The Nation Newspaper

Tag: school

  • Furniture for Lagos school

    Furniture for Lagos school

    The Deputy Governor of Lagos State Dr Idiat Oluranti Adebule has urged the corporate organisations and all stakeholders to consider education as the best for investment in order to raise a generation of morally upright leaders for the country.

    She noted that if corporate organisations, stakeholders and well-meaning Nigerians are committed to uplifting the education sector, it will help in engendering the desired quality in education.

    Dr Adebule spoke at the inauguration and hand over of classroom furniture donated by District 9110, Rotary Club of Ikeja to Ikeja Senior High School.

    The event was not just for the inauguration of the furniture but also was a platform to raise funds among the members of the club for the development of community projects and induction of some members.

    She was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education Sina Odeyemi.

    While thanking the President of the Club, Mrs Olaitan Ojuroye, the Board of Directors and all members of the Club, the Deputy Governor said: “The gesture will go a long way in complementing the efforts of Lagos State Government in providing the best facilities needed to make teaching and learning more effective in the state’s schools.

    “The area you have chosen to support the state government is very important to enhance effective teaching and learning in the classrooms. With your donation, you have complemented efforts of government and help in bringing additional ones that make it more adequate for use in the school.”

    Mrs. Ojuroye said the gesture was aimed at contributing the club’s quota in helping and improving the standard of education in Lagos State.

    She said Rotary Club would continue to render quality service to humanity by impacting on people’s lives despite the country’s economic challenges, saying it is the main objective of Rotary Club and what defines the club internationally.

    She said: “The Club regularly visit the community leaders, schools and hospitals, interview and sample their opinions on what challenges they are experiencing. Out of those they enumerated, we pick one and solve at a time.

    Through this, Mrs Ojuroye said, the club had rescued citizens from environmental challenges, involved in screening and treatments of eye, hypertension, breast cancer, sugar/diabetics and malaria/typhoid ailments.

  • School gets new ICT Library

    Wahab Folawiyo Junior High School, Ikoyi, Lagos has joined the league of public schools whose libraries have been upgraded under the Project 350 initiative of the state government.

    The project, an initiative of the Office of the Special Adviser on Education, Lagos State Ministry of Education, seeks to upgrade libraries of public secondary schools in partnership with the private sector.

    The library upgraded in partnership with Huawei Technologies is equipped with 30 computers, set of furniture, solar-powered inverter, books and internet connectivity.

    Special Adviser on Education, Mr Obafela Bank-Olemoh, said the upgrade demonstrates the government’s commitment to expanding access to knowledge in the state.

    “The government is committed to education and our intervention is in three parts – digital library project, adopt a public library, and Project 350 – to ensure we give access to knowledge to all Lagosians. By the end of the year, we would have done over 60 school libraries. Before the end of the month, we are opening 20 school libraries funded by the Lagos State,” he said.

    Bank-Olemoh added that all upgraded school libraries would also serve as centres for its programming initiative tagged, Code Lagos, under which 250,000 secondary school pupils would be taught to code.

    Huawei Public Relations Manager, Fancy Feng, said the collaboration with the government on the project was a social investment on the firm’s part, which she promised would continue in the area of education.

    “Early in June, we had a discussion with the Lagos State government and had some agreement. As a responsible company, we see Nigeria not only from the ICT business perspective, but from the fields of education and health. We need to give back to the society,” she said.

    The school’s Principal, Mrs Dominca Uwakwe, described the facility as one of the best, adding that it would enhance learning.

    “I will like to make it loud and clear that we are going to make the best use of the library so as to improve the learning outcomes in our school,” she said.

     

  • Alumni seek summit to reposition Christ’s School

    The alumni association of Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti is seeking a stakeholders’summit to reposition the school to its place of excellence in academic performance.

    The members, who said a visit to the school, would show that things were not the way they once were, added that the summit became imperative to proffer solutions on how the school could regain its lead in education.

    The 88/93 set President, Dr Kayode Arogundade, spoke at a lecture entitled: “Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti: The evergreen memories of yesteryears, our supine attitude of today and the need to wake up from our slumber” during the homecoming of the 88/93 set and its fourth yearly scholarship award series.

    Arogundade said: “Those legacies, those catalysts often provided by old students, the spirited efforts of the ever-dedicated teachers, and the concentration of Christ’s School Alumni at making the school number one in Africa are all gone.”

