The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Educationist

  • Educationist for burial Friday

    Educationist for burial Friday

    The final burial arrangements for the departed Iyalaje of Egbe Akomolede Yoruba, Kogi State Chapter, Chief (Mrs) Christiana Amusitan Akande, begins on Thursday with a wake-keep at her Owode Quarters, Ogidi-Ijumu, Kogi State home at 8pm.

    A statement jointly signed by Maji Akande Family and her children, Dele Akande, Deji Akande, Tubosun Akande, Mrs Tinuola Omonayin and Banjo Akande, said the late cultural crusader was 69.

    Following a thanksgiving service at Saint Thomas Catholic Church, Ogidi-Ijumu at 10 am on Friday, the remains of the late Mrs Akande, also a retired Education Secretary at Ijumu Local Government, Kogi State, will be interred.

    Reception follows immediately also at the church’s premises.

     

  • Nigeria’s problem is tertiary education, says educationist

    If Nigeria can fix its tertiary education system, then it would compete favourably with the best in the world, says Dr Adesanmi Felix Adeduro, Chairman, Banquaires-SMS Consultants Ltd, an education solutions firm.

    In an interview with The Nation, Adeduro said secondary education in Nigeria is doing better than the tertiary level.

    “We realised that the secondary education in Nigeria, the children usually don’t have any problem. When they finish, we find out that the average SS3 student is good. The problem has been with our tertiary education system. The universities have a lot of challenges,” he said.

    Adeduro, whose firm has partnerships with many organisations outside Nigeria to provide various educational solutions, said fixing the tertiary education system requires heavy investment in the right facilities, an end to strike, and a re-organisation about how universities are run.

    For instance, he said lack of facilities scuttled efforts by Amity University, India, one of the institutions his firm partners with to place students, to run a programme with the University of Lagos (UNILAG).  He explained that the online programme could not work because UNILAG’s broadband internet facility was not strong enough.

    To expand access to tertiary education, Adeduro recommends a collegiate system for Nigeria.  For instance, rather than UNILAG turn away many qualified youths, they should be admitted by smaller accredited colleges, which delivers the UNILAG curriculum.  At the end of their programme, UNILAG would assess and award degrees to them.

    He said Nigeria can also learn from how Amity University, which is ranked the best private university in India and among the best in the world, is run.

    The institution, which boasts of many Nobel Laureates among its faculties, provides such education that he said after graduations, many students have jobs waiting for them.

    He said: “When in Amity, you don’t have to look for jobs; it is the jobs that will look for you.  We want our children to have industry-based education; we don’t want them coming back with their masters degree or whatever, ending up taking up menial jobs.  With industry-based education, you will be thoroughly skilled.

    Here, you see an graduate okada(motor cyclist) for commercial purposes; that is the deficiency that we are talking about.  So with the Amity educational curriculum, there is no excuse for a graduate not to get a job; in fact they get recruited even two to three years before they graduate, so that is the same thing we want Nigerians to have access to and benefit from.”

     

     

     

  • Colombian educationist for AUN graduation

    The American University of Nigeria (AUN), Yola, has announced Columbian educationist, Ms. Vicky Colbert, as the speaker for this year’s Commencement programme holding May 9.

    AUN President, Dr Margee Ensign said the university looks forward to learning from Ms Colbert’s experience in designing the Escuela Nueva model of education, which she has also succeeded in adapting to the culture and policies of other countries.

    Escuela Nueva is a social innovation that provides cost effective, replicable, and scalable solution to the issue of low quality education. The model encourages a strong relationship between the school and the community. Flexible promotion allows students to advance from one grade or level to another and complete academic units at their own pace.

    Dr Ensign said:  “We are all so happy that an educator as internationally known and distinguished has found the time to visit us.  As Africa’s first ‘development university’, we are anxious to hear of her wonderful experiences in the developing world, where her work has brought education and hope to so many millions of children across the globe.”

    First conceived in 1975 to provide complete primary basic education in Colombia and to improve the quality and effectiveness of schools, Ms Colbert’s model became her professional life project.

     

     

  • Buhari urged to appoint tested educationist as minister

    Buhari urged to appoint tested educationist as minister

    President-elect Muhammadu Buhari has been urged to appoint a seasoned educationist as the ministers of education to enable the government formulate an educational policy that would improve standard.

    He was also advised to ensure that professionals are employed as teachers in public and private schools.

    The proprietress of Oloruntele Integrity College, Meiran, Lagos, Mrs. Kehinde Oluwakemi Otuyemi, who spoke in Lagos on Monday while presenting a policy paper on the way forward in education, at the school’s appreciation day, decried the dwindling quality of education.

    Mrs  Otuyemi, a retired teacher, said it was regrettable that Nigerian schools do not rank among the best in the world and called for an urgent intervention to stop the trend.

    “I advise President- elect, Buhari, to appoint a tested educationist as the minister of education.  This is the only way the fall in the standard of education can be addressed. It is the only way forward.  Government should revert to the past when only trained teachers were employed in private and public schools.”

