Pupils from seven secondary schools in Lagos State got real-life demonstration of the application of Information Communication Technology (ICT) to daily life when they visited Systems Specs and Interswitch Ltd.
The visits were facilitated by the Career Development Network (CDNET), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) under its Career Development Programme tagged: “The Discover Work Taster Programme (DWTP)”.
Three schools, Igbobi College, Igbobi, Select International College, Lagos and Reagan Memorial Baptist School, Yaba, visited System Specs Ltd; while four schools, International School, Lagos(ISL), Redeemers International School, Maryland, Baptist Academy, Obanikoro, and Queen’s College, Yaba, visited Interswitch Ltd.
The Programme, which involved lectures and practical demonstration of technology, were aimed at exposing the participants to application of technology to life to stimulate their interest in various careers especially within the ICT sector.
The initiative was conceived by the NGO to help pupils choose their careers.
Alhaji Akande Kamal is chairman, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, Lagos state chapter. In this interview with Omolewa Oshin, he speaks on the measures put in place by NAPPS to curtail threat of insecurity in schools in some parts of the country. Excerpts:
Is security really a challenge in schools?
Security is a challenge to the owners of schools and there are series of seminars. Thankfully, the Ministry of Education has been in the vanguard of how these schools will secure the children under them. Right now, we have sensitise our members to put these measures in place when we resume later in September.
What is NAPPS doing at the national level with regards to the issue of Boko Harram especially in the North East of Nigeria?
Yes of course, NAPPS is not so a powerful organisation in terms of security, securing peoples’ lives. We have the military in charge of that- the federal government is taking a drastic step o make sure the issue of Boko Harram issue is put to rest. So we are hoping that by the grace of God according to the President Muhammadu Buhari that before the end of this year Boko Haram issue will be a forgone issue in this country and the proprietors in the north will be happier to see that their schools return to normalcy.
How prepared are the proprietors in securing their schools in view of the rising insecurity across the county?
The Director-General at the Ministry of Education, Mrs. Soyombo held a workshop with us. At that workshop, part of what she discussed with us was to sensitise our members on how to secure our schools starting from the gates, in terms of security. The security personnel we put there, how our gates are manned so that not anybody can just enter the school at their will, they must be properly checked. We have let our members know that coming from September when we resume, all schools must be secured.
What specific measures have NAPPS put in place to safe guide their members’ school?
The specific measures we have put in place includes among others, is securing our gates. We propose that there should be one entrance and exit gates. And for all members that do not have security personnel, we encourage them to employ professionally-trained security experts.
How do you intend to involve the school community-parents, teachers and student in the fight against insecurity in private schools?
We will sensitise our parents, call for Parents Teachers Association (PTA) meetings and advice them to come for PTA meetings all in the efforts to ensure that these children must be secured not only in the school but even at homes.
The Federal University Staff Schools Association (FUSSAN) has begged President Mohammadu Buhari to jettison the idea of privatising staff schools by stopping their funding by the Federal Government.
President of the association, Rev Chidi Nwankpa, at their 16th Annual National Conference at the University of Calabar (UNICAL), said the development was a threat to the existence of staff schools, which would lead to the destruction of education at the foundation level.
The president said the staff schools have done well over the years, producing a lot of people who have done well in various endeavours.
He wondered why the University Staff Schools should be singled out to be privatised when schools belonging to the Navy, Police, Army etc are still funded by the Federal Government.
He said privatising the schools would lead to loss of jobs as well as water down the quality of education at this level.
“We work daily from morning till night. Teaching children is where the major work is, else secondary and tertiary institutions would not get good products,” he said.
Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof James Epoke, said the Committee of Vice Chancellors in its last meeting had resolved against the privatization.
He said the staff schools were an an area building manpower for the nation and must be nurtured.
Chairman of the board of governors of the University of Calabar Staff School, Prof Simon Utsalo, said the schools which is 39 years old has grown over the years by efforts made by various Vice Chancellors.
He was particularly grateful for the contributions made by Epoke towards the school’s development.
Headteacher of the Unical Staff School, Mrs Florence Eleng, hoped that the conference would provide answers to most of the problems facing staff schools.
The conference was attended by FUSSAN members from all over the country.
The management of King Solomon International Secondary School (KSIS) Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, is set to train students on computer hardware maintenance and repairs.