    “We (alumni) have to wake from our slumber, pick the crumbs and shackles of the school and get more alert to our responsibilities,” he added. Arogundade, who said the school had produced distinguished individuals, lamented that all it had got from many of them were “failed promises, lips services and manipulation of the school for personal gain.”

    The occasion also featured presentation of scholarships tagged: ‘Chief Olusola Bayode yearly scholarship scheme’. Cash and relevant subjects textbooks were presented to six pupils. Textbooks were also donated to the school library.

    The set Chairman, Local Organising Committee of the Scholarship Scheme Dr Omolade Adeleke, said over the last four years, the set has committed about N1.8 million to the scholarship, named after their former principal, Chief Olusola Bayode.

    Adeleke said: “Again, we have incorporated into the scheme a monitoring programme to assess and monitor the academic and career progress of awardees. This is to enable us ascertain the extent to which their academic performances and general career achievements have been influenced since the award of scholarship.”

    Chief Bayode, who was being honoured by his former students, said the set demonstrated the need for old students to be part of the development of their former school.

    He advised pupils and recipients of the scholarships to be hardworking as well as take advantage of the set’s collaboration with the government to get the best for the school.

     

  • Shehu Sani hails school’s curriculum

    Shehu Sani hails school’s curriculum

    Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs Senator Shehu Sani has hailed Benson Idahosa University (BIU) for including practical skills and field trips in its curriculum. Giving the students local and international exposure, Sani said, would improve their knowledge of diplomacy and politics.

    He spoke during the visit of members of the BIU Young Diplomats Club to the National Assembly in Abuja.

    The students are of the Department of International Studies and Diplomacy.

    Sani said: “I am of the opinion that BIU is doing better than some of the so-called big universities from what I have seen. When students from other schools come here, I ask them questions and discover that many of them, who study International Studies and Diplomacy, have not gone out of the country.”

    Sani applauded the department for giving its students needed exposure, as he advised other universities to emulate BIU. He said the visits would help broaden students’ knowledge and intellect.

    Chairman of House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Hon. Nnena Ukeje, also met with the students, speaking extensively on changing nature of diplomatic relations. The lawmaker advised the students to use the opportunity to have practical experience on International Studies and Diplomacy.

    Hon. Akpatason Ohio Peter, representing Auchi Federal Constituency, supported the students with N50,000 and encouraged them to study hard.

    The Young Diplomats Club members observed proceedings in the National Assembly. At the House of Representatives, their presence was formally announced by Speaker Yakubu Dogara. The students left the National Assembly to visit embassies.

    The Young Diplomats Club was established to serve as a platform for career and academic training and exposure for students of International Studies and Diplomacy of the university.

  • Corps member donates books to school

    Corps member donates books to school

    To enhance the quality of education and promoting reading culture amongst students, a National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) member in Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Kingsley Amatanweze, has donated books worth N100,000 to a school in his host community.

    The books comprised science textbooks and novels, among others, were donated to pupils of Government Girl’s Secondary School in Makurdi in collaboration with Nigerian Breweries Plc.

    At a ceremony held to handover the books, the school principal, Mrs Scholastica Lyam, hailed the Corps member’s gesture, saying the books would aid the pupils’ learning.

    She said: “This young man has listened to the patriotic side of his heart and lifted humanity with this action by contributing immensely to the education of students in this school. May God bless him for this for this kind gesture.”

    The Vice Principal, Mrs Esther Ajuko, who praised the Corps member for his dedication and commitment to service of the country, enjoined the pupils to emulate him. “Kingsley has surprised us. The impact he is making is tremendously felt by everyone, because he has shown great commitment to his assignment. His spirit and energy during his stay here is worth emulating,” she said.

    She advised the pupils to read the books to show appreciation and remember the sacrifice the Corps member made in providing the books for them.

    Mrs Baba Ochankpa, who represented the Makurdi Zonal Inspector of NYSC, Dr Julie Ibu, applauded the Corps member for the initiative, urging the beneficiaries to cherish the books. She said the gesture would outlive the Corps member, because generation of pupils would read and benefit from the books.

    She said: “Kingsley has sown good seeds that will continue to germinate. It is the duty of the pupils to let the seeds grow by reading these books and acquire knowledge.”

    Kingsley, a CAMPUSLIFE reporter, said he felt the need to assist the pupils in getting access to quality books because of his passion for education. He said: “My passion for quality education prompted me to look into areas where the pupils who need good books have access to them to aid their learning. I have always noticed the pupils’ desire for quality books that would enable them to realise their goals and potential. I hope the books would enhance their learning and boost reading habits in the school.”

