The Nation Newspaper

Tag: school

  • ‘We should be in school, not home’

    ‘We should be in school, not home’

    Last Monday, students of the Federal Polytechnic in Offa (OFFA POLY), Kwara State disrupted traffic on the Offa-Erin Ile Expressway, protesting the continued closure of their institution because of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) strike. AFEEZ ADEYEMO and JENNIFER UMEH (ND II Mass Communication) report.

    •Students protest teachers’ strike

    When will polytechnics re-open? This was the question students of the Federal Polytechnic in Offa (Offa Poly), Kwara State have sought an answer to.

    Aggrieved by the school’s continued closure and disruption of their studies, the students thronged the campus last Monday to protest what they called “government insensitivity” their plight.

    They said suspension of their academic pursuit was making their life meaningless, threatening to disrupt activities in government offices and ministries if the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) strike is not called off. They described ASUP members as “selfish unionists”.

    Travellers were stranded for hours, as the placards-carrying demonstrators disrupted traffic on the Offa-Erin Ile Expressway.

    Some of the inscriptions on their placards read: “Students are not smiling”, “Resumption is a must”, “We are forgetting what we are being taught” and “We want to be on campus, not home” among others.

    After a four-month strike, ASUP declared indefinite action last October, following the government’s alleged failure to implement the 2009 agreement signed by both parties. The polytechnic teachers are demanding adequate funding of technological education, improved infrastructure and equality of polytechnics’ Higher National Diploma and universities’ Bachelor’s degree, among others.

    The protesters, who converged on the institution’s main gate, told the management to opt out of the strike and re-open the campus. They said they could not afford to remain idle because of the consequence to their future.

    The presence of riot policemen and officers of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) did not stop the students from making their grievances known to passersby. They barricaded the school entrance, preventing workers from entering.

    Addressing the protesters, Festus Adedeji, president of the Students’ Union Government (SUG), said the striking lecturers and the government were using the strike to torture students physically and psychologically.

    He said all efforts by the National Association of Polytechnic Students (NAPS) to bring both sides to the negotiating table failed because none agreed to discuss until there is “a level of compromise”.

    Quoting the Supervising Minister of Education, Nyesom Wike, who said the government had met 80 per cent of the ASUP demands, Festus said the Prof Chibuzor Asomugha-led ASUP was inconsiderate by saying it would not return to work until the union’s demands were met.

    Festus said the students’ union had liaised with the management and the local chapter of ASUP to back out of the action in students’ interest, but the request was not granted.

     

    He said: “Several efforts have been made to make the school resume, but it appears our future is nothing to be compared with the personal interest of members of management and our lecturers. We have tried to cooperate with both local ASUP and management to find a way to adopt a system that would make students return to campus as was done at the Federal Polytechnic in Ilaro (ILARO POLY) and the Federal Polytechnic in Ado-Ekiti (ADO POLY), but all our pleas and ideas were turned down.

    “Our personality and rights have been totally infringed on. It appears polytechnics’ students are no more in existence. This is why we decided to gather today in order to let the world know the difficulties we have been encountering since ASUP declared strike. We can no longer tolerate closure of our school after a bloody communal crisis between Offa and Erin-Ile, which sent us on one month compulsory vacation, the ASUP is compounding our woes with its indefinite strike.”

    If the school is not re-opened immediately, the protesters said they would consider all means to make things unbearable for management and the government. Festus urged the students to be peaceful in their conduct, saying their agitation would be fruitful.

    As the demonstration was becoming intense, the Deputy Rector (Academics), Mr B.O. Saliu and Dean of Students’ Affairs (DSA) Mr Leonard Adeyemi moved to the scene to plead with the students, urging them to remain calm and pray for timely resolution of the disagreement.

    The duo assured the protesters that the national executive of the ASUP was working to end the strike.

    Some of the aggrieved students, who spoke with our correspondents, said they could no longer remain idle at home, describing the ASUP strike as “abnormal situation”, which must be tackled with “abnormal approach”.

    Olaitan Kasali, an ND 1 Science Laboratory Technology student, said students had been pushed to the wall, a situation that resulted to the demonstration. “We have been looking forward to this type of action since the commencement of strike. I am tired of being idle at home, while my peers in other schools are studying. Why should we be made to suffer for other people’s interest? There has to be an end to the strike now, or let my school back out of it.”

