The Nation Newspaper

Tag: pupils

  • Learner-friendly device for teachers, pupils

    A software which demystifies learning between pupils and teachers has been demonstrated to heads of schools, proprietors and directors of learning.

    Either in school or at home, learners have unfettered access to their teachers or facilitators through a tap on the button on the digital device.

    Dynamiss, a digital learning solutions firm, and facilitator of the device tagged ‘LP365, said the software could only be installed on request by interested schools, which eventually get by through a username and a password.

    Dynamis Country Director Lolu Elegbe  spoke during a conference tagged: ‘Digital education and IT funding, which was held at Classique Events Centre in Oregun, Lagos.The event was organised in conjunction with Microsoft.

    Elegbe said the application could be most ideal during emergency.

    “For example during the time of Ebola, students who were sent home could have continued their studies at their various homes,” Elegbe said.

    According to him, the initiative behind LP365 is to drive digital learning in Africa.  “We know that Nigeria and most of Africa is not where they are supposed to be in terms of digital learning; so we are trying to bridge that gap in terms of where we are and where we are supposed to be.

    “We have to make sure that we are sending them (graduates) out with the right digital skills that they need in the global market,” he added.

    He said reception by Nigerians to the device has been dramatic.

    “(Initially), We had some level of scepticism as we felt Nigeria is not ready, but when we started to tell people what we are doing, why we are doing it and show them the application, the response we get has been encouraging,” he said.

    Elegbe explained that a number of schools have keyed into the initiative, noting that they would not be receptive to more offers.

    “It is built specifically for schools so any school can use it no matter how small,” he said.

    He continued: “The world is moving too quickly so we need to make digital education a benchmark here. We need to get to the point where we don’t take books but tablets to school and we will need the federal government to make that happen.”

    On her part, the firm Head of Sales Angela Oyekanmi, said the software is available at N10,000 per licence.

     

  • Firm woos teachers, pupils with cash incentive

    Firm woos teachers, pupils with cash incentive

    A huge reward awaits teachers and pupils, aged 13-22 who win medals in the 2017 Certiport Microsoft Office Specialist World Championship.

    Information Communication Technology (ICT) teachers have the task of preparing their pupils to enable them excel on the world stage between now and April.

    The prizes at stake, beyond the thousands of dollars they would get for the top three awards at the world championship in the United States, are N750,000 for the winner, and N250,000 for his/her teacher.

    Readmanna Ventures Ltd Chairman Bode Agusto, whose firm organises the national version of the competition, announced the prizes as a special incentive to pupils, teachers, and schools to get more youths to be certified users of the Microsoft Office software applications.

    Agusto, who called the special prizes the chairman’s awards, said the school with the highest number of pupils who get certified in the use of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint (2013 and 2016 versions), would get a trophy.

    Speaking while flagging off the 2017 National MOS Competition which would produce winners that would represent Nigeria in the world championship, Agusto said the country’s representatives would also enjoy educational excursions while in the United States.

    He said the incentives were part of efforts to ensure youths are computer literate by the end of their secondary school education.

    “Our vision is to ensure none of you will leave secondary school in Nigeria without being computer literate.  Therefore, our important mission is to certify as many of you as possible.  We also believe we must continue to provide incentives for teachers and students. I will award a set of chairman’s awards for teachers that produce winners in the world championship.  Teachers will get N250,000 while the student that comes back as a world champion will get N750,000.  So we have increased the stake significantly,” he said.

    Readmanna Ventures Chief Executive Officers (CEO), Mrs Edna Agusto, counselled teachers to start preparations early. She urged them to take advantage of training programmes organised by Readmanna and the online platform created for teachers to exchange ideas.

    “Teachers should master the software.  I invite all teachers to join our online communities.  TEhre are regular updates on the programme they would learn,” she said.

    She also advised them to help their students gain proficiency in existing versions of the software, which would make adapting to updates easier.

