance Bank; Amaizing Day instant cereal from Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc and African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), Rwanda.

  • Kwara teachers to get 4,329 tablets, smartphones to teach

    Kwara teachers to get 4,329 tablets, smartphones to teach

    Kwara Government will on May 16 begin its data-driven Education Transformation Project (KwaraLEARN) across 365 primary schools, Chairman Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board (KWSUBEB) Prof Shehu Adaramaja has said.

    Adaramaja announced this in Ilorin, the state capital, saying the programme will commence across 365 primary schools in Baruten, Offa, Ilorin East, and Ilorin West local governments.

    Adaramaja noted that KwaraLEARN’s key achievements in operations and technology include the delivery of 4,329 teacher tablets and smartphones; procurement of 250 blackboards; hiring of IT operation teams, set up of teacher tablets and validation of tech applications in schools.

    The KwaraLEARN intervention by Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s administration is a public education transformation programme to improve teaching and learning using innovative technology, data-driven platforms, high-quality learning materials, effective training and continuous coaching and support for teachers and school administrators.

    “KwaraLEARN could not have come at a better time, given the challenges education is facing in Nigeria as captured by a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report delivered during a recent programme,” he said.

    “Starting with governance, the Kwara State Ministry of Education, KwaraSUBEB and our technical partner, NewGlobe, developed a project communication and coordination plan to guide the management of the programme.

    “Stakeholder sensitisation campaigns have also happened in the four pilot local governments, with meetings held with traditional rulers, education trade union representatives and Education Secretaries, among others. Today, KwaraLEARN has completed academic field studies in randomly selected schools to learn about teachers’ English fluency and proficiency, pupil oral reading fluency, and foundational numeracy,” he added.

    He said the decision to start the project was sequel to the critical achievements the state has earlier recorded in academics, governance, stakeholder engagements, operations, school inspection, technology, job creation, leadership and development.

    On the selection of the four local governments for the pilot scheme of KwaraLEARN, Adaramaja said that the local governments were randomly picked due to population from both rural and urban centres to check the outcomes before a statewide operation.

    On the first phase of induction training which took place in Queen Elizabeth school Ilorin, the Chairman disclosed that 1,813 teachers and headteachers from across 227 schools in Baruten and Ilorin West LGAs have participated, saying that the second phase will start on 5th of May, 2022, with prospective participants from Ilorin East and Offa local governments.

    “The induction training, which is a pivotal element of KwaraLEARN, concludes its first wave today (April 29 2022). Since its commencement on April 19 2022 at Queen Elizabeth School, Ilorin, 1813 teachers and headteachers from across 227 schools in Baruten and Ilorin West LGAs have participated while the second wave of the induction training would commence on the 5th May, 2022 and is expected to have over 1500 participants from Offa and Ilorin East LGAs.

    “Our technical partner, NewGlobe has done a tremendous job in ensuring that participants are on the right teaching trajectory by
    deploying experienced personnel and facilities such as teachers’ smartphones, tablets and
    applications for the exercise.

    “It is worthy of note that the teachers have shown great enthusiasm and a keen interest in becoming a better version of themselves during the course of the training.”

  • Fedpoly Ede begins online registration for new students

    Fedpoly Ede begins online registration for new students

    The Academic Board of the Federal Polytechnic, Ede, Osun, has approved online registration for newly admitted students of the institution.

    This is contained in an internal memo signed by the Registrar of the institution, Alhaji Isiaka Agboola, a copy which was made available to newsmen by the Protocol, Media, and Public Relations Officer of the school, Sola Lawal, on Saturday in Osogbo.

    The memo said that the online registration would commence on Sunday.

    READ ALSO: Over 30 ‘disabled persons’ protest at FedPoly Nekede

    According to the memo, the board on April 27, held its 217th regular academic board meeting, where the decision was reached, as part of activities to commence a new academic session.

    The memo also said that the board approved that students could proceed to complete their bio-data, and print necessary documents after payment of prescribed fees, as well as the commencement of medical registration.

    The Registrar, according to the memo, wished the students of the polytechnic a happy resumption. (NAN)

  • ‘Teach pupils value for life’

    ‘Teach pupils value for life’

    The Convener, Virtues Life Foundation, Alexander Faranpojo,  has appealed to the Federal Government to mainstream value for human  life into the educational curriculum as a way to further instil value for life among pupils.

    Faranpojo said this at the launch of the Value for Life Foundation  in Lagos.

    He stressed the need to include value for life as a subject in schools across all levels.

    He said: “Nigerian children need to grow up to know that you cannot give or take life that is why you should value it. The child needs to understand that you can’t extinguish life or treat life carelessly from childhood. The child will know that there is value in people not because they are big or tall, but because we are humans.

    ” We  intend to scale up our value for life in schools as the idea will be laudable enough when the regulatory agencies of education include it as a subject or course of study.

