The Nation Newspaper

Tag: school

  • School opens new complex

    Artwool Schools has opened a new multipurpose complex in the Lekki Phase 1 area of Lagos State.

    Speaking at the inauguration of the complex, the Chairman of the governing council of the school, Bayo Olugbemi, said the need to mould children in a better environment informed the new facility.

    He said: “This is a multipurpose complex that has all it takes to impact knowledge on pupils; hence, we are encouraging parents to bring their children for purposeful learning and good upbringing.”

    The school’s Executive Director, Taiwo Adetunji, said: “Our directors love children with passion and this was responsible for the decision to make sure our pupils enjoy a better learning environment.”

     

  • School explains why SS3 pupils were sent away

    School explains why SS3 pupils were sent away

    Despite a heavy downpour last Saturday, the management of the Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC), Yaba, parents, representatives of old students and other stakeholders gathered to discuss what led to the eviction of SS3 pupils from the hostel penultimate week.

    The issue had generated concern among parents, some of whom had accused the school’s management of ‘highhandedness’ and ‘wickedeness’ in not allowing the SS3 students to complete the ongoing NECO Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) before de-boarding them.

    They complained about the inconvenience of transporting their wards to and from school in a city like Lagos without prior warning.

    But the principal, Rev Chris Ugorji, said parents and other relevant authorities were previously informed of plans to send all SS3 pupils in the boarding house back to their homes because they were becoming increasingly unruly as they neared the end of their stay in the school.

    He said it was to maintain discipline and prevent damage to school property that the management took the decision.

    “We followed due process.  The parents were informed two weeks ahead of time about what is happening. Many of them did not even attend that meeting. And so we are not wicked. We did not chase them (pupils) away to the streets. We still love these students.

    “But some of them fly shirts with impunity, destroying the very fabric on which we want the school to stand. So we are appealing to parents, both for ss3 parents and even parents of year 2, ss2, up to jss1. We love the children,” he said.

    Vice Principal, Academics (Science, Senior School), Mr Gbolahan Oladoyinbo; Vice Principal, Student Affairs, Mrs Ann Ajisafe; Senior Boarding House Mistress, Mrs Augusta Eke, and Assistant Senior Boarding House Master, Bonaventure Ezeonye, took turns to elaborate on the situation in the school before the pupils were sent away Monday last week.

    Mr Oladoyinbo said the decision to send pupils that flout school rules away was first taken at a PTA meeting of June 6.

    Mrs Ajisafe said contrary to claims that the children were pushed out, parents were called to pick them.

    On their parts, Mrs Eke and Mr Ezeonye chronicled the naughty acts of the pupils before they were sent home, including their refusal to study.

    “We do not hate them at all. I have exhibits of handsets seized from girls in the hostels. They put the handsets inside their thighs so in the night, I won’t sleep, I would be at alert. Even the security gets to see these handsets. We do not know who they are calling,” Mrs Eke said.

    Defending the school, Mrs Rita Attah, Deputy Director, Federal Inspectorate of Education, Lagos, said the principal did no wrong.

    “We set the standard, so nobody from the Federal Ministry of Education, or even any member of staff here would look the other way when students are trying to be unruly and trying to put the school in disarray. What the principal and the staff did was the right thing. They followed the right procedure. They communicated to the headquarters in Abuja. They went further to inform the PTA, SBMC and all the stakeholders of education. So principal, because you followed the right procedure, we are with you,” she said.

    Chairman of the school’s PTA, Mrs Oby Igwillo, urged parents to do more to train their wards properly, saying the problem was a result of a gap in training from the home.

    “If the children would continue to be unruly like we have heard, in one way or the other, some might inflict injuries on others. Some might set bad examples for the younger ones. And for parents, it is not just (enough to) bring our children to school, leaving them in the hands of teachers to take care of them. I believe as parents, we have a lot to do in the grooming, inculcating the right morals and values in our children and I know that in any school, when you pass out, you are supposed to be proud of your alma mater,” she said.

    Stressing what Mrs Igwillo said further, President of the FSTC Old Students’ Association, Chief Adebayo Adeeko, added: “For the parents that are here, let us learn. This school is not meant for just anybody. We want to be proud of this college.”

