The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Educationists

  • U.S. varsity honours educationists

    The contributions of three educationists to the development of their communities have earned them honour from the Bradley University in the United States.

    Mrs Abiodun Owolabi, principal, Federal Government Girl’s College, Sagamu; Mrs Eunice Akinnifesi, principal, Federal Government Girls’ College, Ikirun, and Kolade Giwa, proprietor of a private school in Ore, Ondo State, were conferred with honorary doctorates of the university at the University of Lagos Conference Centre.

    The African Representative/Coordinator of Bradley University, Prof Pius Kayode Jegede, said the trio deserved honour for the promotion of education at the secondary school level.

    Mrs.  Owolabi was conferred with Honorary Doctorate in Science Education Management. Others were Mrs. Akinnifesi and Dr.  Giwa.

    “Bradley University confers the Honorary Doctorate Degree after satisfactory examination of their contributions to the community, state and country and personal qualifications and religious experiences,” Jegede said.

    Owolabi was elated about the honour, which she said was a fitting reward after completing her master’s degree in flying colours.  She said back then, she was not motivated to do the PhD, despite her teachers’ encouragement because of the poor pay of lecturers and instead chose to remain a secondary school teacher.

    She expressed delight at being honoured with Mrs Akinnifesi, her friend of many years.

    “Dr Akinnifesi and I met at the Polytechnic, Ibadan.  And since that time we have remained sisters.  We served the same time in Benin; we started work at the same time at the FGGC Benin; we had our children at the same time. I was glad we were considered together,” she said.

    With this recognition, Mrs  Owolabi said she would work even harder.

    ‘’The achievement that I have already laid gave me the opportunity to be recognised.This will spur me to do more,’’ said the principal.

    Responding on behalf of the recipients, Dr. Akinnifesi praised the management of the university, especially its African Representative and Dr. Babatunde Williams, its Council member, for the honour.

    She said the award would further spur them in their drive to continue to contribute to the development of the society.

  • Stakeholders urged to immortalise educationists

    Chairman Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board Executive Dr Ganiyu  Sopeyin, has urged stakeholders to immortalise those who promoted the development of education.

    He said such gesture would enhance legacies of those who made sacrifices to ensure education was made available to the downtrodden.

    Sopeyin spoke at the official commissioning and handing over of Joshua and Juliana Olusanya Memorial Library, St. Peter Blessed Primary Schools Complex, Ibido Street,  Orile-Agege, Lagos.

    He added that education remained the undisputable legacy that parents could bequeath their children.

    He said: “The educated child is the live wire of the nation. The Lagos State government will continue to invest in the provision of quantitative and qualitative education which is accessible to the people of the state.

    “Any society that fails to invest in education is planning to fail. Lagos will continue to support education and create an enabling environment that will promote its development.”

    Former Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Education, Mrs Elizabeth Ariyo, said the library had 40 sections with air-conditioners, computers, books and generator to provide alternative power source.

    She said the reading facility is first of its kind, adding that it would enhance pupils’ reading culture.

    She urged teachers in the state to encourage pupils to read by patronising libraries in their different domains, noting that it would help in curbing idleness.

  • Improve teachers’ lot, educationists say

    Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED) Provost, Dr Ladele Aina, has advocated the improvement of teachers’ lot through human capacity development.

    Dean of the Faculty of Education of the Lagos State University (LASU), Prof Clement Fasan, who made the same call, said it took extra expertise to teach.

    The duo spoke at a maiden interactive session orgainsed by the institution for workers during World Teachers Day (WTD).

    Aina called for a more supportive environment for her colleagues.

    Aina said: “Today, we call for the creation of a supportive teaching environment, functional teacher training institutes, prompt payment of teachers’ salaries and safeguard for the rights of teachers. The vicious cycle of declining professional conditions of teachers must be broken to improve the quality of learning for all. As we recruit teachers, we must continue to improve the quality of learning for all.”

    Fasan, a co-discussant at the event, recalled the theme of this year’s WTD -Valuing teachers, improving their status as ‘ideal’, saying teachers need to be motivated to do more.

    “I must confess, it is not easy to teach,’’ Fasan added.

    He continued:”The theme of this year is quite appropriate because it focuses on celebrating teachers.  We need to encourage them through consistent training, so they can improve on their performances and automatically improve on the society.”

     

     

     

  • Banks, educationists seek private education fund

    •Grading of schools begin at Ojo LGA

    First Bank of Nigeria (FBN), Sterling Bank, Accion Microfiance Bank, and other financial institutions have called for the establishment of an education trust fund that would cater to financial needs of private schools.

    They made the call at a panel discussion organised by Developing Private Education Nigeria (DEEPEN) held at the Virgin Rose Hotel, Victoria Island, Lagos last Thursday.

