The Catholic Archdiocese of Calabar, Cross River State, has resolved that vocational schools that are agro-based be established in the archdiocese.
This was resolved Maiden Archdiocesan Education Summit which held in Calabar, the state capital.
Archbishop of Calabar, Most Rev Dr Joseph Ekuwem, said educational policy should clearly articulate social, political religions and cultural ideologies that will stimulate the Nigerian child during the learning process and prepares the child adequately to step into the society to function these capacities.
Ekuwem said there was need for the Catholic Education Board, the highest policy making body in education matters in the Calabar Archdiocese, to take active interest in educational matters in the state and country.
He said programmes should take cognizance of the environmental endowments and natural resources such that children from that community shall appreciate and participate in.
The Archbishop also stressed the need for the board to form a lobby group to interact with lawmakers to push their positions on education matters.
He also called for parents to provide quality home environment towards functional learning, prepare children for formal education and show concern for their children’s progress in school.
He said parents owe children and the entire society the obligation of disciplining children to give them the right values.
A communiqué at the end of the summit read in part, “Supervision has to be frequent in Catholic schools for effective teaching and learning performance. School management should evaluate the inspection processes with their staff. Schools should establish internal supervision units to prepare for staff external inspection.
“The Catholic Schools Board Archdiocese of Calabar should adequately train the teachers in order to broaden their knowledge on the curriculum development and the content. Teachers should endeavor to assess and prepare themselves effectively before presenting their lesson in the class. The Catholic Schools Board should ensure that playgrounds with aesthetics are provided in all the Catholic Schools.
It is the right of the child to be trained, educated and taught religion for sound moral upbringing. A child that is properly taught and evaluated by the teacher does not really need to be involved in examination malpractice.
“The school should provide quality teachers and properly remunerate them. The school should cultivate serene environment for better teaching and learning. Parents should provide quality home environment in learning process for their children. Parents should be committed in the discipline of their children for their overall welfare. They should inculcate good values in their children.
Parents should create a home environment suitable for learning through designing an area to do home work. They should provide ready materials. Also there should be genuine interest and active engagement from parents.
“Government should pay living wages to enable parents live up to their family obligations. Children should develop the passion to learn and be committed. Home where parents do not speak refined English Language should be encouraged to speak the local dialect and norms to their children before going to learn English in school.
“Our teachers must be oriented with the right attitude to supervision. The Catholic Church must as a matter of urgency create an inspectorate unit to achieve the desired change and assure improved quality of teaching and learning in all Catholic Schools. To identify suitable teachers in the system and avail them the necessary trainings for inspectorate duties.
“Capacity building be modified to include scholarship to produce highly qualified professionals ad provision of adequate modern equipment and instructional materials in the schools. Funds need to be made available to remunerate inspectors as an incentive. Follow up inspection should be done to find out the effectiveness of their earlier exercise. Capacity building by way of training and retraining of teachers will enhance functional literacy in Catholic education.
“The Catholic Schools should endeavor to focus on the training of teachers, especially Tourism teachers. Government or the national policy makers also should endeavor to involve qualified private sectors in preparing sound curriculum that will produce sound functional literacy in teaching and learning process.
“Expulsion in primary level should be an extreme unction last resort. Teachers should be proud of their profession, thus disciplining themselves so that their children will be disciplined.
“Since most students don’t line reading books, the Catholic Schools Board should encourage open book test to enable them be acquainted with their textbooks.”
Odey said the State Priority Actions set out the short-term and long-term strategies for the state to more effectively prevent and respond to violence against children.
She said the Priority Actions not only define the role of each stakeholder in ending violence against children, but also acknowledge that no one entity can end VAC alone.
“I take this opportunity to call upon State and Local Government level actors, civil society, religious and traditional leaders, faith based organizations, community based organizations, the private sector, the media, families and local communities to join the Cross River State ‘End Violence Against Children Campaign’ to ensure all of our children are able to grow up free from violence. I am filled with hope that together we can eradicate violence against our children in Cross River State,” the Commissioner appealed.
