The Nation Newspaper

Tag: pupils

  • Leadership lessons for pupils

    Catch them young’ is a phrase that seems to mean a lot to Children and Youth Awareness Development (CYAD) Foundation. It organised a programme called Children and Youth Democratic Electoral Model (CYDEM) for children, aiming to teach them the rudiments of leadership and parliamentary processes.

    Founding President of CYAD, Mrs. Temilola Odetola spoke at the event whose target audience was pupils of Primark International Academy Abuja.

    At the event, the pupils participated actively in the election of their prefects in a manner that reflected the electoral process in the larger society.

    Odetola said, “CYDEM is a programme that is initiated to give voter education from the cradle. It is one created to inculcate democratic virtues in our children. It also aims to help children have parliamentary consciousness from childhood. The programme was approved and started in 2009, and is well represented in 20 states of the country.

    “We hope that this programme will lead to the death of voter apathy in the nearest future. This programme is in line with what the government approved – the ‘not too young to run’ bill; which has now become a law.

    “Our intention is to prepare the children to give better leadership to their own generation. The idea is that once these children attain youthful ages, they can begin to cause generational change in their various constituencies either as councilors, senators or even governors.”

    Concerning the level of acceptance and challenges the organisation faces, Odetola explained that the acceptance is so high that their major challenge is in both human and financial capacity to expand the programme across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. Although, INEC approved and supported the programme with a sum of six million Naira in the year 2009, however, the  organisation is yet to receive further support from any other government agencies and ministries.

    “We implore the government to come in and look into the CYDEM project and assist us. We can have it institutionalized in such a way that it helps to not only educate the children about  electoral values, but also inculcate leadership, moral and ethical values in our children.

    “We also set up children parliaments within the school. We teach them parliamentary activities and how to take parliamentary decisions that will affect their fellow pupils positively.

    “We hope that CYDEM plus will be sponsored and accepted by the government; we can call it Junior INEC, to prepare the children for the ‘not too young to run’ law. This way we can even provide employment for thousands of youths,” she said.

    One of the parents present at the program, Mr. Jolaiya Taiye Moses, said that: “It is a welcome development which will make the (political) orientation of our children faster than we think. With the rate of their education and exposure, by the time these children find themselves in

    higher institutions of learning, they will make politics easier.”

     

  • Soyinka hails Northern teachers, pupils for fighting for education

    •Lagos wins Lafarge Literacy Competition

    NOBEL laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has lauded teachers and pupils from northern states for fighting for education despite challenges they face.

    Soyinka, who spoke in a keynote address at the grand finale of the Lafarge National Literacy Competition (LNLC) held at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos  yesterday, said he was glad seeing pupils from some northern states in the finals of the competition.

    He urged the teachers to keep doing their best to educate children in their care, calling for support from other parts of the country.

    Soyinka said: “I was so delighted as I moved up here and I saw representatives of the beleaguered states in this nation.  I saw Nasarawa; I saw Gombe and I saw Kano. These states and others, including Kaduna and Benue, are at the forefront of the literacy struggle because they confront one of the most determined enemies of reading; of literacy; of enlightenment that we have ever experienced in this nation.  And it is a battle, which is still ongoing.  And when I see representatives, especially young representatives of those states in a kind of event that has to do with literature, literacy, education generally, I say to myself the battle not only is not lost but will be won.

    “The teachers especially are at the forefront of this battle. I understand the losses which they have made as teachers watching their pupils being taken away yet continuing in this struggle, one feels rejuvenated. I plead with you to continue despite all the odds and to take this message back that you are not alone in this struggle – that we understand that the privation is also ours.”

    Soyinka was also full of praise for Dike Chukwumerije, who spoke earlier for doing justice to the benefits of reading – even referring to him as the keynote speaker.

    Chukwumerije presented a recitation in which he described how through books, he started travelling the world from age 13.  He challenged pupils to read so they could learn.

    He also expressed concern that the high number of children out-of-school would mean that millions would not enjoy his own experience.

    “Ah! And where have I not gone?  See, I know that the earth is round, because I read it; that water boils at a hundred degrees centigrade; that an elephant can be pregnant for almost two years; that an ant can carry up to 50 times its own weight… For to read is to take a seat on the only plane in the world on which you can visit anywhere without needing a visa.

    “Did you know that in a world where access to knowledge is increasingly determined by the ability to read and understand what you have read, half of our people are locked out of this world?” he said.

    The literacy competition, which the Lafarge Country Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Michel Puchercos, said was started in 2014 and had impacted 500,000 pupils, featured creative writing, literary assessment and a spelling bee, which was decided yesterday.