    Angela Onoja, the Head Girl, who spoke on behalf of the pupils, thanked the Corps member for the donation. Jennifer Kosu, SSS 1 pupil, excited about the books, saying: “The world would be a better place if young people contribute their quota to the development of the society they lived in.”

  • Concert boosts school’s CSR drive

    Despite the economic downturn, Mavizzion School, Magbon in Badagry, Lagos State, is getting a new classroom block thanks to Dansol Christian Mission (DCM), owners of Dansol Primary School and Dansol High School, Agidingbi.

    The project, which has reached lintel level but needs up to N25 million to be completed, got a boost through a fundraising and gala concert by Church Christian Network Choir in collaboration with DCM and the Parents/Teachers Association of the schools.

    The concert raised N1,235,500 from tickets sale (at N20,000 per table), would go towards completion of the project.

    During the event the guests were treated to soul-lifting music by the CCN Choir and a mass choir made up of pupils of the school.

    Mrs Adun Akinyemiju, President, DCM, said she was initially skeptical about agreeing to the concert considering the economic recession.  “I felt it would be insensitive,” she said. However, with the support of the choir director, Lanre Oyeneye, who offered all tickets sales for the project, and with parents contributing towards the project, she said she felt encouraged.

    Mrs Akinyemiju said Dansol decided to adopt Mavizzion when it realised that the school, located in a highly-economically deprived area with no public schools, was offering quality Christian education at almost no cost.

    However, because of the low fees the school charges, it cannot afford standard facilities, which DCM has stepped in to provide.

    She said the pupils of Dansol are encouraged to support the project by helping to raise funds and visiting the school to help with the construction work.

    “We have done quite a bit.  The children and friends of Dansol put something in regularly.  We need to teach our children to give. A school building is about life. It is where children are raised. The school is in a poor area and cannot raise funds from fees,” she said.

    Mrs Mary Ike, who runs Mavizzion Primary School with her husband, Jonathan, said the school started in 1999 after she was directed by God to leave her bank job to reach out to the less privileged.  She said the school charges N6,000 per term.

    “We started in 1999.  God trained me himself.  I was in my office in UBA when God told me to raise children for him,” she said.

    She said the new school building would really boost teaching and learning in the school.

    PTA Chairman of Dansol High School, Mrs Olubukola Ajoku, said parents decided to support the project after visiting the school.

    “A PTA representative went to the school and saw the dilapidated building they were using.  I told the woman that even me that attended a public primary school it was not as bad.  The school wasn’t well built; they made the chairs themselves.  We decided that if our children have this comfort here at Dansol, we should do it for others,” she said.

    CCN President, Oyeneye, said the choir got involved to help DCM complete the project.

    “What we saw when we visited was highly emotional.  When we were in school, it wasn’t this bad,” he said.

     

  • NGO renovates school library

    A non profit-making body, Christianah Foundation has urged pupils to imbibe reading culture.

    Its co-founder Abayomi Akinjide, spoke during the inauguration of the renovated  school library of Elekuro High School, Oke-Ogbere, Ibadan.

    The foundation donated prizes to indigent pupils in memory of Chief Elizabth Akinjide.

    He said the foundation was reviving reading attitude among youths.

    “What the Christianah Foundation is doing is to encourage book reading and writing and you cannot be writing without having people to read them. So, a lot of efforts are being made in that direction. Why we are doing this as a foundation is to sustain the legacy of our late grandmother, Mrs Elizabeth Akinjide, who, in her lifetime, showed a passion for education.

    “Parents need to encourage our students to read from childhood. The best gift parents can beget to their children is qualitative education. On our part, we shall ensure that we sustain this foundation to build future leaders and improve the standard of education in the state,” Akinjide added.

    Principal, Elekuro High School, Oke-Ogbere, Ibadan, Mr Kunle Lawal, who thanked the foundation for the gesture, identified poor reading culture as one of the major problems facing secondary school education.

    “This has made most youths academically poor, socially deficient, and morally unbalanced. In fact, most of them are more or less semi illiterates,” he lamented.

    Lawal was hopeful that the renovation of the library would help boost reading among beneficiaries.

     

  • How school clinched all N8.5m Cowbellpedia prizes

    How school clinched all N8.5m Cowbellpedia prizes

    By winning all six prizes available in the Cowbellpedia Mathematics Competition, The Ambassadors School, Ota in Ogun State has demonstrated that it is in a class of its own. Its Proprietor, Mr Samson Osewa, shares the secret with KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE

    The Ambassadors School, Ota in Ogun State achieved the unprecedented feat of clinching all N8.5million worth of prizes in the final of the 2016 Season Two Cowbellpedia Mathematics Quiz competition last week.