    Mrs. Otuyemi attributed the poor quality to poor teaching, over pampering by parents and indulgence in malpractices. She said that was why institutions produced half-baked graduates.

    The Chairman of the Board of Governors, Deacon David Otuyemi, enjoined the Supervisory Unit of the Ministry of Education to be alive to its responsibility by paying unscheduled visits to private schools, to monitor their activities.

    He advised parents to visit their children during school hours to curb truancy, saying the incoming administration should prioritize education to enable the country attain technological advancement.

  • Educationist gives reasons for mass failure

    Recurring public holidays, distractions and lack of motivation have been identified as major causes of mass failure in secondary school final examinations.

    Chief Executive Officer, Standard Mandate International (SMI), Mr Nelson Ayodele, said this at the 2015 edition of Students Academic Success Summit (SASS 2015) at the University of Lagos (UNILAG). It had as  theme, “Success Focus”.

    Ayodele said indiscriminate declarations of public holidays by the government hinder teachers from completing their syllabuses before examinations begin thereby making it difficult for the schools to cover their curriculum within the stipulated time. This, he said, leads to situations where pupils are faced with questions they have not been taught during examinations.

    He therefore urged the government to cut down on public holidays or exempt pupils in terminal classes to aid their success in examinations.

    “The recurring public holidays that disrupt academic activities should be avoided, especially for students in the examination classes,” he said.

    Speakers at the programme, which featured various activities to motivate the SS3 pupils from over 30 secondary schools present, including film shows, talks and practical in English Language and Mathematics, also identified lack of motivation as a factor that hinders pupils from attaining desired results in their final examinations.

    Keynote speaker, Director of Sound Hope Schools, Dr. Bimbo Monayajo, advised the pupils to be self motivated and set goals for themselves while studying.  She explained that they could motivate themselves by making their passion their profession and being courageous and honest.

    Ayodele also advised teachers and parents to constantly sensitize and motivate the young ones both at home and in school to boost their morale and prepare them for their examinations. He also counseled parents to reduce errands during examination periods to help their wards stay focused.

    SASS, which is usually organised annually by SMI, is aimed at supporting pupils writing their final examinations and reminding them of the basic things they should know and do to excel.

    Representatives from the examination bodies, including West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Joint Admissions Matriculation Board (JAMB), National Examinations Council (NECO) as well as and professionals in English Language and Mathematics and A’ Levels addressed the pupils about the intricacies of writing and passing examinations.

    By the end of the summit, many of the pupils were more determined to make their papers at one sitting.

    Arowosoba Abdulbasit, a pupil of Crescent College, who advised his peers to believe in themselves, said: “Simply, they taught us tips to passing WAEC in a very easy manner. You read your books from SS1 and pick an 80 Leaves book to summarise points from all your notes.”

    Oham Amarachi of Chrisland High School, Victoria Garden City, who wants to be a doctor so that she can save lives, was motivated to look at the future always and set goals for herself.

  • Remain godly, educationist advises students

    The Principal of Christ The Redeemers College, Pastor Antoinette Omo-Osagie, has advised graduating students of the institution to maintain the values and moral standards the school inculcated into them.

    Omo-Osagie, who spoke at the valedictory ceremony of the school last week, noted that the graduating students have been equipped with intellectual, spiritual and physical skills to stand out in the journey of life.

    She described them as assets exceptionally favoured for higher academic attainment.

    “The students have been trained to acquire different vocational and educational skills such that they don’t have to wait for government before they are fully employed,” she stated.

    She explained that the school’s mandate is to provide education of international standard with strong biblical foundation, giving students the basis for holy and useful living in the society.

    She congratulated the parents for investing so much time and money on the children in the last six years.

    The educationist charged them to continue mentoring and encouraging their wards to be steadfast in their faith.

    The Chairman, Board of Governors CRC, Pastor Adebayo Adeyemo, encouraged the students to be hard-working.

    According to him: “To sustain God’s  favour and grace as you step forward in your career, you need to be hardworking through life’s challenges and trusting God to always help you through.”

    He advised them to face life after school with courage and patience while standing for integrity, impeccable character and godly standards.

    One of the graduating students, Ugboduma Oghenetega, said that the school has shaped her life spiritually and academically.

  • Educationist calls for curriculum review

    Simply look at this scenario: An illiterate auto mechanic perfectly fixes the car of a Mechanical Engineering graduate, who is the illiterate here.

    This was a poser by Mr Alex Ogendegbe, a lawyer and Managing Director of White Hall College, Agege.

    Ogedengbe lamented that education in Nigeria has been attached to certificates, where its holder cannot translate it into practice.

    Speaking at a briefing at the school premises to announce the school’s 10th anniversary celebrations, Ogedengbe said the context in education in Nigeria no longer solve the societal needs.

