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  • Why graduates must be computer literate, by Okebukola

    Why graduates must be computer literate, by Okebukola

    Former National Universities Commission (NUC) Executive Secretary Prof Peter Okebukola has called on the government and policymakers to review the academic syllabus to improve teaching of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in higher institutions. OLADELE OGE (NYSC Enugu) reports.

    Former  National Universities Commission (NUC) Executive Secretary Prof Peter Okebukola is worried that graduates are not literate in computer and Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This he said,  would keep the nation in the backwater of technology and youth innovation.

    Okebukola urged the Federal Government and policymakers to encourage advanced computer training in higher institutions to enable students acquire knowledge to develop their innovative skills.

    The former NUC boss was deliverring a keynote paper titled: Computer education policies in Nigeria: Implementation and pedagogy at the third yearly conference of the Faculty of Vocational Education of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) last Tuesday.

    Okebukola cited a doctorate degree holder in Science Education, who did not know the meaning of RAM, a computer language for Random Access Memory. He urged participants to improve their knowledge of ICT so as to move the nation forward in computer education.

    Nigeria, he argued, should move with the trend in the ICT world, saying possession of good computer skills by graduates could turn them to employers. Okebukola praised the university management for encouraging innovation and skill acquisition.

    Declaring the conference open, the Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Benjamin Ozumba, represented by Prof Uju Umo, noted that thee are no regulations to make acquisition of computer education compulsory for students from primary school.

    The VC hailed the Dean of faculty, Dr Nnenna Ibezim, for the conference theme, saying the faculty has proven itself to be a pacesetter in quality academic work and skill acquisition. Prof Ozumba advised the participants to learn things that would improve their lives and change the nation’s fortunes.

    The event featured quiz competition organised for secondary school pupils to sharpen their intellectual capacity in computer education. Five schools participated in the contest.

    UNN staff School beat St Cyprian Special Science School in the final.

    UNN Staff School went home with computer systems; St. Cyprian Special Science School received e-learning materials. Other participating schools got consolation prizes.

    A participant from the UNN Staff School, Chiemera Eze, dedicated the prize to the principal, Mrs Ohaegbu Euna, and his teachers, who he said supported the team before the competition. He said he was delighted his school came first in the contest.

    Ifunaya Asogwa, SSS 2 pupil of St. Cyprian Special Science School, said the contest enhanced her knowledge in computer and exposed her to ICT challenges.

    She said: “The competition was tough, but it later became interesting. This is good for pupils, because it exposed us to the challenges of computer training. I want to encourage schools across the country to emulate UNN by creating a faculty for vocational education and support it to organise this kind of competition to address the problem of computer illiteracy.”

    The co-ordinator, Dr Ibezim, said  the association would continue in its outreach to educate people on computer literacy.

  • Okebukola rates curriculum, teacher training method low

    Okebukola rates curriculum, teacher training method low

    Prof. Peter Okebukola, a former Executive Secretary National Universities Commission (NUC), says the education curriculum and method of training teachers in Nigeria is defective and not in tune with modern trends in teaching.

    Okebukola said this on in his keynote address at a Colloquium on Education in Nigeria organised the Government Secondary School, Owerri, Old Boys Association on Thursday in Abuja.

    The theme of the colloquium is “A Review of the Education Sector in Nigeria and Recommendations for Sector-Wide Reforms.’’

    Okebukola, who also identified other challenges confronting the education sector, said that teachers’ preparation had been worsened by the Sandwich programmes.

    The former NUC boss said that the curriculum was cumbersome; learning facilities lacking, while students had become indolent.

    “The teacher factor in education is critical; the teacher has very low content, not deep in his subject.

    “I propose that education, as a degree programme should be for five years; you concentrate on your core subject for four years and on the fifth year, you concentrate on education – teaching skills.

    “Teachers must continue to upgrade themselves and run regular competence test; they should also have more time for teaching practice.

    “Students are no longer as diligent as they used to be; they do not read as they used to; they are now more inclined to social media.’’

    He said that the curriculum was laden with too many topics -`junks’’ which are not relevant to modern development.

    The professor of Science Education said that there was little room for projects and field work; opportunities for experiment and developing the skills of a scientist.

    According to him, Nigeria’s education curriculum needs to be trimmed to lay emphasis on 21st century skills.

    Okebukola also recommended the collapse of all higher education regulatory bodies into a Tertiary Education Council, to streamline operations and ensure fluency.

    Earlier in his address, Dr Joseph Nnorom, the association’s branch Chairman, said the colloquium was organized to mark the 80th anniversary of the school.