  • A school only in name

    A school only in name

    It lacks facilities of a good school, Oguola Junior and Senior Secondary School in Benin, the Edo State capital, is a school only in name. Its staffroom is under a tree; while 1,260 pupils are crammed into six classrooms, reports OSAGIE OTABOR.

    It was in the news for the wrong reasons few weeks ago. Fourteen of its pupils were arrested for alleged involvement in cultism. The nation  was shocked – junior secondary school pupils in cultism! Their release after police investigation has doused tension that Oguola Junior and Senior Secondary School in Benin City, the Edo State capital, is not a breeding ground for cultists.

    The police said the pupils  unknowingly bought emblems and paraphernalia of some cult groups.

    A visit to the school revealed why the pupils may find it difficult to sit and learn in the classrooms. The school, in Ihinmwin quarters of Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of the state, is the only government-owned secondary school in the locality.

    There are no signposts to identify the school though it has a fence.  However, the gate is broken, and there are no security men.

    The Junior school arm is a block of six classrooms serving 1,260 pupils.

    The other two dilapidated blocks  serve as the senior secondary school and it has about 1,000 pupils.

    For a facility that serves 525 per cent above the UNESCO-recommended class size of 40, it is is no surprise that many of the pupils stand outside the junior school’s classrooms to learn.  It means that for every pupil in class, about five others are outside by the window frame learning.

    If it were to meet the standard, the junior school would need about 31 classrooms to comfortably accommodate the pupils.

    The junior school has no toilets.  A small plantain farm serves as toilet for the pupils and their teachers.

    The teachers also do not have a staffroom. What serves as office for the 21 teachers and others doing their industrial attachment is a tree in front of the school building. It is the only tree in the compound. Whenever it rains, the teachers relocate to the verandah of the building.

    A little cubicle between two classrooms is the principal’s rather bare office. It boasts of a table, two old chairs and a small shelf. Curtains and fans are luxuries the school cannot afford.  Like the classrooms, part of the ceiling is bad.

    One of the reasons the office is bare is because of the thieves. The principal, Mr Ufumwen Bello Ozemwogie, said books supplied by the Edo State Universal Basic Education Board as well as registers and other documents were stolen, forcing him to relocate the remaining to his own home pending when the security improves.

    He also said he had reported the sad situation of the school to the concerned authority but no result had been achieved. He said the workers were demoralized but tried to put in their best for the students.

    He said: “We don’t have a staff room. This is the only way to make ourselves comfortable. The little room we have cannot contain us. Those teachers who stay under the fan cannot be compared to us here under the tree.

    “Our books are being stolen by hoodlums. They would break the ceiling so I have to take some books to my house.

    “Since I came here, officials of the state government came twice and I showed them available land for more buildings. If you come here during dry season it is horrible because everywhere is dusty. We don’t have toilets and you can see the whole place.

    “The students are eager to learn. They still struggle to perform very well. All we need is support and assistance by erecting more buildings for us.”

    Despite its poor state, Ozemwogie said the school is still oversubscribed because it is the only one in the locality.

    “Last year, all the primary schools around here posted 720 pupils into JSS 1; and there was no way I could reject them.  I had to manage to admit 420,” he said.

    A teacher who pleaded anonymity blamed the Ihinmwin community elders for the poor state of the school.

    The teacher said when the principal and other top officials visited the community head, they were allegedly driven away when the elders discovered that they were not there to discuss about land.

    He said: “The community is not showing concern. They are supposed to cry out because their children are in this school. We went to the Palace of the Enogie but we were not allowed in because we did not go there to discuss about land development,” he said.

    The situation at the Oguola Senior Secondary School seems to be more pathetic.  The two buildings in use are dilapidated.  One has four classrooms, while the other has two.  It was learnt that four different classes are forced to learn in one classroom.  The senior school pupil-population is 416.6 per cent above the UNESCO recommendation.

    Unlike the junior school, its 15 teachers work in an unkempt and tight staff room. It was a classroom that was converted to a staff room but it cannot accommodate all 15 teachers.  The floor is uneven, and the ceiling boards are broken.  There are no curtains.