    Winners of the National MOS competition were rewarded at the event.

    Katherine Eta of Childville School, Ogudu, scored 1000/1000 in the PowerPOint 2013 category of the national competition, while she came 10th at the world championship held in Orlando, Florida.

    Atafo Abure, also of Childville School, won the Excel 2013 category with 980 points, while Abdullahi Usman of Aduvie International School, Abuja, won the Word 2013 category with 963 points.

    Oshadami Oladokun of Glisten International Academy, Abuja, and Cue-Eze Zal Chukwu of Aduvie International School, Abuja, were runners up in the PowerPoint 2013 category. The Word 2013 category had Ochanya Idoko and Fiberesima Omiebe both of Aduvie International School, as runners up, while Jemin Chinonso of Bellina College, Lagos, and David Eta of Childville School, Ogudu, were runners up in the Excel 2013 category.

    All the winners in each category and their teachers were presented with the equivalent cash awards. The first got N50,000, the second, N30,000 and the third, N20,000.

    In all, a total of 70 pupils from 10 secondary schools were certified during the 2016 competition.

    Winners that emerged from the2016 Readmanna Under 13 National Computing Fundamentals Competition as well as the Key Applications competition were also rewarded.

    Three pupils from Holy Child College, Ikoyi, Jacintha Oguejifor, Odu Oyima, and Ifeoma Kwara won all the prizes for Computing Fundamentals; while the trio of Oluwakanyisola Emordi, Daniel Eta, and Mofeoluwa Adeyemi – all of Childville School, won the Key Applications competition.

     

  • Lagos equips pupils to conquer challenges

    The permanent secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mr Adesina Odeyemi has counseled its pupils to shun cultism, cyber crime, prostitution, rape, sexual and drug abuse, among other vices plaguing today’s youths.

    He gave the counsel while speaking to the public secondary school pupils at the Youth Leadership Conference held at Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa.

    Odeyemi said the theme, ‘Empowering youths to overcome societal challenges’ was apt given the prevalence of the social vices among youths and the need to help them overcome.

    “At this stage, you are very vulnerable to manipulation, which can thwart your bright future. That is the essence of this conference. To teach you the way you should go,” he said.

    He counseled the pupils to take their studies seriously, shun negative influence and report same to the right authorities. He added that as leaders of tomorrow and their actions or inactions would bring positive or negative change to the society and they would have to face the consequences.

    Principal Deputy Registrar, Admissions, University of Lagos (UNILAG), Mrs Aderonke Asiwaju, a counsellor, advised the pupils to strive towards attaining excellence.

    She identified the rewards of attaining excellence to include: “feeling of accomplishment, applause, recognition, award, certification, good testimonial, good recommendations, good certificates, good jobs, among others.”

    Mrs Asiwaju added that to attain excellence, the pupils must desire to excel, be determined, be dedicated diligent, and set smart goals but shun peer pressure, poor academic performance, financial challenges, crime, poor time management, and shun distractions.

    She advised counselors to be kind to their pupils, so that they would not be afraid to approach them.

    She said: “Counselors don’t let your pupils be afraid of you. If you start carrying cane, they will be afraid and run away from you. You are supposed to draw them close, be the shoulder they can lean on and be there for them.”

    Other topics discussed at the conference include dignity in labour; say no to drug and sexual abuse; and etiquette, social values and culture.

    A pupil of Eva Adelaja Junior Girls Secondary School, Bariga, Lagos, Olamide Albert, said she learnt a lot from the conference.

    She said: “I have learnt to say no to drug abuse, cultism and sexual abuse. I now know that I can call 112 or 767 emergency lines when I have a problem. I am inspired to be excellent.”

  • Pupils talk sex education at debate

    It was a heated debate among participating schools at this year’s interschool’s debate organised by an educational consultancy organisation, Silverlining Concepts.

    It was interesting how much the teenagers already knew about sex from their research, peer group information and parents.