    He said that over the years, the Old Boys Association had given a lot to its alma mater but decided to give back to the larger society this year, hence the colloquium.

    “We decided to do this because we recognise that it is our school and in particular, our education in general that laid the foundation for whatever we have achieved today.

    “So, in a way, we want to give back something of enduring value to the society that nurtured us.

    “Without sound education, we and many generations to come are doomed; it is our fervent hope that recommendations that will have far reaching effects on the future of our society are articulated in this colloquium,’’ Nnorom said.

    He listed some of the association’s contributions to the school to include erection of library, classrooms, administration blocks and renovation of dormitories.

    Nnorom listed other contributions to include the sinking of boreholes, installation of generators, and provision of Information Communication Technology equipment.

    In his remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, Igwe Alfred Achebe, Obi of Onitsha, said the colloquium showed a burning desire to ensure that high quality education was sustained.

    Represented by Chief Chuka Oboli, Achebe said that sound education was needed to engender an orderly society.

    He commended the Old Boys Association and called on other alumni associations nationwide to emulate it.

  • Okebukola to varsities: Tackle terrorism with research

    Okebukola to varsities: Tackle terrorism with research

    Former executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) Prof Peter Okebukola, has urged African universities to conduct research towards tackling terrorism.

    Delivering the keynote address at the third Six Universities (U6) international conference at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) last week, Okebukola said universities were well placed to tackle local, national and global challenges ravaging the world.

    The U6 is a group of institutions comprising Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa; Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (formerly Bondo University College), Kenya; Kwara State University, Nigeria; the University of The Gambia, The Gambia; the University of Cape Coast, Ghana; and UNILORIN, which acted as host.

    Noting that the world is facing challenges of leadership and bad governance, decline in the quality of education and others, he warned that “global insecurity and spread of terrorism were capable of bringing down this world within a jiffy.”

    He urged un iversity administrators on the continent to ensure safety on “our campuses; promote religious and ethnic harmony.”

    Welcoming the participants, the UNILORIN Vice Chancellor, Prof Abdulganuyu Ambali, advocated collaborative researches among member institutions, which he noted would yield better results.

    He said: “I want to use this medium to urge our scholars and researchers to, in the spirit of this type of conference, continue to explore joint research projects and collaborative academic activities.

    “Interdisciplinary research groups and inter-university research projects are very essential. It is said that two (good) heads are better than one and joint efforts appear to be more rewarding in terms of outcomes.

    “Therefore, our participants should make friends across universities and disciplines. They should then follow up with initiatives that will continue to promote scholarship after this important conference.

    “The world is now connected and what is done somewhere has implications for what will happen elsewhere hence the need to reach out to others. For example, the crises in some parts of the Middle East have created refugee problems for Europe. Working together is part of the right steps in the right direction of making our world better. The world won’t change until we all do things right or take the right steps along that line.”

     

  • Okebukola advises govt on teacher education

    Okebukola advises govt on teacher education

    Former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Peter Okebukola, has urged the Federal Government to focus on teacher education to halt falling standards.

    Speaking at the graduation of pupils of De Dynamic Comprehensive College , Ota, Ogun State, Okebukola said if education standards must be improved, those, who impart knowledge at all levels must be well trained and  undergo periodic recertification.

    Okebukola, who chaired the event, said teachers are primary agents of change in any system, but cannot give what they don’t have.

    “Our studies over the last 25 years have confirmed that the proportion of a teacher’s contribution to quality education ranges from 30 to 33 per cent. In other words, if you want to improve quality of education, a third of your treatment should go on teachers. Today most of our teachers are poorly prepared, and the quality of education they are delivering is consequently poor. So, what must be done – because you cannot redeem the system in a four-year period. What President Muhammadu Buhari should do is to have a major focus on teacher education.

    “Reform the entire teacher education system at all levels. Those people, who are preparing NCE teachers, those preparing first degree and post-graduate teachers, are also to be served in this proposal.

    “We should improve the content of the teacher preparation programme; improve the allocation to teaching practice, and ensure that when a teacher graduates, his certificate does not last forever.

    “Every five years, there should be a recertification scheme where all teachers will be worked through a process of evaluation. Knowledge is changing very rapidly,” he said.

    Vice-Chancellor of Crawford University Igbesa, Ogun State, Prof Samson Ayanlaja, who was the guest speaker, urged the grandaunds to cultivate self-discipline, build on what they learned and work hard to be successful in life.

    Self-discipline, Ayanlaja said, would enable them resist peer pressure when they get to higher institutions.

    “If you take responsibility for your life and health without giving in to peer pressure, you will be useful to humanity, but you have to work hard,” he said.