    Two cubicles serve as the office of the Principal and the Vice Principal. The principal’s office has also been bugled several times through the ceiling or window.

    A room which serves as laboratory for all science subjects is practically empty; and there is no library.

    A teacher who pleaded anonymity said the administration of late Prof Ambrose Alli in the 80s had started to erect an additional building for the school but it was abandoned at the foundation stage.

    The senior school at least has toilets – three pit latrines for pupils and teachers.

    There are no windows in all the classes, including the principal’s office and the staff room.

    Teachers in the school refused to comment but a senior member of staff described their situation as difficult and unbearable.

    The teacher said: “In modern school, we talk about water system but we use pit toilet here which is not acceptable to UNESCO. The students are learning under a difficult atmosphere. Most things are not in place. When it is raining, the students cannot stay in the classes.

    “We have shortage of manpower. The teachers are not enough. There are almost 1,000 students in this school”

    But for the intervention of the Parents Teachers Association in providing furniture for one of the classrooms, the teacher said the situation would have been worse.

    The source lamented that teachers spend personal resources to keep the school going and has been ignored by the government.

    “It is a porous situation we are in. We made arrangement with the local vigilante to provide security and we pay them with our money just to keep the system going. Things are really difficult here.

    “The authorities know about our situation here. We have complained before but nothing was done. There has been no government attention in this place since the administration of late Ambrose Alli. We have only one laboratory for Agriculture, Chemistry and other science subjects. There is no good laboratory here,” he said.

    Some pupils who spoke with The Nation urged government to renovate their school and give them additional buildings.

    When our reporter visited the palace of the community head, he was not in. However, his aides promised to call our reporter when he returned. This promise was not fulfilled before this report was completed.

     

  • Group donates chairs to school

    Group donates chairs to school

    •The pupils of Oriendu Community Primary School
    •The pupils of Oriendu Community Primary School

    It was singing and dancing time for pupils, teachers and members of Oriendu community of Umuahia North Local Government Area of Abia State as the members of National Association of Seadogs (NAS) visited to donate school chairs.

    The members of NAS had visited the school late November last year to conduct their yearly de-worming of the pupils in various schools in the state and while going round the school, they noticed that the pupils were sitting on bare floor of the classrooms while receiving lessons.

    While handing over 40 sets of the school chairs to the school authorities, the state chairman of NAS, Kingsley Emeruwa, said when they saw the pupils sitting on the floor to study, they felt that it was a sorry sight.

    Emeruwa said the association then decided to provide 100 school chairs for the school; which the headmistress of the school Mrs. Nancy Eluwa never believed.

    He said the era when pupils sit on the floor or under trees to receive lessons are over, except when the teacher wants the pupils to have a feel of nature or as punishment.

    The Abia NAS boss said their organisation is a charitable one without any help from anybody or organisation, stressing that they fund the organisation from their personal pockets.

    Emeruwa said after de-worming the pupils, they had asked the Headmistress what their immediate needs. Replying, she said the school lacks chairs to enable them to study on a good atmosphere.

    He said: “She told us that they needed at least 20 sets of chairs for the pupils, but we are going to provide 100 chairs. For now, we are giving the school 40 chairs, while the 60 remaining ones will come later.”

    Mr. Emeruwa urged the teachers and pupils to make good use of the chairs, saying that it will help them to learn better to be good citizens of the state and country. He stressed that they are coming to complement the efforts of the state government, “As government cannot do it alone”.

    Responding, the traditional ruler of the area, Eze Philip Ajomiwe said the people are overwhelmed by NAS’ gesture, stressing that it will serve as leverage to the school and its pupils.

    Eze Ajomiwe said with the chairs from NAS, the pupils, who had been sitting on the floor to learn will no longer sit on the floor to learn. He prayed God to bless the association for their gesture.

    Receiving the chairs, the immediate past Headmistress of the school, who had just retired, Mrs Eluwa said when NAS made the promise, she never believed them, even as she said that she was surprised to hear them call her to receive the chairs.

    Eluwa said she quickly told them that she had retired.

    “But they insisted that since I was the Headmistress in charge of the school when the pledge was made, it will be an honour for her to receive the chairs”.