    Teams of two pupils represented Gombe, Ebonyi, Kano, Nasarawa, Rivers and Lagos in the final that was won by Idowu Ayomikun of Dairy Farm Nursery and Primary School and Kehinde Lawal of St Augustine Primary School, Somolu.  They each got N250,000 educational grants and a trophy.

    Second placed Ebonyi State team got N150,000 each. The third placed team from Gombe State got N100,000.

    All 12 finalists were rewarded with laptops.

    Minister of State for Education Prof. Anthony Anwukah hailed Lafarge for bridging the gap between rural and urban centres through the competition.

    “The Federal Ministry of Education is happy to endorse and work with Lafarge on this journey to enhance literacy development in public primary school pupils as well as reduce illiteracy in Nigeria,” he said.

     

     

     

  • Pupils develop ‘Made in Ikeja Mobile Games’

    A software development company, Softwareshop Pty Ltd., on Friday said that 16 pupils on a three-month free software development training had to develop computer games and apps for their usage on Android phones.

    The Chief Executive Officer of the organisation, Mr Austin Agbakor, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos.

    Agbakor said that the 16 pupils were those who had taken advantage of the three-month free training on software by the Computer Village hub (Cvhub), a subsidiary of the softwareshop.

    According to him, the pupils have started designing some games applications which is tagged “Made in Ikeja Games”.

    He said that such an effort by the children would boost their knowledge on Information Communication Technology and make them economically independent.

    Agbakor said the three-month free training for pupils was an effort to meet the target of training 100,000 Nigerians in partnership with Codefest Nigeria, that promotes idea meeting technology to create a unique product for enterprise and community.

    It is a hackathon event, a software coding and application contest where students come together and use technology to transform ideas into reality.

    NAN reports that Cvhub had on Aug. 6, commenced a three-month free training for children on software development, coding, Robotics and so on.

    NAN also reports that at the launch of the Cvhub in Lagos on Aug. 3, Agbakor had said that the training was also to give back to the society.

    According to him, training children well on software development, and providing the right environment will boost Nigeria’s production of software in line with international standards.

    “CVhub starts free training on Aug. 6 at the heart of ICT market in Nigeria,’’ he said.

    He expressed the hope that the beneficiaries would acquire relevant skills at the training.

    “CVhub will make products that can be tagged `made in Ikeja’ during this training through children,” Agbakor said.

    He urged the three tiers of government to invest in capacity building, especially in technology for improved economy.

    A software developer at Codefest Nigeria, Mr Victor Morgan, said that CVhub was looking forward to excelling.

    “CVhub is looking forward to doing great things; we are looking at ideas that are disruptive among the kids. CVhub trains kids to be lords of themselves,” he said.

    He, however, advised that children who have yet to be registered to take advantage of the five days “Games Boot Camp’’ that would commence on Aug. 27 to Sept. 1.

    NAN reports that CVhub, the venue of the training offers training in coding and cloud among others.

  • School fetes pupils at honours’ day

    The 2018 Honours Day programme of the City of Knowledge Academy (CKA) Ijebu Ode was not the regular prize giving ceremony for outstanding pupils and teachers.

    It was specially organized to feature a theatre performance on the theme: “The Rights of a Child”.

    The Terra Kulture, Victoria Island was therefore a fitting venue for the programme which featured various dance  dramas and folk songs of some of the ethnic groups in Nigeria.

    The colourful event was graced by several dignitaries including Mrs Abimbola Fashola, wife of the Minster of Works, Power and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, and Mr Adebola Wiliams, CEO of Red Africa, who was the guest speaker.

    In his address, Williams shared how he started his career as a teenager to encourage the pupils that they were not too young to dream and act on their dreams.

    “Youth is a gift that you must maximize.  It is a gift to find purpose and start making impact early in life.  Life is in three phases – morning, afternoon and evening. This is your morning time.  The morning is the best time – the time to capture all you need.  You can take lie easy until the age of 25.  After 25, you are not as risk taking, playful and free to do anything and fail and try again as you were.  In your evening time, you have seen everything.

    “When I was a teenager, I would have lunch with my afternoon and dinner with my evening.  I spent my time with older people.  I had in my morning time, the benefit of foresight so I could make decisions others at my age couldn’t,” he said.

    Williams urged them to pay the price for greatness; never stop dreaming, thinking, and believing in themselves.

    In her speech, the Head of School, Ms. Abiola Lamikanra said the five-year old school grooms its pupils to solve problems on their own.