    DEEPEN, a programme funded by the Department For International Development (DFID), United Kingdom that focuses on improving private education, particularly low-cost private education, has conducted research which shows that private schools cater to 25 percent of Nigeria’s pupils and 57 per cent in Lagos.

    DEEPEN’s position is that private schools are as important in providing quality education as public schools and should enjoy subsidy.

    DEEPEN’s deputy team lead, Chioma Obi-Osuji said that low income private schools found it difficult to acquire loans to fund their schools due to rigorous approval terms by the Ministry of Education, adding that the high cost of land  did not help matters.

    She said: “The major obstacle the schools have to cross is on land. The ministry says the schools have to own their own land to gain approval. But Lagos State is congested so acquiring land is not just difficult but expensive and these are schools that charge below N25,000. And government has not budged on this rule.”

    DEEPEN’s finance intervention lead, Nadia Weigh added: “It is a vicious cycle. There is high chance of default in paying fees by parents in all the grades of schools. Now these schools are unapproved because they don’t have land. Land is expensive so they can’t get them. But the banks won’t give them loans because they aren’t approved.”

    Participants at the forum called for standards for approving the low income schools to be cushioned based on the new grading system, which DEEPEN has piloted at Ojo Local Government Area of Lagos.

    Mrs Obi-Osuji said the grading system has categorised 455 schools in Ojo such that schools with very limited facilities and management system are rated one-star; those with limited facilities are two-star; three-star schools have adequate facilitaties; four-star schools have very good facilities and management system; while five-star schools are comparable to national and international standards.

    Responding, Celestine Okubi, Acting Head, Firstmonie, FBN; Bunmi Lawson, MD/CEO of Accion Microfinance Bank and a sterling Bank representative all appealed to government to establish a funding system for private schools.

    They argued that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and other fund mechanisms were directed at Public schools, without consideration for private schools, especially those that cater to low-income families.

     

  • Educationists decry multiple taxes in Lagos schools

    The Principal, Unique Children Schools, Lagos, Mrs. Olufunmilayo Olatubode, has described the imposition of multiple taxes by the government on private schools as killing.

    She made the observation at the school’s graduation ceremony in honour of the final year students of both the primary and secondary arms of the school.

    According to her, it is very important that various state governments make issues, such as annual taxes, dues and levies imposing on private schools with their payment compulsory as friendly as possible.

    “All these levies are seriously affecting our operations. School establishment is known around the world to be a social service and they should therefore be treated as such,” she stressed.

    Also decrying the proliferation of private schools, the principal called on the government to impose stricter measures to curtail the trend so as to guarantee standards in the sector.

    On graduating students, Olatubode advised them to be committed to their studies, adding that there is no excuse for failure.

    Proprietor/Chief Executive of the school, Mrs. Esther Ayere-Alatise, assured the parents and guardians that the school would continue to produce children who are sound and can compete with their colleagues in any part of the globe1.

  • Educationists harp on culture

    Educationists harp on culture

    The loss of cultural values has contributed to the problem of insecurity in some parts of the country, some educationists have said.

    They spoke at a cultural day programme organised by the Christ-Lifeforte School, Orisunbare, in Shasha, Lagos.

    One of them, Mrs Linda Adeseri, said that Nigeria was facing the challenge of insecurity in some areas because some of its people had replaced their culture and heritage with foreign ones.

    “Nigerians are not known to be hostile as we have always been our brothers’ keepers, but the influence of western culture on ours tends to pollute our way of life.

    “The recent use of guns, bombs and other dangerous weapons is an imitation from the western world and not our culture.

    “The trend in the past, when crisis arose, was that the parties involved always settled their disputes by sending artefacts which symbolise peace to themselves,” she said.

    Mrs Adeseri, a Senior Staff in the Education Department, Lagos State Ministry of Culture and Tourism, urged Nigerians to retrace their steps by embracing and preserving their culture.

    She also advised parents to inculcate their culture in their children and encourage them to visit historical centres.

    “Teach your children how to cook good Nigerian foods, speak indigenous languages and dress in our traditional attire before they reach the age of 11,” she said.

    Also speaking, Mrs Ifeoluwa Joseph, the Proprietress of the school, said that Nigeria would be a better place if its people could embrace their culture.

    Mrs Joseph said the country was losing its heritage and identity by allowing the western culture to override its indigenous culture and languages.

    “It is so unfortunate that the westerners we are copying and neglecting our culture for are preserving theirs from external domination and control.  We are trying as schools to teach the children our different cultures and that is why we organise events like this to practicalise what they have learnt in classes.  With this, our children will fall in love with their culture, be motivated and proud to embrace it,” she said.

    Another educationist, Mrs Iyabo Inegbedion, blamed parents for failing to teach their children their native languages and culture.

    “Charity begins at home, so we, as parents, must at all times protect our culture by teaching our children what is right.

    “We must tell them that homosexuality, fighting, cheating and nudity among other bad social vices are not our ways of life,” she said.