The Nation Newspaper

Tag: learning

  • Samsung, Redeemer’s varsity partner on digital learning

    Samsung, Redeemer’s varsity partner on digital learning

    Samsung Electronics West Africa, in partnership with Redeemer’s University (RUN), Ede, Osun State, has inaugurated 30 electronic boards in the school. It is a joint initiative aimed at improving students’ learning experience.

    The e-boards come with easy-to-use immersive technology for the digital classroom. The new technology in the classroom, according to Samsung, is set to change dramatically how students learn and teachers pass on instructions.

    Samsung launched the ‘Classroom digitisation’ in collaboration with one of its key partners, Beecit Solutions, who also worked to deliver advanced solutions for the digital classroom.

    The widespread adoption of tablets, mobile applications, social networks and digital content is having a profound effect on students around the world, including Nigeria.

    Director, Samsung Enterprise Business, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Mr Charles Ojei, said the collaboration would meet students’ expectations for an interactive learning environment.

    “We are committed to partnering with this university to ensure that you achieve your goals in terms of digitization,” Ojei said.

    The Samsung e-boards are in-built with powerful software that provides simplified direct access to e-books, CDs, videos, animations, images, PowerPoint presentations, learning materials and internet content.

    “The e-boards will help to deliver rich content and interactivity to the classrooms. It will also provide the teachers with greater control over their classrooms and increase student engagement while ensuring a more efficient transfer of materials to students. It will aid more participation, more efficient communication and an improved classroom management and performance,” said Head, Enterprise Display Solutions, Samsung Electronics West Africa, Anu-Rotimi Agboola.

    Thirty e-boards have been launched at Redeemer’s University, making them the first institution in Nigeria with the largest e-board distribution.

    The RUN Vice-Chancellor, Prof Adebowale Adeyewa, said he expected the facilities to help the students learn better.

    “Redeemer’s University is committed to bringing new technology closer to our students, while shaping their destinies.

    Our partnership with Samsung is yet another step in this direction. We believe that this collaborative learning environment will improve students’ retention rates.”

    Speaking for the students, President, Redeemer’s University Students Association, Samuel Akinnuga, said: “We can proudly say that our future starts now. We are also proud of the management for its effort at providing qualitative education for us.”

  • When school exhibition inspires learning

    When school exhibition inspires learning

    With school uniform makers, furniture suppliers, booksellers, educational toys and products suppliers, ICT solutions developers, bankers, insurers and many others all other one roof at the Total School Support Seminar/Exhibition (TOSSE), educators had a field day meeting their schools’ needs.

    The two-day event, organised by the Edumark Consult, an education branding firm, was declared opened by the wife of the Ogun State Governor, Mrs Olufunso Amosun, at the 10 Degrees Event Centre, Lagos.

    Mrs Amosun expressed pleasure about the products and services school administrators and teachers could access from the exhibition – in addition to seminars facilitated by seasoned resource persons free of charge.

    Declaring the programme open, Mrs Amosun, herself an educationist, lauded the Chief Executive Officer of Edumark consult, Mrs Yinka Ogunde, for putting together such a brilliant programme despite coming from an advertising background.

    “I congratulate Edumark and Mrs Ogunde on this elaborate and very worthwhile seminar/exhibition.  At this time I must say you I’ve outdone yourself,” she said.

    Amosun’s admonition to the participants at the event which had as theme: “Inspiring the Future”, was for them to integrate changes in technology into educational service delivery.

    “Moreover, technology is redefining the way our students learn and it is important that educators keep abreast with these changes if they are to inspire our children to learn.  There is need for our educators to move with the trend of educational technologies to tackle the current challenges of fallen standard of education in Nigeria,” she said.

    However, in giving children the freedom to explore technology to learn and keep up to date with what is happening across the world, Mrs Amosun warned against losing local values, which she equated with a loss of identity.

    “As we are moving on with technology, let us hold on to aspects of our values that are good.  Let them (children) focus on core values and morals when we are taking them on life’s journey.  We need to impress on our children that the choices they make shape who they are.  If we equip the classrooms with computers, it is what they make of the opportunities we create for them that matters,” she said.