    Students are not happy with the prolonged strike, Hammed Adegbenle, an ND II Business Administration student said, adding that the obstruction of traffic was an indication that students were not happy with their lecturers’ action.

    Tolulope Ojo, an HND II Accountancy student, said landlords were exploiting the situation to extort money from students. He said: “My landlord has been disturbing him to pay the rent, but where will I get the money from? My parents have stopped giving me money because my mates are now serving. Where am I today?” he queried.

    Ahmed Olayinka, an ND II student of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, said the students’ union should dialogue with the management and local chapter of ASUP so as not to complicate matters. He said: “I am not totally in tune with the idea of protest because no war is won in the battle field. Dialogue has always been a powerful weapon. We have to know that education is in a critical state in Nigeria, but we should not compound the situation with baseless protest. We have to constructively engage the lecturers and the government to resolve the crisis.”

    At the time of this report, CAMPUSLIFE gathered that the local ASUP was meeting on whether to return to work or not. Our correspondents learnt that the lecturers’ union agreed to convene a congress, after which a resumption date may be announced.

     

     

  • School rewards pupils

    The pupils of Al-Wasi Secondary School, Mushin in Lagos State, have been rewarded for their outstanding academic performances and moral behaviours in the last academic session.

    They received the various prizes and awards at the fifth Prize-Giving of the school held on its premises.

    The Guest Speaker and National Public Relations Officer, League of Muslim Schools Proprietors (LEAMSP), Mr AbdulFatai AbdulRaheem in his keynote address titled: The best legacy, described education as the best legacy, said education is not complete until a child has moral, physical, western and religious education.

    AbdulRaheem, who noted that western education has brought a lot of civilisation to the society, urged the pupils to be focused and determined to make positive impact in the society through their knowledge.

    “The students should always look at what is in front of them. They should focus on what they are going to achieve tomorrow. Students should not have education for reading alone but to make landmark in the world by imparting in the society,” he said.

    Earlier, the Acting Principal of the school, Mr. Wasiu Taiwo, said the school has recorded many academic achievements in the last few years.

    He said the aim of the school is to build great future leaders, advising them to be dedicated to their studies and prepare well for their future.

    “To our esteemed students, the future is for the serious-minded and focused ones. Please be more dedicated to your studies. You must build yourselves for tomorrow. The challenges ahead of you are higher than the ones we faced during our time. Our SS3 students must work hard to perform well in their coming SSCE examinations,” he said.

    The best overall pupil, Sulaiman Hikmat, expressed her happiness and promised to improve on her performance.

    “I am happy. I strongly believe with prayer and dedication, one can make it. I believe I still need to read more and improve on my academic performance,” she said.

     

  • Parents donate classroom to OAU school

    Any institution that wants to develop must have a rethink and source for funds, Prof Bamitale Omole, Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, has said.

    He spoke during the inauguration of a four-classroom block built by the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) of the OAU Staff School.

    Saying that the project underscored his vision for the 46-year-old school, the VC noted that an organisation must introduce new ideas to maintain progress.

    He said: “When I came to lay the foundation for this project, the environment was bushy and when I was told that the project had started, I was surprised. The university never contributed a dime to the building.”

    Prof Omole described the project as a 21st Century building, urging affluent individuals to emulate the gesture. He thanked the PTA, staff, teachers and pupils of the school for their cooperation, urging them to make good use of the edifice.

    The PTA Chairman, Dr Bamidele Amujoyegbe, said the group initially thought it would not be able to complete the project because of financial constraint. “We had to source for funds before we could complete this building,” he said.

    The building project cost N10, 591, 965.

  • School owners can save education, says expert

    AN appeal has been made to school owners to ensure that pupils under their tutelage are giving qualitative education in order to save the dwindling education standard in the country.

    Proprietress of Anchor Springfield Montessori Schools, Itele, Mrs. Toyin Adamolekun, who made the appeal, said the poor quality of education in the country should be a cause for worry to all, noting that no country can grow without placing premium in nurturing its future generations.

    She argued that with the lackadaisical attitude of government to education, the buck of educating pupils has been placed on private school owners, who must rise above the desire to make profit to give the best to the pupils.

    “It bothers me on a daily basis the rate at which the education standard in the country is dwindling. It was never like this in the past. Government has neglected education for long and we are all witnesses to the result of such act through the heinous acts being perpetrated by the younger generation. It is disturbing that many young people prefer to engage in one activity or the other rather than concentrate on education. The country cannot continue in this path,” she said.

