The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Education

  • Plateau to rescue education from collapse

    The Executive Chairman, Plateau State Universal Basic Education Board (PSUBEB), Prof Mathew Sule, has lamented the deplorable standard of education at primary and secondary levels such that a Primary Four pupil cannot speak English language.

    Sule, challenged the new Education Secretaries for the 17 Local Government Education Authorities (LGEA) to work towards rescuing the system from total collapse.

    The Chairman, who made the remark while swearing-in the education secretaries, said: “The future of the children of Plateau State is at stake; we need to safeguard the future of our children now if we must have good leaders of tomorrow.

    “The task before the education secretaries is enormous, you cannot afford to fail, as you will be closely supervised to ensure that we get our education right and to also return the state to its original position as the best in the northern region.

    “With your swearing-in today as education secretaries of your respective LGAs, you are expected to guarantee quality assurance and control of education, accurate data collection and documentation, ensure infrastructural development of schools, develop the skills of teachers, promote community participation, prudent and transparent resource mobilisation and management and ensure cooperation with education unions.”

    He encouraged them to work in harmony with their various councils to deliver on their terms of reference, while assuring them of support.

    Earlier in a welcome address, director of personnel management of PSUBEB, Mrs Nanlop Gupiya, said the constitution of the education secretary is considered a major step towards revamping the falling standard of education in the state.

  • Revive technical/vocational education

    SIR; So much has been said and written about the educational sector in the country especially the misfortune that has befallen the sector in recent years. While lack of fund, negligence, policy somersault, lack of political will and host of others reasons are said to be the bane of education in Nigeria, others laid the blame on the door steps of parents, teachers and even the children themselves. One thing that all Nigerians agree however is that the sector is in dire strait.

    Just as education is having turbulent times, the technical sub-sector is also comatose. For a very long time, technical and vocational education has been relegated to the background. This aspect of education is so neglected that it is almost becoming extinct. It would appear that all the levels of governments no longer see this subsector as important. The once vibrant trade centres or technical colleges have been left to rot. New ones have not been established nor the existing ones taken care of. A general survey of technical colleges in Nigeria paint a gloomy picture of how an important training centres should not be managed. With obsolete and broken down equipment, dilapidated classrooms, lack of workshops, dejected teaching and non-teaching staff and in many cases uninviting and unconducive school environment, technical colleges have become orphans of some sort.

    To add salt to injury, people do not give much regards to students who choose to attend these schools. They are seen as second or third rate students who could not get into the conventional secondary schools or cope with the rigour of academic activities.

    The fact that some children decide to attend technical college does not make them inferior to their counterparts in the secondary schools. There are people who are very good with their hands, they could build, fix or construct something out of nothing. In developed countries, these set of people are sought after.  They are trained in technical or technological institutions to tap their full potentials to develop their countries. There is no doubt that the  economic and technological feat of  the Asian Tigers (Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, etc.) and even China would not be possible without the desired attention given to technical education as well as youth entrepreneurship by the government of these countries.

    A critical look at the vibrant and ever expanding building and construction industry in Nigeria shows that it has been taken over by foreigners. Talk of competent bricklayers, carpenters, tilers, plumbers, welders, electricians even auto mechanics and panel beaters, they are either from Togo, Benin Republic, Ghana or Cameroun.

    In the much more lucrative oil industry, Nigerians are not doing any better as very few of them are involved in the drilling and exploration of oil.  In other technical areas like underwater welding, the numbers of Nigerians are far between. Those operating the sector are the so called ‘foreign expatriates’ from America, Europe and Asia. The annoying part of it is that most of the so-called foreign ‘engineers’ are not engineers in the real sense of the word, but people trained at institutions similar to our technical colleges.

    The resuscitation of technical colleges and training of our youth in all aspects needed in the industry will not only ensure that they are gainfully employed but also key players in the sector.

    No doubt, things have changed and situations have also changed. Gone are the days when jobs were available and waiting for potential graduates and school leavers. Gone are the days when the number of vacancies in government and private organizations were more than graduates turned out from our higher institutions.  Nowadays, the jobs are scarce while the numbers of graduates and school leavers keeps increasing yearly. It is high time governments at all levels woke up from their slumber and pay attention to technical education.  Concerted efforts should be made to resuscitate existing but moribund technical and vocational schools while new ones should also be established.