    Many school owners, including Mrs Adun Akinyemiju of Dansol High School; Dr Femi Ogunsanya of Oxbridge College, commended the programme, describing it as a one-stop-shop for educational goods and services.

    Mrs Ogunde urged the participants to get inspiration from the programme to learn how to improve learning in their schools.

    “The world of learning has gone digital. When you come here, you learn about how things are done.  I am glad that there are so many here to collaborate with us.  Our TOSS motto is ‘never stop learning’,” she said.

    A participant, Mrs Mosun Owo-Odunsi, who runs Amville School, Ilupeju, described the event as a plus for educators.

    “It represents a melting point for all those who are involved in children and child development – the exhibition, the support, everything that makes up the development of a child. This is also an exhibition where they have learning taking place.  We educators, what we can learn from this is that we see new things,  the way the world is going and it also inspires us to go back to do greater things and prepare our children for their own future,” she said.

  • WeChat, others boost learning at Babcock University

    WeChat, others boost learning at Babcock University

    Global mobile voice and text chat app, WeChat, has partnered with MrsCEOnaija.com, the online female-centric blog and several other organisations to promote a workshop to provide career counselling tips for graduating female students of the Babcock University, Ilishan Remo, Ogun State.

    Speaking at the workshop which had ‘After Graduation, What Next?  It is Limitless opportunities,’ as its theme, WeChat’s Regional Manager, West Africa, Mr. Idemudia Dima-Okojie Dima-Okojie stressed the need for businesses in the country, especially, young start-ups to embrace and incorporate the mobile app technology in  business plans if they are to grow and become successful.

    He described the mobile phone business as one of the most rapidly growing industries in the world, with the smartphone practically taking over the lives of half the world’s population. According to him, today at least 50 per cent of the global smartphone users are hooked on touchscreens and mobile apps, especially the latter, due to its inherent benefits for business.

    He said WeChat app has been enhanced with several features to help businesses reach out and interact with both their customers and prospects. One of these features,  he said, is the Official Account, whereby companies and organisations open an account within the WeChat app.

    “With these Official Accounts on our app, these organisations can now interact with their customers and prospects like never before, and more and more businesses are utilizing this feature. Today we have the likes of Etisalat, Airtel, MTN, Jobberman, Dstv, Super Sport, Jobberman, Careers24, Beat FM, and many more on our Official Accounts platform.

    “With this feature, customers can now follow and interact with their respective telecoms service providers, make payments on Dstv, listen to live radio and text into TV programmes, apply for jobs instantly on Jobberman and lots more. All these can be done within the app, thereby helping the user save the data consumed by using multiple apps and browsers to carry out these transactions,” he said.

    Founder of MrsCEOnaija.com, Mrs. Tolulope Adedejian, said the organisation was established to help raise financially empowered females for more balanced homes and community, by inspiring, coaching, enabling and facilitating women to have enhanced sources of income, either through career progression or business start-ups.

     

  • Learning from ABU’s ingenuity

    Learning from ABU’s ingenuity

    It is to the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria that we turn for inspiration this week.  The university is doing something that all other tertiary institutions need to emulate, if they do not already have similar initiatives.

    About five years ago, the university looked inward for solution to its Information Communication Technology (ICT) administrative needs.  Its vice-chancellor, Prof Abdullahi Mustapha, who hands over to Prof Ibrahim Garba today, inaugurated the software development team that has built over a dozen applications that serve various purposes, including to run the student portal, deploy online examinations, document examination and personnel  records, and manage payments, among others.  It is to the team’s credit that the university has been able to save money that would have otherwise been spent servicing contract firms; and is now making money from selling its products to other institutions.

    In this age of technology, tertiary institutions have had to evolve ways to do things faster and more effectively.  Many started by introducing online registration portals; then Computer Based Tests (CBT) for the post – Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), then e-examinations, then distance learning, and the like.