    She said though quality education is expensive school owners must not be clouded by the desire to make more money but view their schools as platforms to impact the society positively.

    “If school owners are after making money like other entrepreneurs, it will be almost impossible for majority of Nigerians to send their children to school. And that is why I am also appealing to other school owners to borrow a leaf from us at Anchor Springfield, where we make qualitative education in a conducive environment accessible and affordable for all,” she said.

    She pointed out that the school has established a college due to the demand of parents, who said it was difficult for them to locate qualitative secondary schools for their children who graduated from Anchor Springfield Nursery and Primary school. She said the college will be able to ensure that students are well prepared for varsity education.

    She enjoined parents to defy the odds and ensure their children get qualitative education because it is the solid foundation for the future of the children. She stressed that parents cannot afford to fail in performing their duties as they are stewards and will give account on the children in the future.

    “The children are the future crown of their parents and nurturing them today should be a task for all of us. If parents, school authorities and the government work together, we can help build a prosperous future for our children. It is a task that we cannot afford to fail because the consequences will be grievous loss to the country,” she said.

  • School shines at challenge

    Vine International School, Port Harcourt has emerged winner of the Olashore International School’s Inter-Primary School challenge for primary schools in River State.

    This is the second time the school is winning the competition which is in its second edition.

    The pupils competed in brain challenges that involved mathematics, puzzles, scrabble and science.

    Addressing participants at the event, the Principal, Olashore International School, Iloko-Ijesa, Osun State, Mr Derek Smith, charged the pupils to work together in order to succeed.

    He advised them to take the challenges seriously, saying it was an opportunity for them to apply the skills they had learnt in school and outside the classroom.

    Smith also said the competition would continue to accommodate more schools in future.

    He added that unlike in the last edition, where winners emerged from each region, this edition, which coincided with the 20th anniversary of the school, would have winners from each region meet for a grand final in Osun State in May, where only one winner would emerge as national champion.

    He explained that the event was aimed at providing an opportunity for pupils to test their skills against their colleagues from other schools in a range of problem-solving challenges.

    “At Olashore, we believe that children’s ability to apply the knowledge gained in the classroom to a range of challenges is one of the things that allow our graduates to be successful once they leave the school and as such, we are here to encourage children to begin to develop these talents at an early stage,” he added.

    Expressing excitement after winning the competition, a pupil of Vine International School, Emmanuella Braide who spoke on behalf of her team mates said, “The competition was fair and we are not surprised we won the competition because we prepared really hard for it”.

    Another pupil, Betsy Ugolo of Bluebell Montessori School said, “The event was fun for my team, being our first time”.

    Mr. Noah Ade, a teacher at The Vine International School described the challenge as “an excellent medium for developing children skills, logical reasoning and mental strength.”

     

  • Prince William goes to school

    Prince William goes to school

    Ostensibly worried that a 2:1 Master’s degree in Geography, a three-year career as a helicopter pilot and a great deal of gap year foreign travel might not quite equip him for running the 130,000 acres of land spread across 23 counties that make up the Duchy of Cornwall, Prince William is going back to college.

    Almost three centuries after his ancestor, George III, was nicknamed Farmer George and mocked for his interest in agricultural improvement and his herd of pedigree sheep, William, second in line to the throne and heir to the Duchy, will be heading for Cambridge University next week to become a full-time student of Agricultural Management.

    Although he will have up to 20 hours of lectures, seminars and tutorials a week, on top of essays and field trips, it will be a long way from the years he spent at St Andrews, becoming the best-educated royal in generations. The course, specially designed for him at the Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership, where his father is patron, will last for just 10 weeks.

    Will he be burdened with a student loan? A spokesman at Kensington Palace said the cost of the course would be met privately, adding that Prince William was greatly looking forward to commence the programme.

    The course, which does not lead to a formal qualification, is specifically designed to help him with running his estates, but will also take in wider agricultural issues.

    “The executive education programme of seminars, lectures and meetings will draw on the strengths of academics across the university,” the spokesman said, adding: “It will start in early January and run until mid-March, and has been designed to help provide the duke with an understanding of contemporary issues affecting agricultural business and rural communities in the United Kingdom.”