The proprietress of the school, Lady Grace Asuquo, who announced this in her address during the 2015 valedictory and award service for the 2014/2015 graduates of the school in Ewet Housing Estate Uyo, stressed that the students will also be trained on computer software installation.
She said the school has already hired the services of Information and Communication experts (ICT) experts to train students in both theory and practical,
Asuquo noted that in the quest to improve students’ performances in both internal and external examinations, the school has engaged the service of external examiners and consultants to complement supervision of academic activities.
She said: “Since the advent of King Solomon Secondary School in 2004, it has served and met the academic, spiritual and emotional needs of our children and neighbouring communities.”
The chairman of the occasion, Francis Umoh,a surveyor charged graduands to be good ambassadors of their alma mater. He advised them to choose their career based on their passion and interest in the profession and not by sentiment or any form of pressure.
The school Principal Obong Ubong Akpan, described the graduands as ‘worthy in learning and character.’
“We shall continue to maintain zero tolerance for indiscipline, corruption, and cult-related activities among our dear students and staff as well as lead by example.”
Being a faith-based school, Akpan stressed that it is determined to train and shape students for future leadership so as to match same with global leaders in character and learning.
Speaking on the topic: ‘Dream big’ the guest speaker Mr Charles Inyang, charged the graduands to have big dreams and also work hard towards making them a reality.
In his farewell address, the school senior prefect, Daniel Eyo who congratulated their predecessors also wished them success in their future academic pursuit.
Replying, the outgoing senior prefect of the school, Kamtoro-Abasi Okon who spoke on behalf of others praised the management for providing a good environment for learning so as to actualise their dreams in life.
Head of Department, School of Media and Communications (SMC), Pan Atlantic University, Ibeju-Lekki Lagos, Dr James Tsaaior, has counselled higher institutions to engage the government in better relationships to avoid incessant crisis that have the hallmarks in the nation’s education system.
He said this while speaking to reporters at the sideline of the institution’s eight distinguished guest lecture series.
Tsaaior, who spoke at the university’s premises venue of the event, faulted governments’ tradition of not responding to repeated agitations of institutions, coupled with its lack of cooperation.
He said: “There is the need for people in managerial positions in the universities and other learning institutions in the country to have the managerial skill and competencies to be able to curb crisis. But it is also necessary to have synergy between university administrators, and administrators in other tertiary institutions in the country with government.
“If you observe most of the time, the problem is not so much with the institutions, it is also with government. If there have been strikes and industrial actions, it is usually predicated on the unwillingness of government to cooperate with the institutions and that explains why there are unrests. So it is not just the institutions alone, it is also left to government to play its role and play it very reputably.”
Further, Tsaaior said the lecture was predicated upon creating competent and vibrant professionals in the media industry in order to strengthen its role.
“The School of Media and Communications, Pan Atlantic University is a school, which is intended to professionalise the media and deepen its consciousness by those with skilled competencies to make it vibrant and alive to its responsibilities as the Fourth Estate of the Realm. That is essentially why we have decided to organise these lectures; to sensitise the public and to carry out our statutory mandate as a School of Media and Communication,” he said.
The guest lecturer, Anambra State Governor, Dr Willie Obiano, who spoke on the theme: ‘Sustaining the legacy of growth and development in Anambra State,’ was presented with an award of recognition.
The entrenchment of an Information Technology (IT)-based accounting system is the antidote to recklessness and mismanagement in tertiary institutions, Dr Moses Igbape of the Department of Computer Science, Auchi Polytechnic, has said.
He spoke at the institution’s fifth inaugural lecture held in the school’s new auditorium.
The lecture was entitled: “Information technology: Antidote to cancerous ailments in Nigerian education system.”
Igbape said: “With appropriate development of Information Technology (IT) based accounting information system in schools, there can be prudent management of the available funds and elimination of fraudulent expenditure of school money because a lot more information is available in the information system to track income and expenditures. IT boosts the schools internal revenue through subscribed services, training programmes and consultancy.”
He described IT as invaluable beyond schools to facets of government establishments, including personnel/payroll, revolution in students academic information processing, IT literacy, admissions, students examination malpractice, as well as controlled use of school facilities.
Others, according to him, were: students enrolments/registration, teaching and learning, and invaluable resource to local, state and federal levels of government for proper and implementable planning etc.
Igbape, a Chief Lecturer, said Auchi Polytechnic has adopted administrative styles and strategies that rely on IT-based information system for pursuing Quality Assurance. This, he noted, made the institution more visible.