    However, not all these solutions were developed in-house.  Many institutions rely on ICT firms to develop the software applications, deploy and maintain them.  They contract out these tasks for huge sums of money.  But the ABU example has taught us that local capacity can be built to address the problems.  It is just about the management having faith in the institution’s human resources and giving them a chance to prove themselves.

    My challenge to ABU is to include students on the software development team so that they can come up with refreshing ideas, and put into practice aspects of the theoretical concepts they are taught in the classroom.  Such platform would also give the students the opportunity to gain useful experience while still in school.

    I know of another university that is also looking inward to solve its problems and that of the host community, and carrying the students along.  Dr Margee Ensign, president of the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, Adamawa State said the institution engages its students in its community develop initiatives, which range from developing apps in local languages to teach indigenes to read/write, to participating in the disbursment of food items to over 200,000 Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs) weekly.  By exposing the students to real-life challenges, they get the chance to think out of the box and get out of their comfort zones to seek solutions.  At the end of the day, they gain exposure, maturity, experience, and a whole lot of technical and soft skills that the classroom alone cannot provide.

    The Lagos State University (LASU) also deserves a mention for allowing a software developed by students to be used for electronic-voting of students’ union officials last year.  The software in question was upgraded for use a second time because of the success recorded when it was first deployed.  This is the kind of progress such chances create.  It supports development because the parties involved would be encouraged to improve on their performance.

    I hope that after reading this piece, universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education administrators would take a look at resources within their institutions that can be exploited to solve problems, and give them the chance to do so.

  • Exploring ICT for better learning

    Exploring ICT for better learning

    Sadly, over the years, mass failure in public examinations seems to have become the norm in Nigeria. Many are blaming the boost in information communication technology (ICT) partly for the problem.  Some experts have developed an application that could turn things around. But with increasing sophistication in IT-assisted crimes, how far can this application go? LUCAS AJANAKU writes.

    he use of internet has eased the way people live in Nigeria. Many applications (apps) have been developed in the areas of agriculture and education, health among others, which have helped solving human problems.

    President, Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), Bayo Banjo, said access to the internet has become a double-edged sword. To Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology Mr. Adebiyi Mabadeje, the hidden dangers unguided access to internet portends to students, moved the state to organise an awareness campaign for  primary and secondary schools pupils.

    Aside using the internet as a platform to acquire genuine knowledge, it has also become a platform for the perfection of organised examination frauds. Through the internet, innocent people have been swindled of their whole life savings. Several marriages have been consummated and broken on the internet while cyber bullies have forced the young at heart to commit suicide.

    The Minister of Communication Technology, Dr (Mrs) Omobola Johnson said the information communication technology industry (ICT) in Nigeria has grown phenomenally over the last one decade. According to her, the industry is now viewed as “a critical sector of the economy, ranked with oil & gas and power,” contributing significantly to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).

    “The industry currently contributes 9.58 per cent to GDP (Q3 2014) and is further enabling other sectors of the economy. The total mobile internet subscriptions increased to 73.8 million as at September 2014 from 45 million in 2011 while internet penetration increased to about 52 per cent in September 2014 from about 26.5 per cent in September 2011,” she said.

    But determined to ensure that the internet is deployed to knowledge acquisition, two firms, Cinfores Limited and WaveTek Nigeria Limited, have developed e-learning app they argue will address mass failure in the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

    The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has partnered with the two software technology companies to address the increasing rate of mass failure in national examinations in the country through the innovative JAMB BrainFriend app.

    According to JAMB, in 2011, a total of 1,493,604 candidates wrote the examination out of which 2, 892 candidates scored above 300 marks while 842, 851 candidates below 200 marks. 495,426 candidates scored between 200-249 while 67,732 candidates scored between 250 and 269. The result further showed that 31, 444 candidates scored between 270-299 marks while another 7, 504 candidates had their results withheld because they were under investigation. Another 15,160 about 1.14per cent had their results cancelled because of examination malpractices while 28,069 candidates had invalid and incomplete results.

    In 2012, only three candidates scored 300 and above; 901 scored between 270 and 299; 71,339 scored between 250 and 269; 601,151 scored between 200 and 249; 374, 920 scored between 170 and 199 while 336, 330 scored below 170.