    He said: Education in Nigeria in the 60s and 70s was able to satisfy the immediate problem, where companies were looking out for a certificate holders with expertise, but today the problem is that the education our universities is giving does not address the challenges in our society anymore. We are only chasing papers printed by printers. Most of our graduates have certificates, yet are not employable”.

    Nonetheless, Ogedengbe is still optimistic

    “I can’t agree with people who say that Nigeria education is falling. For me, the content in education is increasing. Strike action by teachers and lecturers is not the issue; our country can do even more if we get to understand the contextual meaning to solve the problem of the society,” he said.

    Going down memory lane, Ogendegbe recounted the challenges he faced in establishing the school in September, 2003. He said the reason for its establishment was as a demand by parents whose wards had attended its vocational school (pre-campus). “I wanted to have a school where pupils can actually be solution providers in any field of their choice,” he added.

    Ogedengbe also recalled how accreditation issue and facilities became a problem at inception.

    However, he said within that year of take off, the school got accreditation by necessary agencies, noting that same year(2003/2004) the SS3 pupils wrote their WASCCE. The surge in enrollment, Ogedengbe explained, forced the management to start considering a permanent site for the school. He said In January 2007, the school eventually relocated to its permanent site in Fagba.

    In celebration of its 10th anniversary, Ogedengbe announced that a symposium, with the theme: “Security in school, religious, public places: Chibok in retrospect,’ will be held on the school sport jamboree/inauguration of the alumni the following day, as well as a award/dinner party for the graduands and their parents at Seven Star Event Centre, Ikeja on July 26.

  • Educationist lists evils of exam malpractice

    Educationist lists evils of exam malpractice

    Olugbenga Adebiyi, Executive Director, Gemsland Learning and Development Centre, has said if exam malpractice is not curbed, the present generation of Nigerian students will end up producing incompetent professionals, including doctors who will forget scissors and towel in the stomach after surgical operations.

    “As long as malpractice is prevailing, it will also produce students with Alphas in WASSCE results; first class honours in the universities without a single knowledge in any defined course or subject. It will produce teachers who are unable to spell the names of their schools correctly. This generation will end up producing lawyers who cannot differentiate between an accused person and the complainant,” he said.

    Adebiyi who spoke at a seminar organised by Gemsland for secondary school pupils writing the WASSCE at the Agidingbi Senior Grammar School, Ikeja, said the candidates needed to be informed about the evils of examination malpractice and how to avoid them.

    Apart from exposing them to the ills of malpractice to deter them, Adebiyi taught the pupils how to prepare properly for the examinations, approach various questions and avoid temptation in the examination hall.

    Also speaking, Mr Chuks Okonta, Adebiyi’s partner, said the seminar would help the pupils be confident in themselves ahead of any examination so they know they do not have to cheat.

    “Through this programme we just came into the system to bridge the gap. For a while we have had issues with examination malpractice. Many organisations believe that the menace has come to stay with us. But we believe that we can do something to prepare the students ahead of the exam so that they will know those things that they have to forestall not to be victims of exam malpractice. This is because candidates write exams and their results are withheld even when they do not get involved in exam malpractice. The public or government has the perception that anything that has to do with Nigerian examination must be fraudulent. This is what we are trying to checkmate. If the student know their rights, and the dos or donts it will really help to curb the menace that has eaten deep into the Nigerian education system.

  • Educationist seeks external exams for finalists

    The Director, Educational Advancement Centre (EAC), Ibadan, Mr Muyiwa Bamgbose, has called for external examination for graduating students of Nigerian universities to ascertain the quality of certificates issued by their institutions.

    Bamgbose made the call at the valedictory service for the outgoing students of the centre who are expecting their Cambridge “A” Level results on Friday.

    EAC trains students for the Cambridge examinations.

    The educationist, who is the pioneer in mobile learning in Nigeria with its product, Mobilearn, said the call became necessary in view of the prevalent situation where many graduate job seekers are found unemployable.

    Bamgbose said that many graduate job seekers are unemployable because there is no mechanism to verify the quality of training they received from their alma mater.

    He insisted that government may need to set up an agency in the ilk of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to conduct external examinations for graduating students across universities to ensure that only those who are well-bred receive degree certificates.

    He said education in Nigeria needs to be overhauled to bring about a change from teaching to recall to teaching to think, adding that the system should allow only qualified and committed teachers to teach.

    “Job seekers perform poorly because the National Universities Commission (NUC) sets the curriculum while universities teach and mark. Maybe we should have another regulatory agency that will confirm the quality of training in universities. I believe we should begin to have moderation at the university level just as we have at the secondary level where WAEC designs the syllabus, schools teach and WAEC marks and grades. This will help us to see the kind of graduates we desire in Nigeria,” Bamgbose said.

    Speaking on behalf of other graduating students, Buliameen Babalola, a visually-impaired boy, urged his colleagues to see their completion of the programme as the closure of a chapter and the beginning of a new challenge. Babalola, who was adjudged the best student in Art, said EAC was relevant to their past, present and the future.