    The army of unemployed youth will keep on increasing if we keep on producing graduates and school leavers without requisite technical and vocational skills. It is not too late to save our youth and our country from the current economic difficulties and the best way to go is to bring back our technical colleges.

     

    • Elijah Udofia,

    Abeokuta, Ogun State.

  • Quality education at low cost

    Quality education at low cost

    In Nigeria, quality education is not cheap, making it difficult for the poor to send their children to good schools.  The Bridge International Academy, a group of schools established for low-income families, is changing that. It is giving indigent pupils quality education at low cost, reports WALE AJETUNMOBI.

    Eight-year-old Abiola Oduyinka, had spent three years in a fairly expensive private school in Igando, in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, before her parents discovered she could barely read or write.  Her father, Isaac Oduyinka, a carpenter at Iyana Iba, promptly withdrew her from the school and enrolled her at Bridge International Academy, a group of schools established for low-income earners, to save money for other needs. At Bridge Academy in Ijegun, Oduyinka pays less than N8,000 per term on his daughter.

    Four months in the school, Abiola’s story has changed for good. Oduyinka was happy when he got a preliminary report sheet that his daughter has picked up in her studies, especially in difficult subjects.

    Abiola exemplifies the fact that Bridge Academy is delivering quality education to children living in  communities that cannot afford the fees of elite schools.

    Co-founded in the United States (U.S.) by Jay Kimmelman and Dr. Shannon May, Bridge Academy’s primary objective is to provide access to quality education to over 100 million children estimated to be living in poor communities worldwide by 2025.

    In delivering its mandate, the academy employs innovative technological solutions to bridge the quality gap between indigent pupils and their peers in exclusive private schools at affordable cost.

    Its first set of schools was established in Mukuru slum of Kenya six years ago. Last year, three branches of the academy were established in Ikorodu, Ikotun and Igando.

    At their inauguration, Dr. May spoke of plans to establish 50 low-cost academies nationwide, especially in the North, where she said quality education is out of the reach of the poor.

    She promised that pupils of the academy would receive the best education at low cost.

    Dr May said: “Bridge Academy is established to work with parents, who live in very difficult economic conditions. As they struggle to meet up with their families’ daily needs, it hurts on their children in terms of education. We believe every child – rich or poor – should have the best education. We believe that, no matter the condition of parents; whatever situation they go through should not determine the fate of their children. We want to ensure that every child has equal access to the best education that can make them stand out anywhere in the world.”

     

    Engaging community teachers

    On landing in Lagos, the academy was confronted with the task of recruiting quality teachers to drive its mission. In line with its aims, it recruited teachers from its host communities.

    After their selection, the teachers underwent three-week residential training.

    Ms Olu Babalola, the academy’s Expansion Director, said the training was required to deliver individualised learning to each pupil. This, she said, would enable the teachers have one-on-one interface with the pupils to ensure proper understanding of lessons.

    Ms Babalola said: “We know that children from low-income families consistently underperform judging from our data. It is not that these children are not intelligent or have potential, but the lack of access to quality education makes most of them to perform poorly in school.

    “What we did was to address the problems that affect the delivery of quality education to these children. We chose a model that is at variance with what is obtainable in regular schools, where its mechanism for inspection is not effective. All teachers recruited are adequately trained to deliver quality learning to our pupils and they are constantly monitored to ensure the right lessons are being taught.”

     

    Teachers’ Tech

    During the training, the teachers also learnt how to use a smart device called Teachers’ Tech, deployed by the academy to facilitate teaching.

    The Teachers’ Tech, a mini-tablet, is used to deliver lessons to pupils and monitor teachers as well. The device, according to the school’s Academic Director, Ms Stacey Nwokeyi, is updated weekly with the lessons to be taught and the methodology to deliver the lessons.

    “The Teachers’ Tech is a combination of mini tablet and Wi-Fi enabled smartphone. It allows us to monitor teachers’ attendance, the commencement of the day’s lesson and when it ends, and the lessons delivered by each teacher. The smartphone is connected to our web server and each day’s activities automatically go to our data base. This method helps us to know if the teachers actually delivered the lessons in the way we have spelt out. And it also tells us, which pupil is participating in the class work and who among them is absent.