“The resolute passion with which the management of the polytechnic have embraced and massively deployed IT facilities in pursuing Quality Assurance agenda has seen the polytechnic ranked as the most visible polytechnic in Nigeria, 10th best tertiary institution in Nigeria and the only polytechnic ranked amongst universities, the best polytechnic in West Africa and second best in Africa consistently for over six years by Webometrics,” he said.
He admonished the government to put in place appropriate legislations for proper integration of IT tools in managing the education sector.
“Let there be proper funding of IT-related research projects and sponsorship for production and use of the products of these research endeavors.
“Government should remove import duties imposed on IT appliances and computers to make them affordable to help schools, organisations and homes in the effort to raise IT literacy level in Nigeria,” he said.
Also, Igbape identified some draw backs in educational development in Nigeria to include inconsistent government policies, poor funding, inadequate staffing among others, factors Igbape considered ‘undesirable variables.
He indicted parents, students and education managers as contributors to the problem, noting that policy sommersault and poor implementation of strategies have adversely affected education standards in Nigeria.
Can folktales be replicated in schools as it was done in the 80s. No thanks to a surge in Information and Communications Technology (ICT ) and audio-visuals, which have condensed the African traditional value into mere entertainment. ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA, OLUWATOYIN ADELEYE, JANE CHIJIOKE, ADERENIKE GBADEBO, and ABIMBOLA OJO sought the views of pupils, teachers and school owners.
Storyteller: Alo o!
Children (listeners): Alo!
Storyteller: Alo mi da fiirigbagboo, o daleri ijapa oko Yannibo ati Baba Onikan kan…
The above introduction may not be alien to those in primary school in the late 70s through 80s. This extract is from the popular Yoruba folktales Akojopo Alo Ijapa by Adeboye Babalola.
Akojopo Alo Ijapa was one of the recommended texts for primary schools during that era. The book, which has two volumes, is replete with escapades of the legendary Ijapa (tortoise) the wise and crafty creature. Though the book espouses most of the shortcomings of the tortoise, it, however, illuminates other areas the animal applies his wisdom to solve problems other bigger and more powerful animals, such as the lion, the king of the jungle, consider a hard nut to crack.
Overall, the import of the story of Ijapa the protagonist, and other animals that play supporting roles in the book, is the moral values to the young ones
Unfortunately, hardly would one find books on folktales in private schools nowadays. Public schools do not fare better, except a handful which still believe in the efficacy of folktales, if only in the drive towards African cultural renaissance or in battling moral decadence.
However, the launch of three new book, two of which are folktales may have kick started a campaign for the return of folktales to the classrooms.
The books – Tortoise the Tortoise, Tortoise the wise and David and Goliath- by Mrs. Olufunke Aleyideino, were presented last Saturday, at the Vining Hall, Ikeja, Lagos.
At the launch, Mrs. Aleyidieno who addressed guests, including over 50 children, described the books as a modest attempt to showcase African values to children. She canvassed the return of folktales to schools to teach pupils morals.
“Folklores, tales and proverbs are common means of communication and development in the African setting, although they have been pushed to the background. However, every good leader must be a reader. When you read, you learn. Grandchildren benefit from stories told by grandparents, no matter how old the parents or the stories are,” Mrs. Aleyideino said.
But will she brace the odds considering the absence of books on folktales in schools now? No thanks to the Internet and hip hop music which are the youth’s preoccupation nowadays, and are supplanting African values.
As it is, Mrs. Aleyideino will face an uphill task in her campaign, going by responses of some pupils and school managers who spoke on the issue. Interestingly, some of the children quizzed confessed to our reporters that but for their parents, perhaps they would not have known anything about folktales.
•Aleyidieno displaying the book at the launch.
While some schools have abandoned it, describing it as mere myths, a few only teach a bit of it, some others fuse it with other African and Western stories.
“Folktales have been an age-long tradition of Africa. It is usually performed at night, after the day’s toil by the elderly for the children after dinner.
The children gather around the storyteller, who sits in the middle. The tales mostly involve animals with inherent morals. There is also the riddle which is a mental-tasking variant of the folklore.
A Primary 2 pupil of Summer Rain Nursery and Primary School, Isolo, Wecan Brintyshaw is one of the ‘victims’.
‘I have come across folktales at home,” Wecan told our reporter, “and my mum told me something of Jumain the bad woman and Ngozi the good one.