    The pupils argued for and against the topic: ‘Should sex education be taught in schools?’ at the event held in Ogba, Lagos State.

    The keynote speaker, Mrs Yetunde Adeshile, corrected the children’s misconceptions about sex education,  charging parents to set out time for sex discussions with their children, rather than shy away from the subject.

    Mrs Adeshile, who is Founder of Next Chosen Generation, said: “Sex education is very good for teenagers. It is different from biology. Nigerians don’t really talk about sex. Rather, what we do in school is biology. Biology teaches intercourse, not sex, which can simply spur the imagination of the youths and lead to immoral acts. Biology teachers are not responsible for sex education. The responsibility for sex education lies with the parents. Sex education is broad and no school has the time to go into it properly.”

    Sponsor of the event, Chief Oluomo Gbenga Owolabi said it was vital for parents to educate their children about sex.

    “Most of our young people are not responsible enough to make informed decision, so educating them about sex is really vital. It is your role as a parent to give your children the facts of life, which include sex. You are actually helping them to develop physically, mentally and emotionally. If you are really educating, you don’t have to instill fear, but nurture them through their daily activities. Let them know the consequences of doing things,” he said.

    He urged Federal Government to include sex education in the curriculum, saying: “The Federal Government should make sex education compulsory even in primary schools. Having different age groups and teaching them what they should know at different stages. The teachers have to be factual about the information and let the children know there is nothing to be ashamed of. If you approach these young ones with facts and the truth, the aim will be accomplished.”

    At the end, Early Heights College, Akute won the contest, Normal College, Ogba followed and Triple Cross College, Ogba placed third. Noble College, Ojodu, Berger was fourth.

     

  • Council donates uniforms to pupils

    No fewer than 300 primary school pupils of GidanTsara community in Bodinga Local Government Area of Sokoto State were have received uniforms from the council Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Tsara.

    He said the presentation was his contribution to boosting education in the state.

    “The uniforms will go a long way in augmenting the efforts of their parents,” Tsara said.

    “Similarly, the gesture would encourage more parents to enrol their children in schools.

    “This is absolutely imperative, as there is the need to shore up the enrolment, retention and completion of the pupils,” he added.

    Tsara promised to replicate same gesture across the council’s 11 wards.

    “My administration will continue to accord priority to education as it is the elixir for national development,” he added.

  • Excitement as pupils get NGOs’ largesse

    Two non-governmental organisations (NGO), Transform a Life Initiative (TAL) and Dreams from the Slum Initiative, have partnered to distribute exercise books and stationery to some pupils of Araromi Local Government Area, Lagos.

    The organisations said the gesture was part of their efforts to build capacity and enhance beneficiaries’ education standard.

    At the presentation of the items,  the spokesperson for TAL, Mrs Fisayo Dayo-Samuel, said the gesture was initiated to promote and give education opportunities to the less privileged and other young adults.

    She added that efforts would be intensified to ensure that more academically gifted but economically disadvantaged pupils continue to benefit from the largesse.

    She said: “We believe that there are very brilliant and vibrant pupils based in this community; but they are disadvantaged due to economic reasons. Our organisation sees that aside the payment of these pupils’ fees, there are other needs to be met by their parents and guardians. So we have come to meet some of those needs”.

    The Coordinator of Dreams from the Slum, Omoyele Isaac-Success, also said: “We  make the dreams of vulnerable children a reality by providing educational opportunities.’’

    One of the beneficiaries, a Primary Four pupil of Destiny Primary School, Yewande Obogun, hailed both organisations, thanking them for the kind gesture. She promised that the items given her would be judiciously used.

  • Be committed to your studies, pupils told

    JABU International School (JIS), an offshoot of Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji Arakeji, Osun State, has organised a three-day orientation for her new intakes for the 2016/2017 academic session.