    The college’s Proprietress, Mrs Aramide Bello, said the school was driven by a vision to produce tomorrow’s leaders.

    “Giving children education is like giving them a life tool. We maintain high standards here so our students can get the best education. Our vision is to build tomorrow’s leaders and produce graduates with character and integrity,’’ she said.

     

  • Uniform standards for African higher institutions soon, says Okebukola

    Former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Peter Okebukola has said plans are underway to adopt a uniform quality assurance framework as minimum standard of education for higher institutions in Africa.

    He said the uniform standard of education, which would take effect next year, would be equal to that of the Western countries and guarantee higher quality education for African graduates.

    Okebukola made this known while delivering Covenant University’s (CU) Convocation lecture, titled: “Higher education and Africa’s future: Doing what is right.”

    He said: “The attainment of Agenda 2063 of the African Union as a roadmap for Africa’s future will be severely hindered without significant reorientation of the higher education delivery system.”

    Okebukola said the right thing for universities to do include: conduct needs assessment, progressive remediation and ensure the safety of students through safety audits, overt and covert actions, quarterly safety drills and counter propaganda against the messages of extremists.

    The don proposed that African teachers should do what is right in delivering their services and keep themselves up to date in their various fields.

    “A good teacher should own up to what he does not understand, keep up to date with his or her contents, embrace the use of technology to deliver lectures and practicals, cover syllabus, be punctual, organised, appreciate and cater for diversity including the physically challenged and minimise his insults on students”, he said.

    Okebukola, who is Executive President of UNESCO’S Global University Network for Innovation (GUNI)- Africa and Chairman of the International Quality Group of the US Council for Higher Education Accreditation, advised lecturers to shun “yellow pages lecturing”, a system of reading old notes to students to copy without updating them.

    On security in schools, he advocated the adoption of what he termed a minimum standard for physical and psychological safety.

    “These are physical screening of the perimeter of the school against intruders with installed and functioning CCTV coverage; access into the school is controlled and visitors monitored; periodic awareness campaign and capacity building for students, teachers and administrators to rapidly respond to safety threats; and existence of effective and technology-assisted security, among others”, he said.

    Chancellor of the institution, Dr David Oyedepo, condemned political leaders for neglecting education.

    He said: “To all political leaders: those who think only of election are not leaders, but those who think of the next generation. Africa needs its own leaders to effect the change we are looking for. Let us be value-oriented and generous in sharing the values.”

    Oyedepo said CU has never employed foreign expertise in its development and administration, urging Nigerians to be so-minded.

     

  • Okebukola: if I had Gen Buhari’s ears

    Okebukola: if I had Gen Buhari’s ears

    Immediate past Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof Peter Okebukola has urged the president-elect, Gen Muhhammadu Buhari, to take advantage of the country’s depressed state to invest in areas that would spur growth and socio-economic development.

    Okebukola, who said this on Monday while delivering the convocation lecture of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), titled: “Taking advantage of a depressing Nigeria economy to accelerate socio-economic development”, on Monday, identified seven areas he believed would restore Nigeria’s glory, referring to them as “what Nigeria should have done better”.

    He said the country needed to accelerate socio-economic development within its resources by prioritizing its investment in the four basic areas of education, power, agriculture and solid minerals.

    The professor, who now lectures in the university’s department of Science and Technology Education, however underscored the importance of quality education to the economy.

    “We must invest heavily in education or all other sectors would come to naught. Doubling leakage-free investment in education in the next four years at the federal, state and local government levels will translate to 30 per cent improvement on all socio-economic indicators in the next 10 years,” he said.

    On power, he called for more creative investment beyond the present reforms, which he said have been tardy in yielding positive returns.

    For the oil sector, the professor advised the incoming administration to: “Plan for a 45 dollar per barrel oil price for the next two years cutting down on corruption by 80 per cent, reduce the cost of running government by 45 per cent, diversify the economy by a factor of two point five. The resultant will be the same as if we were earning 124 dollar per barrel form oil.”

    He also advised Buhari to build upon the achievements of the past administration in the agricultural sector looking into expanding its scope, revenue capabilities and food and nutrition security.

    Okebukola enjoined the new administration to appreciate the efforts of his predecessor for some of the progress made in key sectors. He said: “Surely, there are still huge gaps but humans are not God and cannot be perfect.”

  • Why standard is falling, by Okebukola

    Prof Peter Okebukola has identified impediment to quality education in the country. The former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC) was the keynote speaker at the opening ceremony of the fifth international conference on the Collaboration of Education Faculties in West Africa (CEFWA) held at the Osun State University (UNIOSUN) in Osogbo.