    Two years ago, the board withheld 12,110 results for possible disciplinary action. JAMB Registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde, said after thorough processing of answer scripts of the candidates who sat for the examination, the board discovered some forms of malpractice perpetuated during the conduct of the examination.

    A total of 1,629,102 candidates applied to sit for the Paper Pencil Test (PPT), while 15,008 candidates applied for the Dual Based Test, bringing the number of candidates to 1,644,110.

    He said: “The general performance of candidates in this year’s examination shows remarkable improvement compared with last year’s. Ten candidates scored 300 marks and above, while 127,017 candidates scored between 1-159 marks.

    “About 40,692 candidates’ results were invalid due to either multiple shading or no shading at all.  After processing all the results, the board also discovered that about 47,974 candidates were absent.”

    These are certainly disturbing results no doubts. The Director-General of NITDA, Mr. Peter Jack, lamented the steep decline in the quality of education in the country and the need to use ICT to improve the situation. He stressed the need to apply home-grown technology resources to address the twin issues of mass failure and malpractices in examination.

    He said: ‘There is certainly a sharp decline in the quality of education in our country. The mass failure in JAMB exams and other national examinations in recent years is a function of many things including the dearth of quality local resources to address the scourge. JAMB BrainFriend software will definitely tackle this.”

    Jack said, NITDA, as an IT agency, is committed to transforming every sector of the country. Jack said the agency will leave no stone unturned and partner local and international organisations to develop local solutions that will meet the needs of the sector. He said NITDA will do everything  within its power to support the partnership between the two companies. He added that this is why the agency has keyed into the initiative as part of its effort to deepen and encourage local content development in education and other sectors of the economy as mandated by the ACT setting up the agency.

    Managing Director Cinfores Limited, Mr. Asawo Ibifuro, said the two software firm decided to introduce the software to arm students with all that is needed for them to do well in their examination.

    Asawo, who frowned at the increasing rate of failure of students in JAMB examinations, said the software firm will continue to develop innovative apps that would promote ease in knowledge acquisition. He said: “We are committed to helping the students to pass their various educational examinations. We have assembled over 20,000 questions, answers and explanations that would help them overcome any kind of questions that come their way. This software will also banish any phobia that may arise from the electronic JAMB examination taking off this year.”

    The Managing Director of WaveTek Nigeria Limited Mr. Ken Spann, said the two companies realised the dangers of mass failure and its implication for the future of the country. According to him, the 75 per cent failure rate in the last JAMB examination in the country is unacceptable Spann who worked for 11 years at Microsoft Corporation in the United States (US) and Nigeria respectively promoting Microsoft Education value through Microsoft IT Academies, added that the firm would leverage on its network in the education sector.

    He said: “Through our strong network in education, we are collaborating with Cinfores to be its marketing partner and ensure that BrainFriend is used by the over 1.4 million students registered for the exam taking place in March this year.”

    Cinfores Limited had in the last 10 years pioneered locally developed e-learning and exam preparatory software also known as Cinfores BrainFriend.

    The new version of the software also contains over 20,000 questions, answers and explanation; 19 JAMB subjects/ subject combinations for the major disciplines; prototype/ past JAMB questions; career counseling guide; quick references/ study notes; performance tracking; summary/ questions on the UTME 2015 special literature –The Last Days at Forcados; available on Windows/ Android devices; free online counseling @ www.brainfriendonline.com; approved/ certified by the Federal Ministry of Education, Nigerian Educational Research Development Council (NERDC) and NITDA and affordable.

    Sector analysts say access to both PC and devices remain major challenges. For one, the software could only run on Android/Windows devices that are relatively expensive. The software cannot run on features phones that are affordable.

    But Mr. Jack has promised to make the software available to all the NITDA digital centres across the country to enable examination candidate access it. He also promised to reach out to the NCC and the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) to make available the software to all its Community Communication Centres in order to extend the reach of the software to all, especially the candidates who cannot afford either a personal computer (PC) or a mobile device to activate the software for personal use.