    Also speaking, the current Headmistress of the school, Mrs Ngozi Samuel said she

    was grateful to be the Headmistress that will receive the school chairs donated by NAS barely a month after she assumed duty.

    At Isieke Motherless Babies’ Home, NAS donated various items that included four cartons of indomie noodles, a carton of sugar, a carton of biscuits and a carton of toilet rolls, among other items.

    Presenting the materials, Emeruwa said: “We decided to visit the Home with the belief that the gesture will go a long way in ensuring that the wonderful works the handlers are doing at the Home will be enhanced.”

    Emeruwa further said the aim was to uplift the lives of the babies. He urged the handlers to accept the little they have brought for the upkeep of the babies in the Home.

    Receiving the items, an aspirant to sisterhood, Chidera Ndubisi thanked them and prayed God to bless and replenish their pockets.

     

  • Running a school in a rural setting is stressful

    Running a school in a rural setting is stressful

    Following the completion of a hostel by Haven of Light Schools, Edo State to accommodate junior secondary school (JSS) pupils, its proprietor, Mrs Irene Okoene, told ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA about the school’s humble beginning as well as efforts that went into the new multi-million naira facility. 

    Could you go down memory lane on how the school started?

    Haven of Light Schools (HLS) commenced academic activities on September 15, 2008 with just six pupils in Nursery 1, 2 and Primary 1. For the next three years, the number slowly increased to 28. The secondary school section started on September 23 last year.  It might interest you to know that today we have a total of 162 pupils across nursery and primary sections and eight in JSS1 who are products of the nursery/primary section.

    What inspired the boarding school idea?

    With the success of the primary section, parents had requested that we consolidate by starting a secondary school which they expect their kids could continue, especially with respect to the culture of discipline which HLS stands for. We then decided that if we were going to start a secondary school, it is going to be a boarding school. In this way, we would be able to monitor our students, thus eliminating cult and other harmful activities. Day students are more difficult to manage because once they are off the school premises, you have no control over their movements and activities.

    What are the challenges you encountered while putting up the project and much has gone into it?

    Running a school in a rural setting has been very stressful. There were times in the past when I felt like just ‘throwing in the trowel’. So far, huge amounts of money have been invested in building this school, yet we are still building. Half of the time we had to get skilled workers from out of town – like Benin, Lagos, Abuja – both construction workers and teaching staff who could help bring our vision into reality. The classroom block, a three-storey building and two bungalows have been completed.

    Also completed are the administrative buildings for the primary and secondary sections, buildings housing the cyber café and computer room, another for the Art and Home Economics rooms, and the lawn tennis court. There is a three-bedroom structure to house the Principal, as well as two-bedroom apartments each for the Vice Principal and and the accountant. Nearing completion are seperate two-storey buildings for the boys and girls hostels. Each can comfortably accommodate 150 students.

    The school has its own water borehole, a 200 KVA transformer, two stand-by generators, solar powered security lightening, and trained security guards. The street on which the school is located has been reconstructed by the proprietor.

    What stands you out as exceptional?

    HLS pupils sat for the first school leaving certificate examination and passed with merits. Since the inception of this school, no child has either failed or died, not even those under the care of their parents or guardians. We are a praying family.

    What is next after the project?

    We want to start the Senior Secondary School arm for which a site has been acquired and construction work will commence in the near future. It is our wish that other like-minded individuals or organisations who are interested in the development of the rural areas, will partner with us in this cause. We also have plan – in the short to long term  – to partner with foreign higher institutions to facilitate the admission of HLS graduands into institutions abroad.

    What is the vision of the school and where are you hoping to be in the next 10 years?

    Our focus right now is to produce future stars, students of enviable honesty and integrity, who can compete fearlessly with other students from other internationally-acclaimed schools. In a society where a lot of children are becoming morally bankrupt, we aim to produce real princes and princesses, who are intelligent, beautiful (morally and spiritually), and a blessing to our country, Nigeria; students we will be proud to identify with long after they have left this school.

  • School of interior design coming

    The Interior Design Association of Nigeria (IDAN) has partnered the University of Lagos (UNILAG) to float a certificate programme in Interior Design.