    Okebukola, a professor of Science Education, mentioned eight threats to quality education to include policy incoherence, poor implementation, teacher inadequacies, inadequate funding, declining infrastructure, obsolete curriculum, declining reading culture and social vices.

    Okebukola said the eight challenges were interconnected and failure to solve one led to the other in a chain reaction. He said if the chain reaction was allowed to continue, the nation would face unprecedented crisis in education sector.

    Okebukola, who is also the Pro-chancellor and chairman of Governing Council of Crawford University in Igbesa, Ogun State, said the nation needed to break the cycles. He stated “redemption plan” the stakeholder could use to get the education sector out of the quagmire.

    He said the nation needed to review its curriculum to respond to the reality of the future and enforce the teaching of entrepreneurial education at all levels.

    He advised the government to ensure all colleges of education and polytechnics aspiring to degree-awarding status should adopt the doctorate standard as minimum requirement for lecturers. He said NUC must continue to enforce standards in the system.

    The conference was attended by lecturers from various universities, including Prof Solomon Olaniyonu, Prof Ibrahim Kolo, Prof Modupe Omoegun, Prof A. Olorundare, Prof A.A. Adegoke, Prof O.O. Obiyemi, and Prof Kayode Alao, among others.

    The UNIOSUN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. A.B. Okesina, urged the organisers to ensure that more lecturers of education in Nigeria and West Africa participate in future conferences.

     

  • ASUU: How N200b can be effective, by Okebukola

    ASUU: How N200b can be effective, by Okebukola

    Professor Peter Okebukola, Chairman, Governing Council, Crawford University, Igbesa in Ogun State, has listed quality leadership, good students, and quality teachers as three elements needed for the optimal utilization of the Federal Government’s N200b lifeline to public universities.

    Speaking at the 5th convocation of the university last Wednesday, Okebukola, who has served as the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC) said: “You need quality leadership of the university. With inept, inefficient and corrupt management, the huge injection of funds will have minimal impact. Second is the quality of students. If the students come poorly prepared from the secondary level, with poor study habits and are morally bankrupt as a consequence of poor home training, the effect of huge buildings and fat salaries of staff brought about by the huge injection of funds will not go far. Thirdly, if the quality of staff in terms of potential to deliver quality education and moral upbringing is low, we will be climbing a greasy pole in trying to improve quality of the system through funds injection only.”

    Underscoring the importance of funding, the professor of science education said a 2012 study conducted by the Global University Network for Innovation (GUNI) Africa, set up by UNESCO in 1999 showed that funding plays a major role in improving quality in Africa universities.

    However, he said the study noted that funding can only be useful in improving university education, if there is improvement in the quality at the secondary level which feeds the university.

    Making a case for public funding of private universities, Okebukola, who served as Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC) said the university system is not made up of the federal and state universities. He lamented that private universities, which number over 50, are left out of government’s largesse.

    “These universities plead passionately with Mr President to extend funding support perhaps not through the ASUU-FGN arrangement but through the intervention of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). All universities regardless of ownership are contributing to human resource development of our country,” he added.

    Agreeing with Prof Okebukola on the TETFund intervention, the best graduating student, Mr Sotubo Dipo said the government should finance private universities given that the public schools are financed with the taxes their parents pay.

    “I cannot end this valedictory speech without pleading with the Federal Government to please consider the plight of private universities and find a place in its heart to extend some forms of financial assistance to them as done to public institutions which are partly financed by the taxes paid by our parents,” he said.

    In his speech, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof Samson Ayanlaja, said Crawford University seeks to produce a new generation of Nigerian leaders that are skilful, knowledgeable and honest.

    “When these new breed forthright workers hold the helms of affairs in the country, it is only then that economic downturn occasioned by unabated corruption can be checked.

    Concomitantly, social vices, hunger, poverty, insecurity, environmental pollution, disease, tension and disharmony would be mitigated,” he said.

    He said the graduates have received entrepreneurial training because youth unemployment in Nigeria now stands at a startling rate of 48.5 per cent, which he said is partly due to the lack of domain knowledge of specific industry skills in the mainstream education curriculum.

    Reverend Emmanuel Adeniran was installed the new Chancellor of the university at the event.

    Prof Julius Okojie, NUC Executive Secretary, represented by Prof Adebisi Balogun said the government has a lot of confidence in private universities to help out with the problems confronting the education sector in Nigeria.

     

  • Okebukola lists steps to transform distance learning

    Okebukola lists steps to transform distance learning

    Pro-Chancellor of Crawford University, Igbesa, Prof Peter Okebukola has underscored the importance of capacity building of lecturers as one of the factors for the transformation of a Distance Learning Institute (DLI).