“But they have not taught us anything on folktales in school. But they use storybooks for us, such as The bread winner, and The smart boy, which teach us not to be wicked and greedy.
Sharing her experiences with her Mum, A Primary 3 pupil of the same school, Tracy Aguba, said she learns morals from storybooks not folktales.
A Primary 4 pupil of Grandmates Nursery and Primary School, Okota, Lagos, Kemi Bolaji, said she learned about folktales from her Fine Art teacher.
“I only heard of folktales from my Fine Art teacher. He said they are stories that teach us lessons. They teach us morals.”
However, Eniola Afolabi, who is in Primary 5 in Grandmates, is lucky to have come across folktales in one of the books recommended for them in Primary 3.
“I have come across folktales in Primary 3. They (teachers) taught me about “The wise Tortoise.” We use so many storybooks — Sweet Mother, Covenant Child, Makinde in the market place and others.”
A Primary 5 pupil of Marybene Nursery and Primary School, Jalande, Chisom Omeje, said: “I have never come across folktales in my school. We use story books like Eze Goes To School, Akin Goes To School, PrincessSamara and Who will marry the princess.”
In Omeje’s understanding, folktales are short entertaining stories that engage children and teach values and morals.
Olajumoke Ojo, a pupil of Eyes on the Future Schools, Agege, said: “Yes, I have heard about folktales and I love them. My father told me such stories when I was much younger. I like tortoise stories best. No, we don’t read them in school but our teachers talks about how they are related to some books we read, especially on how not to be lazy like tortoise.
From the teachers
The Primary 3 class teacher at Summer Rain Nursery and Primary School, Mrs. Theodora Okereke, decried the eroding culture of folktales in schools.
“Folktales have been in existence since creation. But it is like in Nigeria we don’t take folktales seriously, the Internet has taken over. “I can remember the time of Tales by Moonlight, and ‘The Village Headmaster.”
But for Eta Nyong, a teacher at Joy-Filled Nursery and Primary School, folktales are myths and fiction; they are notnot real.
She said: “I do not teach my pupils folktales because I do not have any mythical story to tell them. If Tales by moonlight still existed, I would encourage them to watch it. The stories were good, but most of them are myths which some people believe happened somewhere. But to me, they are not real.”
In lieu of folktales, Nyong said there are some other literature books such as A bitter Lesson, and Ayo and the Three Neighbours that have been prescribed by the school for pupils.
“I read the book, they look real to me,” Nyong added.
The Head Teacher at Eyes on the Future School, who identified herself as Mrs. Owuye, is not disposed to the use of folktales. Her reason: “Folktale has to do with animals and we can’t base everything on animal teachings alone. We have to look at the other things around us. We want the children to have moral lessons. It is more realistic if they see names they are familiar with, especially if they know they are human like them. However, some of the storybooks they read like The Covenant child, Stories my mother told me, and others are similar to folktales.”
A Basic 5 teacher in Future Schools, Mrs Eniola Adeniyi, said the school did not teach literature as a subject.
“We are not doing literature as a subject, hence, the reason for not using folktales. They read other books related to them and there is always a moral lesson at the end of each story.
Mrs. Olajumoke Titilade, Educational Director, Kiddies Acres School, Ogba, is an advocate of the retention of folktales. She told our reporter that her school fuses Western and African texts.
Olajumoke said: “We still use those stories, because we do not want the children to forget their culture. The morals in those stories are equally very important.
“The stories are usually very interesting, especially when they are used for children at the age when they can comprehend them. That is children in the primary school. Mostly, we use British stories for nursery school children because they would understand that easily at their age.”
Head mistress at Tofek Preparatory School, Abule Egba, Mrs. Bolanle Bamidele, said the school fuses books on folktales with other modern literature books.
Mrs Mary Abiono, administrator, Normal Children School, Ogba, and Mr Donatus Godwin, Head teacher, Valued Kid School, Mafoluku, said: “We use folklores in the classroom to teach our children because our culture is embedded in them,” adding, “We cannot let our culture down. Some of the stories also teach morals with the way good always overcomes evil.”
Godwin described folktales as a “very good motivator that triggers the pupils’ interest to read. “As kids, they tend to get more attracted to a story illustrated with pictures. The pupils will be able to learn faster, and improve on their diction and vocabulary,” Godwin added.