    The colourful programme featured presentation of prizes to outstanding pupils, including Omasirichi Tasie Amadi, who had the highest Grade Point Average.  Others were: Sanaa Akindele (best in Science and Technology and ICT), Aple Uwaifor, best in Art/Design/Creativity, and Ebunoluwa Bella (best in Music, Dance and Performance). Many other pupils and teachers were rewarded at the event.

     

  • 108 pupils in Cowbellpedia second stage

    One hundred and eighteen of 41,735 secondary school pupils who sat for the qualifying examination of the Cowbellpedia Mathematics TV Quiz Show are to feature in the second stage (TV Quiz stage) of the competition.

    The pupils have to demonstrate accuracy and speed in solving mathematics questions in two rounds of the competition sponsored by Promasidor Nigeria Ltd.

    The second stage, which is in a quiz format, will take the candidates through the preliminary, semi-final and final rounds for 13 weekly episodes to be aired on major television stations across the country including DSTv.

    The 108 qualifiers will compete in the junior secondary and senior secondary categories.

    In the qualifying examination, three pupils from two schools Favour Okarike and Benny Sampson, both of Graceland International School, Port Harcourt, Rivers State; and Chiedozie  Okezie Uzochukwu of Nigerian Tulip International College, Abuja, achieved perfect scores in the junior category.

    The Managing Director of Promasidor Nigeria Limited, Mr Anders Einarsson explained that the company had demonstrated its commitment to the project by doubling the prize money for the winners and their teachers this year as part of the 20th anniversary marking the mutually beneficial relationship between Cowbell and Mathematics.

    The ultimate winner in each of the categories will be rewarded with N2 million each plus an all-expense paid educational excursion outside the country, while the first and second runners-up will receive N1.5 million and N1 million.

    In each category, the teacher of the top prize winner will win N500,000, while those of the first and second runners-up will receive N400,000 and N300,000 respectively.

     

     

  • US holds drone tech workshop for women, pupils

    The United States Consulate- General, Lagos, held a two-day drone technology workshop for students and women STEM leaders in collaboration with Baltimore-based Global Air Media.

    The training, which held at the Cedar STEM & Entrepreneurship Hub, and American Corner at Co-Creation Hub (CCHUB), both in Yaba, Lagos, saw a team of three drone experts led by Global Air Media co-founder Eno Umoh facilitating the series of workshops.

    Thirty elementary and high school pupils were coached on the basics of building a drone from the scratch, as well as the requisite skills for piloting and landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

    In addition to the seminar which the pupils participated in, 13 women STEM leaders were mentored on the evolving technology needs of the 21st century, particularly in the fields of real estate and construction, cinematography, as well as humanitarian and emergency response.

    Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Consulate Lagos, Ms. Darcy Zotter, explained that the hands-on workshop was designed to stimulate the interest of the participating students in math and science, as well as careers in the STEM fields.

    “STEM enables us to find solutions to some of the most pressing issues of today such as alternative energy or even food security. Creating inventions to solve global challenges can be a catalyst for a country’s economic development,” Zotter said.

    According to her, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria has funded a number of projects to increase STEM education in different parts of the country.  Whether at home or abroad, she added, promoting STEM education is a top priority of the U.S. government.

    “Last March, we hosted a 16-member delegation of senior women technology executives and professionals from Silicon Valley, California. The visiting delegation held a mentoring program for over 70 Nigerian female STEM leaders.

    “In December 2017, we funded the establishment of a technology hub in Lagos designed to host training and mentoring sessions for persons living with disabilities in various technology-based skills. We also hosted RoboRAVE, a robotics education program in Lagos and Abeokuta in October 2017,” she explained.

  • US holds drone tech workshop for women, pupils

    The United States Consulate- General, Lagos, held a two-day drone technology workshop for students and women STEM leaders in collaboration with Baltimore-based Global Air Media.

    The training, which held at the Cedar STEM & Entrepreneurship Hub, and American Corner at Co-Creation Hub (CCHUB), both in Yaba, Lagos, saw a team of three drone experts led by Global Air Media co-founder Eno Umoh facilitating the series of workshops.

    Thirty elementary and high school pupils were coached on the basics of building a drone from the scratch, as well as the requisite skills for piloting and landing an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

    In addition to the seminar which the pupils participated in, 13 women STEM leaders were mentored on the evolving technology needs of the 21st century, particularly in the fields of real estate and construction, cinematography, as well as humanitarian and emergency response.

    Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Consulate Lagos, Ms. Darcy Zotter, explained that the hands-on workshop was designed to stimulate the interest of the participating students in math and science, as well as careers in the STEM fields.

    “STEM enables us to find solutions to some of the most pressing issues of today such as alternative energy or even food security. Creating inventions to solve global challenges can be a catalyst for a country’s economic development,” Zotter said.