    The two organisations are however optimistic that with the new wave of public and private sector deployment of locally adapted ICTs for the education sector, most of the challenges faced in the sector will be history. The CEOs urged all well-meaning Nigerians, organisations and institutions operating in the country to support the efforts by acquiring the licenses of the software and make it available to pupils and students across the country.

    Parents and teachers were also urged to download its mobile version on their Android or Windows devices to enable their wards that may not have devices to access the software pending when they could get devices for them. This is to ensure that at least 60 per cent of the candidates preparing for the examination have access to the software to use it to prepare adequately for the forth-coming examination.

    “We are sure this will be the game changer and we will begin to have more successful candidates in our national exams as we fully embrace this solution for forth coming JAMB UTME and related solutions for similar exams,” they said.

  • ‘Learning transfer can help education develop faster’

    The transfer of learning can help Nigeria develop faster, says Mrs Modupe Oyekunle, Cheif Executive Officer (CEO) of Masters Resource Development Centre (MRDC), an organisation that helps youths to develop entrepreneurial skills.

    Mrs Oyekunle, who was the guest speaker at the 14th induction of the Nigeria Institute of Training and Development (NITAD), in Ikeja, Lagos, said the lack of transfer of learning, which promotes continuity, was the bane of development in Nigeria.

    Speaking on the theme: ‘The transfer of learning’, she said: “Critically, you can maximise the transfer of learning by ensuring individual personality, characteristic and motivation. Our programme design should be tight enough and our work environment must be okay. In Nigeria, we have it all but we lack continuity and applicative measures.  If we can help the Aba people, the industrialisation of this country will be critical in the business level.

    “Learning is achieved in repetition, the more you read the more you achieve. In the educational level, outside the country, they value their education due to the transfer of knowledge but here, we are not taught to read continuously but to cram.”

    The President/Chairman of Council, NITAD, Dr. Kayode Ogungbuyi, congratulated the inductees, assuring them that the institute was making efforts to become chartered and get international accreditation to certify trainers and consultants.

    In an interview with journalists, he counselled Nigerians not to wait for the government before achieving their goals, saying anyone who waits for encouragement from the government will not achieve anything.

    “We, at NITAD, don’t want any encouragement from the government. If you are waiting for the government to encourage you to do what you should do, you can’t reach anywhere. How was Ebola controlled in Nigeria? What support did the government give at the end of the day?

    “People had already being doing what they should do before the government intervened.  Adedavoh gave her life and the government did not even recognise her. Rather, you find people involved in one crime or the other been given honours. So, it is left for you and me to know what we need to do for us to get what we want based on our believe.” he said.

  • Distance Learning will dictate future of education, says OAU VC

    The Vice-Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Prof Bamitale Omole, has recommended electronic learning (e-learning) as a platform that universities should embrace.

    The e-learning, Omole argued, would soon begin to dictate the future in education and pose a threat to conventional universities which Omole feared, may become ‘dinosaurs of tomorrow’.

    Omole spoke during the launch of the OAU e-learning in Lagos. The programme, according to him, would be coordinated by the institution’s Centre for Distance Learning.

    “We are the first university to come out of the cocoon and announce to the public say to the public that the future of education will be e-learning,” Omole said.

    “If care is not taken traditional university may become dinosaurs of tomorrow. In order not for this to happen given the fact that there is limitation in space and time, the Federal Government is doing a lot to improve on education by pumping in more money. But the number of young students and workers that want to benefit from education are so many that no matter how much is given, there will still be vacuum;  but with e-learning all will be able to get university education,” he added.

    Omole said the programme will take off with four undergraduate programmes- Accounting, Economics,  Education and Nursing Science, noting that other programmes also at undergraduate level would follow soon in the future to accommodate all shades of students.

    To ease learning and the barrier of power failure, a customised tablet with which a user could work online and offline with a back up battery that will last up to nine hours without charging, has been designed for the programme, Omole added.

    Omole said out of about two million teeming youths who sat for this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), only 400,000 of them will be admitted by the various universities in the country.