Mrs. Aleyideino Tortoise the Tortoise, promotes virtues of honesty and helping others.
“Grown-ups can go on enjoying his banters and witty responses. This is what this short story has set out to do; to entertain the children, their parents and grandparents. But watch out also for Tortoise’s instructive remarks,” she added.
It was fun galore for the pupils, management and workers of Stella Maris Schools, Abuja, when the school held its 10th graduation. But to some, particularly those graduating, it was the start of a long miss they will experience leaving the school.
Some out of 147 graduands dressed in purple and elegant graduation gowns, wore long faces.
Principal of the school, Chukwuemeka Anyaene, said graduation was a take-off point for the school to relaunch itself across various fields.
He said Stella Maris was committed to make it the destination for more international students, who wish to combine the Nigerian education and British, American curricular.
He lauded parents for believing in the school.
According to him, the late founder, Mrs. Uche Anyaene, headed 17 schools in the FCT, adding that the school was a feeder to many tertiary institutions.
Chiamaka Isigwe emerged best overall pupil and also doubled as the best in Art. Osubor Dorothy is the best pupil in Social Science while Princess Chigozie Chioke emerged the best in the Sciences.
Musa Frederick, who gave a valedictory speech on behalf of the graduating students, praised teachers for the discipline and training instilled on them.
“This occasion, I must say, is a painful pleasure in the sense that these beautiful faces I have been seeing up till today, I may no longer see on a daily basis. When the news of the ceremony came to me, I welcomed it with joy, but when I was told that I am a valedictorian, I asked myself these questions, which have remained unanswered: “Who will redirect our footsteps right when we derail? Who will insist that discipline must be maintained at all times? Who will sanction us to pack pieces of firewood for misconduct?
“These six years of learning, training, education and character formation have not been easy though, but we are now through with joy, thanks and praises. Without you, it would not have been possible. Thanks a million times,” he added.
Isigwe, who hopes to be a lawyer, attributed her success to God, hardwork and commitment to studies.
Efforts to boost oral hygiene among school-age children is proving effective through the Pepsodent Oral Health Schools’ 21-day campaign.
The programme being implemented by Unilever’s Pepsodent toothpaste brand in collaboration with the Nigerian Dental Association (NDA), the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), and the Federal Ministry of Health, involves visits to about 2,000 primary schools across the nation.
At the launch of the campaign at Central Primary School, Ikeja, Lagos, Mr David Okeme, Brand Building Director, said the choice of children to drive a programme on oral hygiene was hinged on the fact that the firm believes in their pressure power to convince their parents and others to change once they learn healthy oral habits.
To stimulate their interest in oral hygiene, he said the Super Dentists cartoon characters (Doctor Dee Dee, Star Smile, Mighty Bite and Bristle) introduced by the firm would help the young ones adopt the habit of brushing twice daily morning and night.
In addition to brushing with an advanced toothpaste, the Pepsodent Triple Protection 123 would protect against cavities, stains and bad breath; he advised the pupils to floss daily to remove plaque from between the teeth, avoid snacking on sweet or acidic foods and drinks that can cause cavities and wear away tooth enamel, and make regular visits to the dentist for check-ups and advice on oral hygiene routine.
Underscoring the importance of the campaign, the NDA President, Dr Bode Ijarogbe, said children are more vulnerable to dental cavities because they consume a lot of sweetened food.
He said: “Children are the ones that have flair for sugar-based products like sweets, cakes, chewing gum, candies, chocolates and even some of the syrups that are taken as medicine. But in this case, we refer to fermentable sugar, that is, sugar that can be acted upon by the bacterial in the mouth.
“Normally, everyone has bacterial in the mouth and other parts of the body. But as regards formation of cavity, the bacterial in the mouth only becomes very dangerous in the presence of fermentable sugar-based diet.
The sugar acts as diet for the bacterial and produces a by-product of diluted acid which eventually results in cavity formation, resulting in holes which gradually becomes larger and eventually into tooth ache.
“And if this is not quickly addressed, it results to severe pain which could lead to loss of manpower at work for adults and school absenteeism for the child. The kids are the major target in this programme because they have more cravings for sweet foods. And when these children adopt the habit of a healthy oral lifestyle, they can then spread the message to their parents.
Mrs Ukandu Kate, Central Primary School, Ikeja, Lagos, said her pupils have improved on their oral hygiene unlike the past where many of them rarely brushed their teeth.