    “We know when each teacher is teaching, because the Teachers’ Tech allows us to do that. Once a lesson is started, the phone automatically sends information to our central office. We monitor the teachers as they go through the page of each lesson. This is done for every subject we teach the pupils. And we have monitored the pupils’ improvement through their scores.”

     

    Daily assessment of teachers and pupils

    The teaching technique employed by the academy makes it impossible for any pupil not to participate in class work. At the end of each class, teachers are required to assess them and enter their scores into the Teachers’ Tech which are immediately recorded in the academy’s central database.

    If the pupils perform below expectation, Ms Nwokeyi said the technique used by the teacher would be reviewed to detect possible deviation from the established methodology set by management. Through this, she said, teachers’ performances are evaluated, and improvement made where necessary.

    The pupils’ assessment scores are sent daily to the academy’s central management office. This enables  management to evaluate improvement.

    Ms Nwokeyi said: “Our pupils are also taken through mid-term examination to test their knowledge on all the subjects they take in the term. Teachers will capture the pupils’ score into computer and we can use this information to decide who among the pupils is performing better in each subject offered. The scores cannot be altered by the teachers once they are sent to the central server through the Teachers’ Tech.”

     

    Enriched curriculum

    Although the academy uses the Nigerian curriculum, Ms Nwokeyi said the school goes beyond the curriculum to include additional subjects and activities that reflect the 21st century teaching standard.

    “We created our own timetable and designed the subjects to be taken. We understood what is required of us to teach and we also understand what our children need to learn in the class. As the pupils go to upper classes, the national curriculum requires that they should have exposure to Nigeria’s history. But, we added histories of other countries, such as China and Russia to keep the pupils abreast of what is happening in the world,” she said.

    Like in other schools, the pupils attend extra lessons after closing at 2pm daily. The classes are compulsory and free.

    “We organise free extra lessons for our pupils to improve their understanding of the lessons taught during the normal hour. The period also allows the pupils to participate in drama and other extra-curricula activities. This is unlike what is obtainable in regular schools, where parents are forced to pay for compulsory extra lessons,” Ms Nwokeyi added.

     

    No corporal punishment

    Corporal punishment is not allowed at the academy. Rather, teachers have been trained on alternative methods of correcting errant pupils.

    Victoria Nsefik-Eyo, the academy’s Teachers’ Training Manager, said each teacher has learnt classroom management tools without using the cane.

    She said: “The reason why we don’t encourage corporal punishment is because we don’t want the children to associate negative feelings to school. We believe a school should be a place where children should be eager to go. We have equipped our teachers with effective and sustainable correction tools in order not to discourage the pupils from coming to school.

    “We know children always want to play with their peers. Pupils who put up abnormal behaviour are given warning. But, if such errant pupils do not change, we make them to face the consequences of their actions. This includes preventing them from catching fun with their peers during the break time. They will start to change their behaviour when they are disallowed from playing and having fun. This method is effective and sustainable.”

     

    Parents’ reaction

    Parents whose wards attend the school, testify to the effectiveness of its methodology.

    Mrs Chidinma Joseph, whose children, Jessica and Goodluck attend the Ijegun, Ikotun branch of the school, said her children now read well.

    She said: “I initially had doubts about the school, because of the low fees. But there has been improvement since I changed my children to Bridge Academy. I would have withdrawn them from Bridge if I did not notice any improvement.”

    Mr. Kolapo Adenola said his daughter, Ifeoluwa, enrolled in Ikorodu branch of the academy, is now doing well in mathematics and English.

    “I am happy I took the decision to change Ifeoluwa’s school.  She has improved in mathematics and English.  She reads well and does her homework herself.  Before now, when she returns home from school, she would play around, but since she was enrolled in Bridge Academy, she takes everything seriously.  From the mid-term report I got from the school, my daughter is also doing well in extra-curricular activities.”

    Another parent, Mrs Abimbola Awokoya, whose son,  Ahmad, is in pre-school class of the Demeke,  Ikorodu said:  I have noticed great changes since my child started Bridge. He writes very well and can now identify shapes and colours. He even teaches me some of these shapes and colours.”