    The six representatives of the school won the top three prizes in the junior and senior secondary categories of the competition aired on television stations nationwide last Saturday.

    Ayooluwa Oguntade won the star prize of N1 million while Taiwo Adeyemi and Blessing Udoh got N750,000 and N500,000 for coming second and third. They edged out Adegoke Aromolaran of BiboOluwa Academy, Ilesa, Osun State; and Ademola Fatoke and Hassanah Adeyanju both of Ota Total Academy, Ota, Ogun State.

    It was an all girls affair in the junior category won by Juliet Ekoko, who was also rewarded with N1 million. Oreofe Daniel and Glory Okoli got N750,000 and N500,000.  They defeated Oluwafunmbi Fakorede of BiboOluwa Academy, Ilesa, Osun State; Dennis Balogun of Greater Tomorrow International College, Arigidi-Akoko, Ondo State; and Oluwatunmise Idowu of Scholars Universal Academy, Ota in the final.

    Ayooluwa, who hopes to become a car inventor, and Juliet, would also go on an education excursion outside Nigeria.

    Their teachers, Mr Kolawole Bello and Mr Iyanuoluwa Osewa got N400,000 each.

    The windfall did not stop for the winners and their teachers at competition level.  At school level, each of the six finalists got N200,000 – up from the N100,000 the school gives for such feat. Mr Bello was rewarded with N250,000 and full scholarship for his daughter’s senior secondary education in the school, while Mr Osewa got N300,000 and an all-expense paid trip to a destination of his choice.

    Ambassadors Proprietor, Mr Samson Osewa, credits the competition for helping the school put a system in place to improve the performance of its pupils in mathematics.

    Osewa said the school started its improvement strategy as far back as 2006 when its first representative to the Cowbell National Secondary School Mathematics Competition (NASSMAC) placed over 100th position in the first stage examination in Ogun State.

    The pharmacist-turned-educationist said putting regular training for mathematics in place and providing incentives for both teachers and pupils has had a ripple effect on the overall academic performance of the school in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the Cambridge IGCSE.

    “I want to tell you Ma, that this Cowbell played a significant role.  We can’t forget Cowbell in the school.  They helped us to focus – to do one thing or the other.  And we said if we can achieve in Cowbell, why can’t  we do same  in WASSCE, and Cambridge?” he said.

    Good performance in Mathematics in competition and public examinations starts from the selection of pupils into the school. Osewa said any candidate that scores below 70 per cent in the school’s entrance examination is made to resume one month before starting JSS1 for “Maths Only” classes.

    “One of the ways we also upgraded our maths is that for all the pupils that are coming to our school, if they score less than 70 per cent in Maths in the entrance exam, they come here for one month before we resume to do Maths Only – Maths from 9am-5pm, Monday-Saturday for four weeks.  They use two weeks to practice the maths of primary school; and two weeks to do what they will do in JSS1. And they cannot be the same again,” he said.

    Minimum pass mark for Mathematics (and English) in the school is 60 per cent.

    Any pupil that scores less spends the long holidays in school making up, said Iyanuoluwa Osewa, the proprietor’s son.

    “Usually, when the students write exams, students that don’t pass Maths (and English), even if they passed other subjects, they have to come back during the holidays and we have classes for them,” he said.

    Mr Samson Osewa also said Ambassadors School has 17 Mathematics teachers – and it is normal for more than one teacher to be in a class at once.

    “We have more than one teacher teaching a class.  In our senior classes, we have nothing less than three teachers teaching maths at the same time.  As one is teaching, one is marking what they are doing.  If you ask students to do assignment and you don’t mark it, they wont do again. We have to do a lot.

    “In SS3 we have four teachers in class.  Sometimes we split the class – we look at the weak ones so we can focus on them.  When we are preparing for WASSCE, we have a lot of segregations like that.  There are people who if you don’t really try, they will not get C6.  So, we want to try and convert them to C4 so that at worst they make C6.  We look at the ones who are working for Credit and see how we can convert them to B; We look at those working for B and find how to convert them to A1.  And we look at the A1, how do we get the highest mark?” said Osewa.

    Getting 100 per cent in Mathematics is the new challenge Osewa said Ambassadors is giving its pupils, and they are measuring up.  In the Cambridge IGCSE written earlier this year, he said three pupils scored 100 per cent – the best result in Africa.