    The programme, which will come under the platform of UNILAG Consult, is aimed at giving a face to the interior design industry, ridding it of quacks and giving practitioners a sense of belonging.

    IDAN  President Titi Ogufere said this at a briefing announcing the group’s  annual Gida Uno Ile Exhibition (Guide) billed to hold simultaneously in Lagos and Abuja.

    Ogufere said IDAN, which was established seven years ago, is also a member of the International Federation of Interior Architect/Designers (IFI).

    She said the exhibition is the third in the series with the theme: ‘Design for All’

    “This year’s event would witness an exciting twist from the previous ones.

    “It is designed with a concept of fragment locations across the country.

    “Exhibition will take place in different participating showrooms of registered members of IDAN simultaneously.”

  • No plans to stop school feeding programme, says Aregbesola

    No plans to stop school feeding programme, says Aregbesola

    The Osun State governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has said there are no plans to stop the Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme called O MEALS.

    Describing media reports on the stoppage as false, Aregbesola said none of the policies that have brought laurels to the state would be stopped.

    Aregbesola said this in a statement by the Director, Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Office of the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon.

    “OMEALs has been one of our most socially impactful programmes. How can a responsible government like ours think of reviewing a programme that has been adjudged as one of the best to come out of the best in the country? Does that not stand logic on its head?

    “We have been able to improve our state’s economy through the school feeding of over 250 thousand elementary pupils every school day. The programme has directly employed 3,007 women and over tens of thousands of farmers in the state.

    “Osun is attracting local and international attention for implementing an initiative that has not only increased enrolment in its primary schools, but has also provided employment opportunities for farmers, majority of whom are women.”

    The governor emphasised that the programme has impacted positively on school enrolment with an increase of 38,000 pupils, representing 25 per cent in four weeks of its introduction.

    He added that enrolment of pupils increased from 155,318 on May 31 2012 to 194,253 by June 30 and December of the same year, government decided to extend the programme to cover pupils in primaries 1 to 4 bringing the total number of pupils being fed to over 252,000.

    He also denied setting up a nine-member committee to review the school feeding programme.

    The statement, however, noted that labour unions in the state had suggested that the state should seek alternative sources of revenues because of the current national revenue crisis.  It added that it could not have been interpreted as a plan to stop the scheme.

    Aregbesola had been lauded at an event at the British House of Commons for implementing the school meals programme across the state.

    Aregbesola averred that with Nigeria focusing on a school feeding programme that will boost local food production, create empolyment boost enrollment and thereby enhance learning, the scheme has come to stay.

     

  • Work for school, students, committee told

    The Provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical) in Umunze, Anambra State, Prof Josephat  Ogbuagu, has urged the Students’ Union Government (SUG) caretaker committee to work for the students’ and the college’s sake. He told the committee members to be committed to their studies, since that is their primary aim on the campus.

    The Provost said their appointment was based on their track record of discipline, diligence and academic excellence, promising that the college would provide enabling environment for them to function.

    Prof Ogbuagu urged them to uphold the legacy of the past leaders, whom he said never disrupted the college’s academic calendar. “Do not succumb to pressure to do wrong or compromise standards. Abide by the college’s rules and regulations and avoid corrupt tendencies. The ball is now in your court, do it well,” he advised.

    He said, it was better to resolve issues through dialogue, urging them to discharge their duties with decorum. He urged them to lead by example and shun cultism,and acts that could set students against  management.

    The Dean, Students’ Affairs Division, Mrs C.U. Okafor, urged the committee members to follow the union’s constitution in the discharge of their duties. She charged them to maintain peace in the college.

    In his valedictory speech, the outgoing SUG President, Charles Anya, thanked the management for its support in building unionism on the campus. He urged the authorities to support the committee in managing the affairs of students.

    Responding on behalf of the committee, Raphael Ezeonyedika, its chairman, promised that student’s welfare would be the committee’s priority.  He pledged to work with students to uplift the union and the school.

    The highpoint was the administration of oath on members of the committee.

  • Firm excites community, renovates school building

    Firm excites community, renovates school building

    Nobody would have thought the Many cynics had written off the edifice saying it was not worth the efforts. As at the time Unity Dolls gave  Salvation Army Nursery and Primary School,  a new look, all hope had been lost.