  • Tambuwal: Making education priority

    In recent years, education in northern Nigeria reached a point of collapse. Sokoto, my home state, is one of the states most affected. To lend some perspective: In 2015, the National Universities Commission (NUC) ranked Usmanu Dan Fodiyo University Sokoto (UDUS) and Sokoto State University (SSU) 82nd and 104th in Nigeria respectively. Encouraging however is the 2016 ranking of 37th for UDUS. SSU couldn’t make top 100. Based on a 2010 report by Sokoto State Ministry of Education on the State Strategic Education Sector Plan (SESP) 2011-2020, the gross and net enrolment rates were 71 percent and 55.5 percent respectively for the primary school-aged population. While the net attendance rate for the 2009-2010 academic years was 68 percent, completion and gender gap rates were at 40 percent. Thus, 44.5 percent of school-aged children were not enrolled in school in 2010. The report puts the enrolment rate for boys at 69.8 percent and 30.2 percent for girls, as compared to the national average of 86 percent and 75 percent respectively. Recent outrage, expressed largely through impassioned internet debate, has ignited an awakening to the present dire state of affairs.

    Last year, we began a social media campaign (#TransformArewa), which brought to the fore some of the most notable educational deficiencies and vulnerabilities of our present educational system, as well as the consequences. My research discovered the colossal disparity between the standard and quality of education in the North compared to the South. A significant difference exists between the performances of northern students compared to our southern counterparts. This can most likely be attributed to a lack of structure and attention given to education in the North. In addition to low quality of education, our school infrastructures are dilapidated and often poorly equipped.

    The National Common Entrance Examination cut-off marks released by Federal Ministry of Education shows that while the highest cut-off marks in the country were 139 in 2013 and 66 in 2014, particularly alarming were cut-off marks in some Northern states for males and females respectively. In 2013: Zamfara (4 and 2), Taraba (3 and 11), Yobe (2 and 27), Sokoto (9 and 13) and Kebbi (9 and 20). In 2014: Sokoto (15 and 7), Zamfara (14 and 12), Bauchi (both 18), Taraba (both 19) and Yobe (both 20).

    According to statistics of results released by WAEC in 2014, eight of 36 bottom-ranked states recorded worse than a 10 percent score (five credits or more including English and Mathematics). These include: Adamawa (8.75 percent), Jigawa (7.4 percent), Sokoto (7.12 percent), Zamfara (6.65 percent), Kebbi (6.3 percent), Gombe (5.68 percent), Bauchi (5.28 percent) and Yobe (4.85 percent). These are all northern states, and in fact the bottom 13 states were all from the North. WAEC results released in 2015 were also not heartening. The following eight northern states were ranked at the bottom: Yobe (37th), Zamfara (36th), Jigawa (35th), Gombe (34th), Katsina (33rd), Bauchi (31st) and Sokoto (30th).

    For several years, the North has been at a great educational disadvantage, a condition which will continue once there’s no drastic measure or robust intervention to halt it. This obvious trend should appal our leaders, who witness this persistent plague upon our region, but do nothing but fold their arms and watch. A temporary lapse in judgment can be forgiven, but a myopic leader who is immune to these issues should be questioned, both as to his moral conscience and to his qualifications to engage in governance. We need visionary transformational leaders who will employ experts that possess both technical merit and knowledge of the nuances of these educational problems. We may not see the scale of destruction this has caused our region now, but we will soon see how collectively impacted we all are in terms of economic and industrial growth, employment and security if nothing is done.

    One such leader is Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. Once Governor Tambuwal was inaugurated, I paid close attention to the state’s activities. I was initially critical of what I perceived to be a slow start, but quickly learned that Tambuwal and his team were in fact crafting a plan to solve the education crisis, an issue whose urgency has no equal.