    While delivering a lecture titled: The changing Landscape of Open and Distance Learning and the Impact of Emerging Technologies at the 2013 Public Lecture of the Distance Learning Institute, University of Lagos (UNILAGE) which took place in the main auditorium, Okebukola said the workers should be trained to develop Open Education Resources (OERs), set up and manage online courses, and digitalise course materials.

    He also said training in video recording and video streaming of lessons, online testing, implementing Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), security and copyright issues in OER and MOOCs and online student support are equally important.

    After training, Okebukola said the institute needs to install the necessary infrastructure for developing OERs and delivering MOOCs.

    Okebukola said distance learning is relatively flexible in its delivery and communication patterns as well as the use of various technologies to support learning.

    He said it is aimed at doing away with those days when teachers and students had to be physically in the same place for learning to take place.

    Speaking about the future of Open Distance Learning (ODL) Okebukola quoted Granthan’s ”Five future technology that will share our classrooms”, which includes biometrics, augmented reality glasses and multi-touch surfaces and other technologies that will completely change the learning space.

    “Biometrics is the technology used to recognise humans based on specific physical or behavioural traits. In the future, this technology will help intelligent software completely understand the physical and emotional state of students learning in the classroom, home or work place. Course materials presented to students can be altered on the fly and will be perfectly tailored to individual needs based on biometric signals from students.

    “Physical traits such as facial expression, heart rate, skin moisture and even odour can be used to create detailed reports on students understanding and performance, behavioural signs such as typing rhythm, gait voices can let teachers know when students are in need of additional assistance as well as help them understand what teaching techniques work best for individual students,” he said.

    Also speaking at the event, the Director DLI, UNILAG, Prof Funke Lawal, said the institute has produced course materials which the full time lecturers in the university have certified to be great development in their work. “The course materials purposely produced for DLI students are now being used in the regular classrooms. Course writers and users have confessed that these materials are helping their students to master their courses, improve substantially in difficult subjects and earn higher grades.

    The materials have relieved the lecturers from pressure and made their work easy.”

    She urged the university management to multiply this benefit in all the units of the university saying that she will be happy to serve the university in the production of print course materials.

     

  • Social Media can aid learning, says Okebukola

    Pro-Chancellor of Crawford University, Igbesa, Ogun State, Prof Peter Okebukola has said rather than clamour for a ban against the use of social media by students, efforts should be directed on how schools in Nigeria can use it to improve learning.

    Okebukola made this call at the fourth convocation of the university penultimate week.

    He said the goal in 2013 should be on how schools can leverage on such media to improve learning and on how students can use them productively rather than on matters that are injurious to their psycho-social health.

    “We are living in a world where the use of social media, such as Facebook and Twitter is emerging a global communication standard like the email among the youths. Any person advocating that our youths should stay off the social media should ask the anopheles mosquito to stay off sucking of blood. What most educational communities across the world are doing is to put these media that the youths are more attracted to, to a pedagogic advantage. In Asia, Europe, Australia, and North America, teachers supplement their lessons with assignments given to their students on Facebook. Studies have confirmed that performance in school and public examinations improved through such social-media class transactions,” he said

    He said the use of the social media in schools can only be made possible by the re-training of teachers.

    “This year, we should provide ICT tools for teachers and train them in the use of technology to improve their delivery of education,” he said.

    He said that the education system is still burdened with poor quality teachers, dilapidated and poorly-resourced classrooms, especially at the basic and secondary level, inadequacy of admission spaces in universities for suitably-qualified candidates among others. To address teacher quality, he advocated regular training programmes for tutors.

    “No doubt, these challenges which have accumulated over the years cannot be made to disappear in 2013; we need to invest at the Federal, state and local government levels at re-building to world standard. All teachers who graduated less than 10 years ago especially through sandwich and part time programmes should be re-trained to upgrade their knowledge of the subject matter and re-certified,” he said.

    Addressing the graduands, he urged them to be of good behaviour and prepare for the realities of the world.

    “Crawford University is proud to have produced a total of 557 graduates in its seven-year life. As they leave these gates and re-enter the society, one thing is certain; they are endorsed by the Lord Jesus Christ to be champions, positive transformers of the society and an army for Christ”, he said.

    Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun who was also at the event urged the graduands to put into practice all they have been taught.

    “It is my belief that you have imbibed the right spirit coupled with rigorous training and necessary techniques of making you succeed in life, as a result, you should be diligent, dedicated and distinguish yourselves in any situation you find yourselves, as worthy ambassadors of this university”, he said.