    “Like in this Cambridge, we used to get 98, 99 per cent.  But we told these ones to get 100.  If you get 100, nobody can beat your record.  100 means you do everything right.  They worked hard and prayed hard.  Three of them got 100 per cent in Mathematics this year and they were the only three in Africa who got 100 per cent. The people from Britain had to come down over here to celebrate them,” he said.

    To prepare for Cowbellpedia, Osewa said the school has pupils in the Cowbell class in every set.  Preparation intensifies as the competition gets closer – with the pupils getting three hours of practice after school hours daily and during the holidays.

    But it is not enough to be good in Mathematics at Ambassadors.  Osewa said the pupils are challenged to do well in other subjects as well such that they become all-rounders.

    “We have an exam that we call King and Queen competition in all subjects every two weeks.  We do 30 minutes and One hour tests in all subjects.  Anybody that scores 85 percent over all is called the King or Queen.  You can’t be King/Queen if you pass some and fail woefully in others.   Those who are King and Queen are celebrated.  If they do it from term to term, they are given some money.  We carry them to supermarkets for shopping.

    “We use Cowbellpedia to develop the whole school.  Other schools choose the brilliant ones and train them.  Those students can even fail other subjects.  But our students here who do Cowbell and other competitions are the best in all subjects,” he said.

    In addition to regular training every term, teachers also get rewarded for good performance in their subjects in public examinations. They get N5,000 for each A1 in Mathematics and a little less for other subjects, while any teacher that records 100 per cent pass in a subject gets additional N25,000.

     

  • Navy opens school hostel built by NLNG

    The Nigerian Navy Secondary School, Akpabuyo, Calabar has been opened.

    It was built by LNG Limited (NLNG) as part of the company’s contribution to the development of education.

    The 320-capacity boys hostel, taken over by NLNG for completion last year at the cost of N45 million, was inaugurated by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas.

    Vice Admiral Ibas said: ‘’Our officers and the students thank NLNG for this kind gesture. I want to acknowledge that NLNG has been a great partner to the Navy in ensuring the provision of security in the maritime sector. This gesture further strengthens that partnership because there is no way the Navy and, indeed, the Federal Government can provide these infrastructure. Partners that care and think about Nigeria, especially our children, such as NLNG, deserve our commendation. The Navy will continue to appreciate NLNG’s contributions towards capacity building and assures you that this building will be utilised to create positive impact on students of this school.’’

    The General Manager, External Relations at NLNG, Kudo Eresia-Eke, said NLNG through this and other corporate social responsibility CSR) initiatives across the country has demonstrated its commitment to the advancement of education, which is the bedrock of any sustainable development in the society.

  • Community gets land for primary school

    Ifako Ijaiye Local Government Area has handed over two plots of land to 17 communities in Obawole area for the construction of a public primary school.

    Handing over the property to the community at a ceremony which held at the proposed site opposite Guinness Water Project on Ndike Street, Obawole, the council’s Sole Administrator Babatunde I.Q. Raj-Label said with it, primary education has been brought closer to the doorsteps of residents of Obawole community.

    Raj-Label, who noted that providing a school for residents of the community has been dear to successive administration in the council, described his administration as lucky to have achieved the feat.

    He said though the council would have done more by handing over a fully built school to the community, such could not be done because of paucity of funds.

    He urged the communities to make judicious use of the property and build a befitting school which children of residents of the area would be proud of.

    “We are, through this project, achieving a long-term dream because we have chosen to protect the lives of our young ones and save the future of generations yet unborn by putting a school within the community,” Raj-Label said.

    He said despite its economic advantages, the council decided to let go of the property for a school for the future of the children of all residents rather than for housing or any other commercial purposes.

    He thanked residents of the 17 communities that made up Obawole community for their perseverance and understanding, adding that they have continued to support his government.

    He said the council’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) has increased by over 400 per cent, while his administration has resumed the construction of the permanent secretariat, which, when completed, would improve service delivery within the council.

    Earlier, a leader of the community Pastor Samuel Opajobi said the 17 communities are happy that finally the local government is acceding to their request to provide a primary school for children of residents of the area.

    Opajobi, who said the closest primary school to Obawole is five kilometres away, revealed that children are usually exposed to accidents and other afflictions while some have died in their quest to receive education.

    Though the community would have loved to have the school built by the council, it nonetheless would not hesitate to pull resources to build the structure.

    The Chairman Community Development Committee (CDC), Chief Ashimiyu Onifade praised the Sole Administrator for making the community’s dream of building school for children of residents realised