    “Perhaps the idea will be laudable enough to include it as a subject  where we can discuss value for human life as a course.”

    He said  everyone can start in their little way by demonstrating value for life.

    Virtues of Life Foundation Project Manager, Funmilola Faranpojo, said: “Every human life counts. And we are an advocate. We are going to propagate this, say it loud and say it everywhere and promote it.”

    She  said the group was determined to make it a lifestyle for people to start valuing lives more than before.

    “There is so much decadence. There’s so much loss of value for human life. People don’t value humans that is  why you see someone coming out to boldly kidnap another human being  and demand ransom, ” she said.

    She listed some of their activities as including sharing gift items, lectures, training and providing medical help to promote  human life.

  • Experts seek review of school curriculum

    Experts seek review of school curriculum

    To improve learning outcomes, experts have underscored the need to review school curriculum, de-emphasise certificate and examination and engage in regular training of teachers, among others.

    This was the consensus at an educational seminar and training workshop for teachers in Lagos organised by educators at the Lagos State Ministry of Education to honour one of their own, Mrs. Rita Udoh, the late proprietress of Manifest Hall School, Akute, Ogun State.

    Dr. Olufunke Lucas, an Assistant Chief Education Officer in the Education District IV of the Lagos State Ministry of Education, said it was imperative to focus on the three domains of learning, cognitive, affective and psychomotor. She noted that it was vital to de-emphasise certificates and traditional type of examination. She canvassed development of learners’ skills.

    “There is need to blend other domains of learning to produce well -developed learners. We place too much emphasis on the cognitive domain of learning that is why we keep having problems in the education sector. We should shift attention from acquiring certificates. Pupils skills should be developed,” she said.

    Lucas,  who holds a doctorate degree in Measurement and Evaluation,  called  on teachers to be technology-compliant, well-grounded and proactive, urged them to motivate learners. She sought a change in the way learners’ are evaluated, stressing the need for oral examination and ability test.

    Her words:” The way we assess learners should change. In Nigeria, we believe too much in certificate and written examination. Hence, learners struggle to pass examination by hook or by crook. They engage in various forms of malpractice. We can assess learners by administering oral examination and skill test.These are other ways of evaluation instead of the regular written examination.”

    Health Education Specialist, Dr. Toluwalase Ogunlade, stressed the need for schools to have uniform curriculum that addresses the need of the nation.

    She said: “If you have 10 schools on a street, they operate with 10 different curricular. We need to reshape our curriculum to align with our current realities as a country.

    “The Lagos State Government and other stakeholders need to look into aligning our curriculum to fit into the nation’s vision. Schools should not be allowed to use international curriculum which is irrelevant to the country. Sadly, some schools have stopped teaching subjects like Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa languages all in the name of international curriculum.”

    Another education  expert, Hajia Damilare Sulaiman, wants teachers to bring out the creativity in learners. She urged them to go beyond asking polar questions, instead teachers should ask questions that make learners think outside the box. She also underscored the importance of using technology to aid learners’ power of recall.

    Director of Studies, Manifest Hall School, Uwam Abasi Udoh said it was important to engage pupils in early sex education. She also urged parents to closely guard their phones and laptops from their wards.

    An educationist, Mrs. Obioma Nwadiuto, said dearth of competent teachers should be addressed. According to her, many people go into teaching because of unemployment, thereby denying the profession of quality professionals.

    She also urged parents to complement the efforts of teachers in building well-rounded learners.

    A participant, Rev. Emmanuel Osiyemi, advised teachers to regularly upgrade themselves  to meet up with the demands of 21st century teaching.

    Other participants said the seminar had exposed them to new ways of teaching. They were all given certificate of participation.

  • World Book Day: Lagos digitises 243 public school libraries

    World Book Day: Lagos digitises 243 public school libraries

    WITH Lagos State digitising 243 public school libraries across the state, pupils have been urged to make reading a continuous exercise to enable them solve future leadership challenges.

    Special Adviser to the Governor on Education Tokunbo Philip Wahab gave the advice at the celebration of Year 2022 World Book Day by his office in collaboration with the state library board. The event was under theme: “You’re a reader”.

    Wahab, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in his office, Mr. Adeniran Waheed Kasali, underscored the importance of reading.

    He said: “The World Book Day is a global event initiated by UNESCO to celebrate readers. This event is, therefore, unique as it further encourages youths to develop their intellectual knowledge through books.”

    Noting that the 21st Century is technology-driven, Wahab said Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s administration priortises education as a tool for development, which is why the third pillar of the T.H.E.M.E.S Agenda focuses on Education and Technology.

    According to him, 243 public school libraries have been digitalised across the three senatorial districts to enhance reading culture.

    The OSAE, through the Lagos State Library Board, recently organised the Lagosreads Inter-Schools Quiz Competition geared towards promoting reading culture.

    He urged pupils to read continuously to proffer solutions to leadership challenges.