    “Over two million students wrote UTME but only 400,000 will be admitted in Nigerian universities nationwide. However, with the kind of e-learning that has come today, the future is right at the door step of everyone that can go on our website to register,” he said.

    The Rector of the OAU CDL, Prof Olabode Asubiojo, said the curriculum for the e-learning is the same as the in-house programmes warding off any iota of discrimination between in-house students and e-learners.

    The consultant to the programme Mr Bunmi Akiyemiju, said the OAU e-learning is meant to make learning accessible to the people.

     

  • Pupils have fun learning

    Pupils have fun learning

    About 1,219 pupils from 104 secondary schools in Lagos State have attended the 18th career counseling and industry awareness programme. The programme was organised by the Youth Empowerment Restoration Initiative of Lonadek Oil and Gas last week.

    The Shell Hall of the MUSON Centre, Onikan was packed full with excited pupils, who listened   to the General Manager Supply, Addax Petroleum Mr Valentine Iwu lamenting that despite exploiting Nigeria’s oil wealth for over five decades, the country is still underdeveloped.

    The pupils learnt about capacity building, competence and capability in the oil and gas industry from experts in the sector. they were also taught the importance of local innovations from the Director-General, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), Dr Umar Bindir and how to study better from Mrs C.O. Agwu of West African Examination Council (WAEC).

    They equally learnt the importance of good character and attitude from Mr Soji Oyawoye and how to excel in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) from Mr Chima Akanno of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

    Dr Bindir challenged them to be innovative for Nigeria to export her products to other countries. According to him, that is the only way the country can be among the top 20 economies of the world by year 2020.

    “I hope one day the new inventors and producers will make this Vision 2020 a reality, which will make irresponsibility evaporate in the Nigeria system,” he said.

    Mr Biyi Awotiku of Chevron advised the pupils to channel their energy into things that will enlighten them, while Mrs Seyi Afolabi, Executive Director, Mobil Nigeria Limited, told them they could be whoever they want if they are determined, prepared and ready to work hard.

    Speaking on how to prepare for examinations, Mrs Agwu advised the students to discover themselves, set goals, avoid distractions and develop good study skills.

    “It is true that intelligence genes are sometimes inherited, but real intelligence comes from putting extra work to your already stored knowledge. And academic excellence has a price that can only be paid only by those who understand it,” she said.

    On his part, Mr Oyawoye advised the pupils to have positive attitudes.

    “The foundation of success is attitude and without the right attitude, progress will not be forthcoming but with the right attitude, things will change positively,” he said.

    In her goodwill message via the video, initiator of the programme, Dr Ibilola Amao urged the pupils to take whatever they learnt seriously to make the country proud.

    Commenting on the programme, Chidera Agbasiere, an SS2 pupil of Satellite Senior Secondary School, Amuwo Odofin, said she learnt the importance of having the right attitude.

    “The right attitude is one of the key things needed to succeed because attitude keeps you going, but the right character sustains you in your journey,” she said.

    Another pupil, Dehinbo Ebenezer of Bellina College, Akoka, said he learnt to be a change agent.

    “I have learnt to be the change I want to see around me and I have learnt to be more focused,” he said.

    The workshop featured an exhibition of science and technological devices from the schools in attendance.  The Four-way Intruder Detector of the Lagos State Senior Model College, Kankon, Badagry won with 75 per cent;  Laureates College, Mafoluku’s Ariel Surveillance Balloon came second with 70.1; while the  Sound-activated Audio Amplifier invented by the Federal Government College, Ijanikin, was adjudged the third best with 70 per cent.

  • ‘Culture vital to learning’

    GOOD upbringing and cultural orientation are central to the education offered at City of Knowledge Academy (CKA), which opened in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

    Its founder Mrs Mosun Belo-Olusoga told The Nation that the school will provide leadership training, ethical orientation as well as academic grooming in an excellent environment, away from the hustle and bustle of the Lagos cities.