    Despite the busy lecture schedule he may face at resumption, it was learnt that William will still carry out a number of royal engagements.

    The prince, whose mother Diana famously described herself as “thick as a plank” and left school at 16 after failing her O-levels, studied at St Andrews – where he met his future wife, Kate Middleton – from 2001 to 2005. He left St Andrews with a 2:1 Master’s in Geography. His father was the first heir to the throne to obtain a university degree, but only managed a 2:2 from Cambridge.

    After university, Prince William completed 44 weeks of military training at Camberley in Sussex, and was commissioned as an army officer in 2006. He received his Royal Air Force (RAF) Wings in 2008, but left the service and his home on Anglesey in September, after completing his tour as Flight Lieutenant Wales, a search and rescue helicopter pilot. He is described by the palace as having “a transitional year” before deciding his next public service role.

  • School wins Aregbesola quiz trophy

    School wins Aregbesola quiz trophy

    Tower Gate Secondary School, Ipaja, Lagos has won the Rauf Aregbesola Annual Secondary School Quiz Competition with 45points.

    The competition was organised by the Alimosho zone of the National Council of Muslim Youths Organisation (NACOMYO) in honour of the Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

    The school, which also won the semi final of the competition, was rewarded with a trophy and a LED TV set.

    Jooda Abdulfatai , Labour Prefect and Moyinoluwa Amoo, Time Keeper, who were representing their school for the first time, said the victory was team work. They thanked their teachers for mentoring them.

    Alimosho Grammar School, Alimosho came second with 37points while Taoheed College was third with 34 points. They were also rewarded with LED television of various sizes.

    Other participating pupils got dictionaries as consolation prizes, while their schools were presented with standing fans.

    Sixty public and private schools within the zone participated in the competition regardless of their religious affiliations. Twenty-three of them qualified from the preliminary stage of the contest. Only 12 schools qualified for the final.

    They were tested in English, Mathematics, the sciences, and other subjects.

    The coordinator of group, Bello Hussein, said the competition was part of the organisation’s objectives to recognise the significance of education in Islam and to contribute to the educational growth in the country.

    Dr Saheed Timehin, Senior Lecturer, Department of Modern and European Languages, Lagos State University (LASU), advised the students to always be optimistic about the future and strive hard to earn a successful life.

     

  • School owners hold party

    The end-of-the-year banquet of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) held in Lagos could have been mistaken for a wedding.

    The Ostra Hall, Alausa, venue of the event, was filled with private school owners dressed in gay coloured aso-ebi for the relaxing time.

    Entertainment supplied by a live band moved them to rock on their seats and gradually move to the dance floor when the invitation was thrown open.

    Though it was not a forum for long speeches, the event provided a platform to assess the education terrain in the year gone by and what changes to expect in the New Year.

    NAPPS President, Lagos Chapter, Chief Yomi Otubela, said the association is involved in a committee set up by the Lagos State government to look into the plans to enforce a uniformed calendar and curriculum policy.

    The climax of the event was the presentation of awards to the best three NAPPS chapters within Lagos. Agege came first, while Ifako-Ijaiye and Oshodi/Isolo were runners-up. They were rewarded for their strong financial commitment, attendance at events, and participation in the NAPPS cooperative.

    In interview with The Nation, many of the school owners expressed satisfaction about how the NAPPS leadership has fostered unity among members.

    Mr Olayinka Hassan, who owns De-Ideal Private School, Epe, said there are many beneficial programmes aimed at helping proprietors to improve their schools.

    However, the proprietors seek greater recognition and support from the government.

    Proprietress of Joyceville College, Badore Road, Ajah, Mrs Chioma Ogunka, urged the government to include private schools when distributing teaching aids.

    “The government should carry private schools along when giving aids and grants because we are also training Nigerians. We are actually creating jobs and helping the government to take away miscreants from the roads. In my school we have above 43 members of staff who would have been on the street,” she said.

    Hassan added that international aid sent by donor agencies should not be enjoyed by public schools alone.

    He said: “We are not benefiting from foreign aid. The government should give us small so we don’t have to depend on loans all the time. If they can subsidise our staff salaries – even if just by one per cent – it would go a long way.”

     

  • Can we now go back to school?

    Can we now go back to school?

    After months of negotiating and dialoguing, the curtain was drawn on the face-off between the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). The statement signaling the end of six-month strike by the ASUU came last week after a marathon National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union in the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT MINNA) in Niger State.