    Tambuwal introduced a bill which will make obtaining education compulsory and punishes non-compliant parents. The bill, which is currently at the public hearing stage, will ensure that education is not just a privilege, but a right of every child which must not be denied. Governor Tambuwal then began to address Girl-Child education by introducing monetary incentives for rural mothers who allow their daughters to attend school instead of street hawking. In the same vein, Alhaji SaniYakubu, a member of the state House of Assembly, has introduced a bursary scheme for girls in his constituency. The scheme will provide the girls with ¦ 2,000 monthly allowance, school uniforms and exercise book for every school term. Such laudable initiatives should be both welcomed and expanded throughout the state, especially in the rural areas where most cannot afford sending their children to school. Based upon the measly proportion of girls who attend school compared to boys, it is safe to assume that the most untapped human resource in the North is the female workforce.

    Tambuwal’s greatest strides were made when he declared a state of emergency in education. This effectively signalled that the government understood what it takes to remedy a catastrophic problem and that it would no longer turn a blind eye. Our once-archaic education system will now be overhauled and upgraded, putting us back on the academic map. Every bureaucratic process that could impede the implementation of reform will be circumvented.

    Sokoto now has a clear plan, and Tambuwal didn’t stop there. He allocated ¦ 34.5b – the highest of any sector – to education in the 2016 budget. This represents a staggering 29 percent of the budget (UNESCO had recommended 26 percent).

    According to the 2010 SESP, the primary school teacher-to-pupil ratio in Sokoto was 1:47, which is better than the current 1:66 teacher-to-pupil ratio. Even more disturbing is the “qualified teacher”-to-pupil ratio which was an outrageous 1:144. Governor Tambuwal’s response was to recruit 500 teachers trained by UNICEF to boost manpower in secondary schools. Furthermore, Tambuwal recently announced he will be employing 10,000 qualified teachers, the exact number which was recommended to bridge the gap by the technical committee he established to advise him on these issues. Earlier this year, Tambuwal began construction of special estates (teachers’ villages) across different districts as part of an incentive package for teachers posted to teach in the rural areas. This was his effort to further extend access to education in the rural areas. Governor Tambuwal then signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Teachers institute (NTI) in an effort to improve the quality of education and maintain the gains already recorded.

    Throughout his first year, billions of Naira have been earmarked or expended by the governor for renovations of schools, intervention programmes, or support in the payment of school and exam fees (8000 students for JAMB alone) for students studying abroad or locally. He recently earmarked another ¦ 1 billion to establish a senior secondary school in Gudu local government to increase access to education. Until now, Gudu was the only local government in Nigeria without one. In order to sustain his effort, a one percent levy of all contracts awarded will be set aside for the sole purpose of funding education in Sokoto State.   We have already started to realize the dividends of this investment as almost 1.2m students have enrolled in the basic education schools for the 2015 – 2016 academic year, a huge increase from recent years.

    It is no secret that the North is being left behind in education. We live in a society where some parents have become obstacles to their children’s education through begging (Almajiranci) and hawking (Talla); while some teachers have become an impediment to the academic development of their students’ education through substandard teaching techniques. Some youths are therefore being denied the opportunity to realize their talents and a viable path to a rewarding career. They need a voice, and we should give it to them, because collectively, we can steer this sinking ship around to safety.

     

    • Shehu, a Structural Engineer, lives in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

  • Ex-British MP seeks quality education

    First black female Member of Parliament United Kingdom, Ms. Diane Abbott, has described education as the only key that open doors to endless opportunities.

    The British politician who was the keynote speaker at this year’s yearly lecture organised by Oxford and Cambridge Club of Nigeria Spring, brought her wealth of experience in education, socio-economic development and international relations.

    At the lecture held at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Victoria Island, Lagos, Abott also shared with the audience her grass-to-grace experience, hinging her success on her determination to acquire education at all cost.

    Abbott who spoke on the topic: ‘Education: Reach for the stars; ensuring access for all’ recounted her challenging experience coming from the slum of Jamaica to becoming the first black female Member of Parliament in the United Kingdom.

    She said: “Education is much more important in the development of the society. We all know that food, shelter and water are basic humanitarian needs but education should be seen as a basic humanitarian need also. Education has been important to my community and as well has an improved outcome to the people in my community.”

    She continued:  “I remember going back to Jamaica for Christmas in 1987. I went back to the village that my parents come from, and I attended church with my aunty and other uncle and then the church elder announced saying; “I am delighted to see that we have in the congregation all the way from England little Lucy’s daughter. Of course in interior of Jamaica, what matters is not your smart phone but the daughter of whom you are.