    With ethical pillars anchored on a tripod-culture, character and confidence, Belo-Olusoga said the school is “determined to begin a quality cultural re-orientation that would spur pupils’ interest in indigenous values. These values would enhance social awareness, conscience, empathy, diligence and academic excellence, while developing mind wealth among the pupils.”

    “The pupils are selected future leaders with the capacity to bring lasting positive change in within Nigeria and the world stage in general.”

    She however, cautioned that finance will not guarantee pupils’ admission, adding that they and their parents’ ability to share in the goal of the school would be a prerequisite.

    She said the school would emphasise good upbringing.

    “Culture is a huge part of our heritage that has been taken for granted in the quest to provide quality and well rounded education for Nigerian children. So, while much emphasis has consistently been placed on the provision of infrastructure, educational resources, qualified teachers including curriculum content, this (culture) important tool that could be used to bring about development has been neglected. We should revive our basic moral values of honesty, respect, hard work and integrity,” she said.

    “For me, culture and integrity are really important. You have children, who can’t speak their local languages; who don’t know the meaning of their names. Here, our children will be confident about who they are. By the time a person finishes from CKA, you will know that this is a well brought up individual who is morally sound, has empathy and can stand his ground with any child from anywhere in the world,” she concluded.

    The Head of School, Ms Biola Lamikanra, said the school rules will not be sacrificed to satisfy parents’ whims.

    She said: “I have been a teacher for a very long time. I am totally confident and there is no parent I will allow to do things we do not allow.”

    Ms Lamikanra said the school has employed the ‘best crop of teachers’.

    In addition to teaching a combination of the Nigerian and British curricular, she added that CKA pupils would be required to learn vocational subjects.

    “In line with British curriculum, they (students) will take the checkpoints and the IGCSE examinations in Year 9 (JSS3) and 12 (SS3),”.

     

     

     

    Lamikanra added that the school plans to run A Levels, and would ultimately, switch to the International Baccalaureate (IB).”

     

    Mr Abayomi Owodunni, a parent who was present during the media tour of the school, praised the school management for its vision, noting that he is convinced he has made the best choice for enrolling his son in the school.

    “I want the best for my son. Indeed he took several entrance exams to other secondary schools and he performed excellently. But a friend told my wife about CKA and we decided to pay the school a visit. The visit sealed the deal as he fell in love with all the facilities, structures, teaching and recreational aids available in this large spacious educational complex. Its really is a haven for learning and development.

    “They seem to have a way of teaching that makes everything fun, can you imagine that now one of his favourite subjects is Mathematics? A subject he once dreaded”

     

  • NOUN VC urges students to embrace distance learning

    NOUN VC urges students to embrace distance learning

    Vice-Chancellor, National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Vincent Ado Tenebe, has challenged Nigerians to embrace the Open Distance Learning (ODL) programme being offered by the university, describing it as the most convenient way of acquiring knowledge worldwide.

    Addressing fresh students at the ninth matriculation ceremony of the 2012/2013 session at the Nigerian Air Force Base’s Special Study Centre in Kaduna, Tenebe said the government decided to invest huge sums of money on the institution to provide conducive learning atmosphere for the people.

    He said: “The fact that the concept of Open and Distance Learning (ODL) is relatively new in Nigeria does not leave room for anyone to deceive or discourage you.”

    He added that courses offered by the institution have been accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

    Tenebe also assured the students that NOUN has been mandated to provide functional, cost effective, flexible learning which add life-long value to quality education for all who seek knowledge.

    He said: “The second convocation of the University that took place on January, 2018 is a testimony to the standard and quality of our programmes. You are therefore counted as special and very fortunate to be part of a university that is adjudged as one of the most internationally connected in Nigeria.

    “It is interesting to let you know that your admission into this university did not come by chance but by merit. It is, therefore, very important that you utilise this great opportunity to actualise your dreams and your ambition to attain higher academic and professional qualifications.

    “Let me use this special occasion to reiterate that NOUN is a Federal university established by an Act of the National Assembly (NOUN Act of 1983).

    The university is a legal entity in Nigeria operating programmes that are duly approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC) which is the only recognised agency for the approval and accreditation of programmes.