    Director, Lagos State Library Board, Mr. Oyadipe Asimiyu Amoo, noted that books are capable of changing the world as readers are leaders.

    “Reading is an intellectual activity that is driven by knowledge and we’ve all gathered to celebrate ourselves as readers.

    “Today, students from 12 selected public schools will interact and share knowledge to mark the World Book Day.

    “Reading must, therefore, be taken seriously as it helps actualises dreams,” he said.

    President, Network of Book Clubs and Reading Promoters in Nigeria, Mr. Richard Mammah stated that readers can fix problems in the country and the goal is to establish reading clubs in the 774 local government councils in the country.

    “To achieve this, reading spaces must be readily available and we’ve identified 39 of such in Lagos with a view to discovering more,” Mammah added.

    He noted that Lagos has also been selected as the National Book Club City for 2023 with various activities lined up.

    Other highpoints of the event include rendition of poems, drama presentation by pupils and reading of a book title, ” You have a brain”, by Ben Carson by guests and top government officials including Director, Administration and Human Resource, Mrs. Oluranti Fadipe, Director, Finance and Accounts, Office of Special Adviser on Education, Mrs. Lola Akinsola, Mr. Richard Mammah, Mrs. Funmi Ilori of iRead Mobile, selected authors and publishers among others.

    The World Book Day was first observed by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) on April 23, 1995, as a worldwide celebration of books and reading and holds special significance as it marks the anniversaries of the death of two world’s greatest writers, Inca Garcilaso de la Vega and William Shakespeare.

     

  • LAUTECH debunks vote of no confidence in institution’s management

    LAUTECH debunks vote of no confidence in institution’s management

    The Management of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Oyo State, has denied the rumour about the passing of a vote of no confidence on the management and Governing Council of the institution.

    A statement by the university’s registrar and Secretary to the Governing Council, Dr. Kayode Ogunleye, wondered why anybody could have alleged that the institution is going through crisis barely five days after the university concluded its “successful weeklong convocation ceremony, where all staff cooperated and participated”.

    He maintained that there was no reason for the institution to be experiencing any crisis at a period it was determined to do greater exploits, adding that the management has resolved to continue to prioritise staff welfares.

    According to him, “there could not have been any crisis in a university just coming out of precarious situation where its staff were being owed eight months’ arrears of salaries, which have just been cleared, where there is now regular payment of salaries, even while staff are on strike and where there is now regular promotion of staff, even in the face of dwindling resources.

    Ogunleye, however, said that the council is not relenting on payments of any other allowances that may be due to staff.

  • FCTA threatens to shut down schools contravening rules

    FCTA threatens to shut down schools contravening rules

    THE Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) has threatened to shut down schools contravening rules of operations in the nation’s capital to mitigate scandalous incidents involving children in the learning environment.

    The FCTA admonished parents not to surrender their parental responsibility to schools, as there is no excuse for any parents to allow their kids to be wayward in the society.

    Secretary of the Education Secretariat, FCT, Malam Sani El-ktuzu, gave the advice when he led FCTA officials to Chrisland School in Wumba District, Abuja.

    El-ktuzu said officers from the FCT Department of Quality Assurance had recently visited Chrisland School and other schools, including public schools, to enforce standing school rules and regulations in FCT.

    He warned that the secretariat as a regulatory body won’t hesitate to close any school, once it is in default of the rules of operations in FCT.

    He frowned at the Dubai party controversy involving pupils of one of the Chrisland schools in Lagos, stressing that the school shouldn’t have been involved in such controversy in Dubai.

    El-Ktuzu said: “Our people do their job by constantly visiting both public and private schools, and that is why we have low incidences of unfortunate situations in our schools .

    “I would advise parents to take the training of their students very seriously. We should not surrender our parental responsibility to schools, as they simply cannot since once you’re not a parent, there is no way you can give parental care.”

    Responding, principal of the school in Abuja, Taiwo Adenariwo, disclosed that some of the sanctions that were imposed on Chrisland in Lagos have been lifted, because the investigation was still ongoing.

    He, however, appealed to the FCT Secretary for Education to create a platform where parents can also be addressed on such issues.

    “It’s a welcome development for all stakeholders in the business of taking care of our children, especially the schools. The FCT Education Secretariat has done well in visiting us to sympathise with us and also to offer advice, in regards to the issue.

    “We must also begin to bring parents into the narratives, we must begin to let them know that there are consequences for some of the things that we do with our children, as they are not just the responsibility of the schools alone.

    “For us in the FCT and all our other schools as well, we are doing everything important to make sure that children turn out exactly the way we want them to be, morally upright and spiritually filled”.

    Chrisland is one of those well-appointed schools with a strong reputation and record of achievements dating back to 40 years. The Awosikas, owners of the school, have through their educational system, produced generations of students who have become established in many fields of human endeavour at home and abroad. In the absence of a functional public system, many parents patronise schools like Chrisland which maintain higher standards of instruction.