    “But what I say to you is that you too can leave your rural community and take over the world, only if you can buy that sense of self belief with access for high quality education.

  • 400 girls get free education in Jigawa

    400 girls get free education in Jigawa

    They are aged between six and 13. None of them has ever had any form of education. Now, that is changing.

    In Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State, all 400 of them have been enrolled in a literacy class, thanks to the Ringim Committee of Friends, a community-based organisation (CBO) and Mobilising for Development (M4D), a United Kingdom group.

    The girls usually hawked wares in the streets.

    The CBO and M4D created 10 free classes for the girls in a programme designed to educate them enough to earn a credible primary and junior secondary school certificate.

    There is one of the classes in each of 10 political wards.

    The two organisations provide uniforms, books and other learning materials for the pupils throughout their learning period.

    Speaking at the material distribution ceremony by the M4D, the Executive Secretary, Agency Mass Education, Dr Abas A. Abas said his agency would formalise the classes and provide the participants with formal certificates to enable them further their studies up to the tertiary level.

    Dr. Abas said, “This is a very good initiative to enrol schools missing children especially girls; government would support and partner any organisation that is ready to give any contribution to education in the state at whatever level.”

    He commended CBO and M4D for their efforts and called on others to emulate them.

    The state Coordinator, Mobilising for Development, Mr Ibrahim Gombe said the literacy classes would be solely for girls between the age of six and 13 who were hawking in the street before the programme.

    Mr. Ibrahim Gombe who was represented by Local Governance Coordinator, M4D, Jigawa, Madam Aisha Aminu Muhammed said that the programme is a continuous one aimed at reducing illiteracy among girls.

    The state coordinator said, “The M4D is being supported by DFID working in three local government areas, Ringim, Miga and Malam Madori local government areas”.

    Gombe added that “apart from formal education, the participant would be tough on skills acquisition of their choose aim to be self reliant in the future”.

    The M4D coordinator appealed to the state and local government to provide seats in Katutu Primary School in Ringim town where the class of Ringim town is sited.

  • ‘Partnerships will uplift education’

    Chief Executive of Edumark Consult, an education branding concern, Mrs Yinka Ogunde, has called for successful partnerships in education to lift the sector to global standards.

    Speaking at the eighth edition of the Total School Support Seminar/Exhibition (TOSSE) held at 10 Degrees, Oregun, Ogunde said parents, schools, government, corporate bodies and individuals should liaise to train Nigeria’s future leaders.

    Mrs Ogunde said: “It baffles me when people ask why I invest so much into this exhibition. People don’t expect you to have much value in education because there is hardly any financial gain there. But national development is woven around what we do in the education sector. You are raising a generation that will determine the future of the nation.”

    “A programme such as this provides educators with a unique learning opportunity. It provides an ideal platform to see and learn what is new in the world of education. It provides an opportunity for organisations developing innovative products and services to introduce such products to key stakeholders in the education community. Our vision is to make Nigeria the hub of activities in the education sector in Africa,”

    She urged government to review  curriculum, invest in infrastructure and technology in both public and private schools, train and motivate teachers, implement policies, ensure safety in schools, articulate the vision of the nation’s education ministry, among others.

    Chairman JK Pharmacy, Jimi Agbaje, charged Nigerians to invest in education to defeat mediocrity.

    He said: “We must believe that education is the most powerful weapon to change the world. You build more schools, and other professions will follow. You would need engineers to work on the school, artisans, teachers, among others and jobs would be created.”

    Agbaje however cautioned against lack of creativity in the curriculum.

    “Our education is lacking creativity, which is as important as literacy. You must continue to maintain a standard. Don’t leave broken infrastructure untended. We have to be particular about little things, because they differentiate the person with standard from the person without standard. The more we create mediocrity in the system, we cannot get far,” he said.

    Mrs Titilayo Solarin, who represented the Tutor-General Permanent Secretary, Education District 2, Mrs Margaret Solarin, said government was working to promote functional and qualitative education.

    Also in attendance were wife of former governor of Cross River State, Mrs Imoke Obioma; immediate past commissioner for education, Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye; Director of Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), Mrs Adun Akinyemiju; and Director of ST and T Regency School, Ikeja, Dr Maggi Ibru, among others.