    Fortunately, the makers of  Unity Girl Dolls, Auldon Limited, came to the rescue, there was a turn around for the institution and the Agunfoye community in Ikorodu, Lagos where the institution is sited, is the beneficiary.

    Though the community is the beneficiary of this good gesture, the brains behind the project were also upbeat as they succeeded in putting smiles on the faces of the children of this institution.

    In line with its vision to acculturate children, unite  Nigerians and deliver social change, Unity Girl dolls, Nigeria’s first theme  dolls has  overhauled a  dilapidated school in Ikorodu, the first in a long line of  CSR initiatives which will cut across the six geopolitical  zones of the country.

       The Auldon Limited, known for its commitment to education  and youth empowerment, through its Unity Dolls initiative,  singled out the school not only to give it a facelift, but also to contribute its quota to the quality of education  that pupils will enjoy on its grounds.

    While speaking to journalists on the sidelines during the  school’s reopening, Paul Orajiaka, Chief Executive Officer  Auldon Limited, said: “Our next project would now be in the  north; from there we’ll move to the other geopolitical zones  of the country.

    “All the process demands is  that we notify the State Universal Basic Education Board

     (SUBEB) about the idea and then we’ll get the go-ahead to  proceed.”

    He said  Unity Dolls is very unwavering about its promise to support the growth of education through social works and that is why a portion of the sales proceeds on each doll is  set aside to actualize this cause. “Without a doubt, investing in the future of the Nigerian Child is key to  ensuring a better society and by extension greater Nigeria  for the good of all.

    Orajiaka said the body decided to to embark on the initiative because it is highly essential to developing   children with the needed skill that will see them excel,  through the provision of a conducive environment for learning knowing fully well that the nation’s destiny undoubtedly lies in their hands..

     In driving the project, Auldon Limited turned to  unconventional sources which saw the company also employ the services of Muri Olaniyi, 31 and other street urchins without professional construction skills, in a bid to keep  them gainfully engaged: “Most street urchins have skills, they probably don’t have the opportunity to use these skills  because they are branded as touts. But if you draw them close, you’ll discover they are actually very wonderful human beings. Muri and his colleagues made this project a reality alongside a team of other professionals who worked on the project.”

    Auldon limited through the Unity Girls project, is  currently planning to break new grounds with a new set of  innovative dolls as the company is in the process of  manufacturing a fresh set of dolls that will go beyond Nigeria  to embrace the whole of Africa. “This range of dolls will be called Unity Girl Africa. Already we’ve gotten strong level  acceptance in the Nigerian market, so we’re now moving on to  other frontiers, designing another set that will cut across  the whole of Africa. At the moment, Auldon has gotten the  licence for that from a leading supermarket chain with  branches across the continent,” he disclosed.

     The packaged Dolls, which will likely be launched  soon,  will spur the public to action as it concerns influencing a  more tolerant society united in diversity.

    Also speaking during the school opening, the Head Teacher of  Lagos, Salvation Army Nursery and Primary School, Mrs. Ogunyemi Olusola, who was visibly elated, thanked Auldon and  Unity Girl for its support and remarkable face lift which she  said will without a doubt create a better atmosphere for the  pupils to learn and actualize their dreams.

    According to Mrs. Olusola, if other companies toe this line, education will indeed leapfrog to greater heights from the  poor state it currently is in.

  • JPDC donates to school for visually impaired

    The Justice, Development and Peace Commission of St. Anthony Parish Surulere last week donated items worth millions to the Pacelli School for the Blind and Partially Sighted Children Home in Lagos.

    Some of the items include clothes, toiletries, food stuff and shoes.

    The children at the home welcomed the guests with dancing and singing, thanking God for identifying with their needs.

    The principal of the school, Rev Sister Miriam Okon, explained that the 53-year-old school is solely funded by the Catholic Church.

    Public-spirited Lagosians as well as corporate organisations, she added, also offer donations and charities to the school with close to 1,000 students.

    Okon explained that the school is not just about formal education as some of the inmates that are not educationally endowed are taught vocational stuff like crafts making, weaving, sewing and cloth making.