    Many students foresaw the end to the ASUU’s industrial action, when the conditions tabled down by the union were reportedly met by the government – an evidence of payment of lecturers earned allowances, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) duly signed by reputable individuals.

    With a great sense of optimism, I had high hopes that without further delay, the strike should be called off. Admittedly, I must say I heaved a sigh of relief when the government and lecturers’ representatives signed the MoU to end the strike, although it took a number of days before the declaration was made. Interestingly, the anticipated solution to the crisis that has rocked the boat of Nigerian varsities for about six months has arrived, even though it came later than expected. But it is good to arrived late than never. Strike hurts, no matter the duration. Since 1999 till date, academic activities in Nigerian universities have been repeatedly shut down because of lecturers’ demand. Always, students bear the brunt.but then, the lecturers went on strike to improve the quality and values of our education.

    I recall being told stories about the “good old days” of the Nigerian education system. Tales of how students were sent to universities on government scholarships, how these same students could afford to travel abroad for vacations due to the loans they received from the government and how students could go for vacation jobs even as undergraduates.

    In the good old days, the education system maintained a high level of standards and devoid of all known unwholesome practices we see today. The question I have always asked is: “Where did we get it all wrong? What happened to the dreams of our founding fathers that prioritised investment in education during their administrations? Is it that the leaders of our new republic do not believe that any society desirous of positive change of any kind, needs to channel a great deal of time, energy and resources towards the education of its children and youth, usually acclaimed as the driving force for this change?

    If formal education is seen worldwide as the best way to bridge the developmental gap between the Third World countries and the developed world, Nigerian government should then wake up to the challenge of educating their citizens to become drivers of a prosperous economy.

    Nigeria need not have a dwindling education sector, considering the foundation laid by the founding fathers of the First Republic.

    Now, the strike is over. Can students now go back to the ivory towers and conclude their respective semesters without any form of disruption? Can we now go back to school, without the fear of future strikes? Shall we now have an upgrade in the standards of our laboratories and libraries? These are begging questions. But again, there would never be an end to this questioning spree as far as our government is only good at making promises and agreements which at the end of the day would not be fulfilled. Perhaps, the union would not have resorted to industrial actions if the government had fulfilled its part of the bargain.

    Some universities have released their reviewed academic calendars which will have students back to school in the New Year. I fervently pray that in years to come, students will not suffer the same fate as that of the just concluded 25-week old ASUU strike.

    •Tolulope, 400-Level Urban and Regional Planning, FUT MINNA

     

  • School donates equipment to LASUTH

    School donates equipment to LASUTH

    With the new Vital Signs Monitor donated by Taqwa Private Schools, Lagos, the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) can save more lives.

    The school presented the medical equipment to the hospital as part of activities to commemorate its Founders’ day.

    Underscoring the value of the equipment, the Assistant Director of LASUTH’s Nursing Services, Mrs Modupe Sode said it can monitor vital signs such as blood pressure, pulse, temperature and others in life-threatening situations like childbirth complications, head injury, burns and others.

    She said the hospital needs more of such equipment.

    Speaking before the presentation, the Proprietress, Taqwa Private Schools, Alhaja Maryam Alimi said the gesture was to support the government’s efforts to cater for the health needs of the citizens.

    “With the high level of poverty among the citizenry and the dwindling resources available to the government, it has become obvious that government alone cannot provide all the needed social services. It is in realisation of this that Taqwa Private Schools decided to donate this life-saving equipment (Vital Signs Monitor) to LASUTH for use in her intensive care unit (ICU),” she said.

    While handing the equipment over to LASUTH’s management, Chairman of the school’s Governing Board, Alhaji Lere Alimi, urged other public-spirited individuals and corporate bodies to render their assistance in providing quality healthcare delivery to the citizenry.

    LASUTH Board Chairman, Dr Olatunde Williams, lauded the school, and appealed to like-minds to emulate them.

    Before now, Mrs Alimi said the school has undertaken various projects to ensure people get the best of treatment always.

    “Just like we provide a very quality education at Taqwa, we believe LASUTH also provides a high quality health care and that is why we have chosen here for this donation. It is a collective duty for us all to help humanity and we urge people to always take time to visit hospitals, motherless babies home and prisons to learn how to help others and appreciate God’s favours,” she said.