     

  • LUTH holds oral health education for children

    LUTH holds oral health education for children

    The Department of Child Dental Health, Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), has organised an oral health education session for children to commemorate the Children’s Day.

    The event was to educate the children on the importance of their teeth.

    Addressing the kids, a dentist, Dr. Akangbe Oluwatobi, said: “In a child’s life, there are two stages of teeth; the milk teeth and the permanent teeth. Good and healthy milk teeth will pave the way for the permanent teeth.Take good care of your teeth at your young age, because from ages six to seven, the adult teeth start to grow, and are 32 in number”.

    Speaking on brushing techniques, Akangbe advised that mothers should start brushing their children’s teeth immediately milk teeth appear at the age of six months, using, a smear of the appropriate paste. Meanwhile, brushing, he said, should be supervised for children below the age of seven years.

    Akangbe also warned that children below the age of five should not be allowed to brush their teeth without the supervision of their parents or guardians.

    “When there is bleeding in the gum, report to your parents and see a dentist immediately,” he counselled. Flossing is done to remove food particles between the teeth where the toothbrush may not be able to remove. It is necessary to floss regularly,” Akangbe added.

    He also stressed the importance of monitoring the texture of the bristles of toothbrushes used by children, noting that children should always use soft brushes. He added that, those under three years should use a little smear of toothpaste, compared to that of children above three years. Toothbrushes should be changed every three months or when the bristles are worn out.

    He said that there are toothpastes designed for each age grade, while also commenting on th0e ingredients. He said: “Toothpaste contains fluoride, which helps to repair and strengthen the tooth’s enamel as well as gentle abrasives to help polish the teeth, and remove stains and plaque. There is toothpaste for every age.”

    Regarding healthy diet for the formation of strong teeth, he advised mothers to feed their children exclusively with breast milk for at least six months. He added that at 12 months, parents should stop feeding children with feeding bottles.

    Warning on the insalubrity of giving children sweet drinks in feeding bottles, he admonished parents to give fresh milk, water and fruits to the children.

  • NGO seeks sex education topics in curriculum

    A Non Governmental Organization (NGO) in Akure, Ondo State, Hope for Family Development Initiative (HFDI), has urged both the Federal and state governments to introduce sex education in the curriculum of both primary and secondary schools.

    An official of the NGO, Mrs Abiola Olarinre, spoke while addressing some female secondary school pupils during a sensitization workshop.

    She stressed the need for proper monitoring of all female children by their parents, especially during their adolescent stage, to avoid exposure to bad behaviours associated with their age. She also called on teachers to guide the female students under their watch to avoid immoral acts and juvenile delinquencies. Mrs Olarinre who cautioned female students against pre-marital sex, warned of many dangers inherent in such act.

     

  • Bankole urges OOU to provide quality education

    Former Speaker of House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, has urged the Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago – Iwoye, to continue to insist on quality education for its students and products.

    Bankole said quality education rather than craze for certificates is what would help individuals to creatively develop themselves, the community and the nation. The ex-speaker who gave the advice while delivering a lecture titled: “Tertiary Education: The pathway to sustainable development” organised by the Institute of Education, OOU, charged students and lecturers at the university to start conducting researches with a view to finding answers to the challenges and roadblocks to the nation’s path to development.

    Bankole identified poor education of the citizens as responsible for the stunted socio-economic growth and development of the Nigerian society.  He said education must become a priority for Nigeria to develop.

    He said: “We must continue to push for better funding for education; we must continue to demand high standards in schools. We must continue to create opportunities for all Nigerians to obtain a good educational foundation on which to build our lives.”

    “We will continue to educate, to inform ourselves and we will continue to intervene. We can intervene by putting men of character to lead us.

    “We have all types of people, please give them business, let them go and make money, if it is the money they want, they should go and make money, give them business but don’t put them in strategic position of governance.

    “Regardless of the revenues accrued to the economy, the need for better universities must remain a priority if Nigeria is to change and progress.

    “The Federal Government has pledged to invest N369 billion towards education in 2016 Budget, we must ensure that we hold the government accountable to this and that those monies are used judiciously to improve the learning experience of faculty and students alike.”