    Speaking on the occasion, which was anchored by the Guidance and Counselling unit of the university, JABU Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sola Fajana, who was represented by the Director of Academic Planning, Prof. Noah Attah, challenged the pupils to be good ambassadors of the institution and make their studies a matter of priority.

    JABU Counselling Committee Chairman, Prof. Adetokunbo Adeola, who spoke on: ‘The effects of discipline on academics’ emphasised the need for pupils to embrace the virtues of commitment, discipline and perseverance in their pursuits.

    Head, Guidance and Counselling unit of the university, Dr. Cecilia Olaniyi, also charged pupils to learn how to quickly adjust to the new environment. He also advised them to develop strategies that would make them get to the peak of their studies.

    Earlier in his opening address, the highly-elated school Principal Pastor Kayode Olaniyi, expressed appreciation to God, management of the university and his deputy Mrs Eunice Adesoji for their support. He enumerated the successes achieved by the school since inception.

    Other themes of the event include: ‘You and your spiritual life; ‘Role of counselling in secondary education; ‘Impact of social life on education; ‘Healthy living, life in the hostel’; and ‘Campus-wide excursion’.

  • Excitement as pupils get NGOs’ largesse

    Two non-governmental organisations (NGO), Transform a Life Initiative (TAL) and Dreams from the Slum Initiative, have partnered to distribute exercise books and stationery to some pupils of Araromi Local Government Area, Lagos.

    The organisations said the gesture was part of its efforts to build capacity and enhance beneficiaries’ education standard.

    At the presentation of the items,  the spokesperson for TAL Mrs Fisayo Dayo-Samuel, said the gesture was initiated to promote and give education opportunities to the less privileged and other young adults.

    She added that efforts would be intensified to ensure that more academically gifted but economically disadvantaged pupils continue to benefit from the largesse.

    She said: “We believe that there are very brilliant and vibrant pupils based in this community; but they are disadvantaged due to economic reasons. Our organisation sees that aside the payment of these pupil fees, there are other needs to be met by their parents and guardians. So we have come to meet some of those needs”.

    The Coordinator of Dreams from the Slum, Omoyele Isaac-Success, also said:”We  make the dreams of vulnerable children a reality by providing educational opportunities.’’

    One of the beneficiaries, a Primary Four pupil of Destiny Primary School, Yewande Obogun, hailed both organisations, thanking them for the kind gesture. She promised that items given her would be judiciously used.

  • Firm launches contest for pupils

    The developer of the most- widely used school management software in Nigeria, Edalaf Brothers, has launched Edalaf Einsteins, a national science competition for pupils in primary and secondary schools.

    According to the firm’s Chief Executive Officer, Abiodun Falade, written examinations would be conducted nationwide to select the best pupils for the next stage.

    Thereafter, there would be a written exam in all geopolitical zones to select the best 20 pupils for the third stage, which according to him, would comprise practical exams that would produce 10 finalists that would participate in a live TV science quiz where winners would be picked.

    He added the competition, which is in primary and secondary school categories, would see the overall winner in the latter category going home with N1 million worth of scholarship.

    The first runner up would get  N500,000  while the second to fourth runners up would receive N100 000 worth of scholarship.

    For the primary school category, the overall winner would walk away with N500,000 scholarship; second position would get N200,000, while the third to fifth positions will get N100,000 scholarship.

  • Council donates uniforms to pupils

    No fewer than 300 primary school pupils of GidanTsara community in Bodinga Local Government Area of Sokoto State were on Sunday given uniforms by the council Chairman Alhaji Abdullahi Tsara.

    He said the presentation was  his contribution to boosting education in the state.

    “The uniforms will go a long way in augmenting the efforts of their parents,” Tsara said.

    “Similarly, the gesture would encourage more parents to enrol their children in schools.

    “This is absolutely imperative, as there is the need to shore up the enrolment, retention and completion of the pupils,” he added.

    Tsara promised to replicate same gesture across the council’s 11 wards.

    “My administration will continue to accord priority to education as it is the elixir to national development,” he added.