    According to her, the U.S. Mission in Nigeria has funded a number of projects to increase STEM education in different parts of the country.  Whether at home or abroad, she added, promoting STEM education is a top priority of the U.S. government.

    “Last March, we hosted a 16-member delegation of senior women technology executives and professionals from Silicon Valley, California. The visiting delegation held a mentoring program for over 70 Nigerian female STEM leaders.

    “In December 2017, we funded the establishment of a technology hub in Lagos designed to host training and mentoring sessions for persons living with disabilities in various technology-based skills. We also hosted RoboRAVE, a robotics education program in Lagos and Abeokuta in October 2017,” she explained.

     

  • Tablets for pupils in Ikoyi, Obalende

    Ikoyi-Obalende Local Council Development Area (LCDA) of Lagos State has distributed tablets to pupils.

    The devices, the council Chairman, Fuad Atanda-Lawal, said were in fulfilment of his promise to give the pupils solid academic background.

    The gesture, he said, was in partnership with Softcom Limited.

    Education, he said, had shifted to personalised learning.

    “The benefits of mobile devices as teaching tools mean they are becoming a common part of the educational experience in classrooms, from primary schools to tertiary institutions. We want to take advantage of this growing trend to improve our children’s access to accurate information and build a future of well-educated individuals. We are glad to have a partner in Softcom Limited, who understands the challenges and are keen to provide solutions,” he said.

    The initiatives, Atanda Lawal said, would solve the problem of illiteracy and semi-literacy.

    Softcom’s Chief Executive Officer Yomi Adedeji said: “Aside from the primary to secondary school syllabus on the devices, we have built the tablet to also include other content like leadership, business, and communication guides we believe will contribute towards the holistic education of the students from a young age.

    “We are happy to be to play a role in providing these children with the tools to succeed in education, and in life in general. We share in the local government’s passion to empower these kids, and hope this is a partnership that extends for many more years to come.”

  • Pupils wear traditional attire to school

    Ibadan residents were excited yesterday, as pupils in public and private schools wore traditional attire to celebrate the World Culture Day.

    The event, which many described as novel, saw the pupils dressed gorgeously in traditional clothes portraying their ethnic groups.

    From 6:45 am, pupils started to turn out in Buba and Iro with Gele for the Yoruba. Other ethnic groups, such as the Igbo, Hausa, Tiv, Fulani, Urhobo, Efik, and Ijaw wore their traditional clothes.

    Pupils were happy that they could wear their native clothes to school.

    An SS2 pupil of St. Annes School, Molete, Ibadan, who gave her name as Tolani, thanked the government for the approval to wear traditional clothes to school, “to appreciate our culture.”

    Parents hailed the government for helping the young ones to appreciate their culture.

    Governor Abiola Ajimobi, last Wednesday, said pupils in private and public schools, as well as workers should wear traditional attire on May 21 to mark the World Culture Day.

    Information, Culture and Tourism Commissioner Mr. Toye Arulogun said in a statement that “it is the collective responsibility of all to promote our cultural norms, heritage and values, in order to change the paradigm of culture being seen as inferior, primitive, irrelevant and something to be transformed.”

    He said the day was set aside by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) to celebrate and promote culture.

  • Pupils excel in drawing competition in FCT

    Pupils from different schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) at the weekend excelled in a drawing competition organised by the Korean Cultural Centre in Abuja.

    Director of the centre, Mr. Han Sungrae, at the presentation of the awards in Abuja, said 30 schools participated in the drawing competition and 150 artworks were collected from which 20 artworks by the students were rewarded by the centre.

    This year’s competition had “Peace and Conflict Resolution” as its theme.

    He said: “This competition debuted in 2010 to mark the establishment of Korea Cultural Centre in Nigeria as well as 30 years of diplomatic ties between Korea and Nigeria. This year’s competition is themed Peace and Conflict Resolution. As you all know, peace is returning around the Korean Peninsula.

    “We recognise how important peace is that is why we have encouraged these young ones to bear out their minds on what they envision peace to be. In doing so, they have expressed their imaginations, creativity, inventiveness, innovation and cultural awareness.

    “Therefore the essence of this drawing competition is to help children benefit from the positive effects that drawing could have on children especially at the formative age as well as to strengthen our diplomatic relations and mutual understanding.

    In his remarks, Director, FCT Universal Basic Education Board, Adamu Noma, said said the centre has a burning zeal to continue to promote bilateral relations between Nigeria and South Korea.

    “And this was clearly shown in the theme of this year’s competition. We cannot underestimate the role of mutual understanding in the economic and social development of any country, cultural integration and understanding as an integral component of international relations.