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Tag: schools

  • ICT compliance must for school heads

    ICT compliance must for school heads

    From the 2014/2015 academic session no teacher without Information and Communications Technology (ICT) certification will be appointed school principal or head teacher in Cross River State.

    The new policy for appointment of school administrators, the Commissioner for Education, Prof Offiong E Offiong said is to ensure that by 2015 all teachers in public schools in the state acquire Microsoft Digital Literacy Certification.

    Speaking during the formal commencement of computer training for teachers under the state government laptop computer acquisition/e-learning programme in Calabar, Offiong said there was a need for teachers to be digitally compliant in tune with the demands of the 21st century.

    Offiong said about 10, 000 laptops have been distributed to teachers and other government officials who applied for them.

    He said the response so far has been encouraging because of the software built into the system that makes the work of the teacher in terms of note of lessons among others to be easy.

    This he said had encouraged teachers who initially did not key into the programme.

    He urged the teachers to cooperate with the organizers and facilitators of the training so they can make use of the opportunity to improve themselves as individuals and pass on the knowledge to the children for the overall development of the school system.

     

  • School gets 100 PCs from govt

    THE Anambra State government has announced it is providing additional set of computers to schools in the state, out of which New Era Girls Secondary School, Onitsha would get 100.

    Governor Peter Obi announced this while inaugurating a five-classroom block and library renovated by the state in the school.

    Obi said the high student population in the school required adequate number of computers to enable them to be up to date in Information Communication Technology (ICT).

    He assured that the school will equally benefit from other educational interventions by the government while environmental experts will be sent to the school to assess the threat of erosion for immediate intervention.

    The member representing Onitsha North One constituency at the State House of Assembly, Mr Chugbo Enweuzor, praised Obi for reversing the high level of dilapidation in schools. The principal of the school, Dr Ngozi Agbasimelo expressed gratitude to the Governor for his various interventions which she said have totally transformed the school.

    Dr Agbasimelo recalled that the N10 million released to the school enabled it renovate more structures and facilities.

    She explained that the repositioning of the school is promoting academic excellence as the pupils are now distinguishing themselves in internal and external examinations.

     

  • Succession battle at private schools

    Succession battle at private schools

    In public schools, nobody talks about succession because they are government owned. So, the issue does not arise. The schools, be they primary, secondary or tertiary are run by the government, which could be the local, state or federal. Primary schools are owned and run by local governments; secondary schools and tertiary institutions are owned and run by either the state or Federal Government. The schools are taken over by succeeding governments.

    In the case of private schools, the issue is a bit complicated. They are schools owned by individuals. Some are run by the owners; others are managed by administrators appointed by the proprietors. The wish of many business owners is that they should be succeeded by their offspring, especially the first child. For school owners, getting their children to take over their business after their death is becoming a thorny issue. The administrators seem not ready to hands off after the proprietors’ death.

    While the proprietors worry about what becomes of their legacy after they are gone, the administrators are concerned that the owners’ offspring may jeopardise their position.

    It is common these days to witness a clash between the owner or his/her heir and the school administrator.

    At a seminar for Heads of School (HOS) organised by Edumark as part of its Total School Support Education (TOSSE) fair, school administrators hotly debated this issue. A HOS, faulted what she calls the practice by proprietors of bringing their young children in as directors to breathe down on the necks of “hardworking” administrators who may have faithfully contributed to the school’s success over the years.

    Responding, the facilitator, Dr Mary Iyayi, urged the administrators never to fight their employers or their children since they own the school. She also advised school owners to consider making long-serving administrators part owners of their schools.

    “Do not fight your proprietress. You have to accept that she owns the school. However, school owners could make those who have worked in the school for a long time part owners of their schools as an incentive,” she said.

    However, many proprietors prefer to hand over their schools to their children.

    A proprietress, Mrs Temitayo Ola-Kolade, is worried about the fate of her school. She said her children do not seem to be interested in managing it after her.

    “My daughter for example is 11 years, but she doesn’t want to be a teacher or an educationist but a Medical doctor. I have three children and none of them has shown interest in the school or education line. I know that I cannot totally leave the school in the hands of a stranger irrespective of whether he or she is the head or school (HOS) or an educationist,” she said.

    Hajia Aminat Suleiman, who runs Lufaloy schools in Kano, also wants her daughter to succeed her. Right now, she said is doing all she can to learn how to effect a smooth transition.

    “I will continue to attend seminars and workshop because I want my daughter to take over my school from me. I believe the question of confusion between HOS and owners’ children should not arise at all because we are all Africans and we all know that whatever you do you want your child to take over,” she said.

    Some school owners, especially those with grown children, incorporate them into the management of the school during their lifetime. This practice is recommended by many experts and educationists who advise school owners to prepare their heir – apparent for the role rather than foist them on the school overnight.

    When asked of her succession plans, Mrs Abimbola Fisayo, proprietress of Christ The Cornerstone (CTC) International School in Ikeja, Lagos, her daughter, the current Nursery Supervisor of the school, would take over the school. Her daughter, she said has been in training for more than seven years.

    “I did not force my daughter to study Education, but having seen me here, she decided to read education. When she got the degree she came back here to become a teacher. I didn’t make the head of school all of a sudden just like that. She worked as a teacher for seven years and in the eighth year there was a new development and I made her the head of Nursery section. In fact, she started as a boarding house mistress in the secondary school but she still taught English and literature. She grew through the rank; she was able to interact with the teachers and others.

    “I do not believe in the suddenness because it cannot work. I believe in the American method. When you are bringing your child into a business that you set up, they must come in at the beginning. You will be surprised that in America the person that becomes the chief executive will start as a cleaner. If you put the children from the top they will be arrogant; they will not know how the other workers feels because nobody can tell you. Well, it is part of my regret that I didn’t allow my daughter to be a cleaner. She should have washed the toilet, swept the compound; there is no big deal about it as it would have enriched her in experience.”

    Education Director of Mind Builder’s School, Mrs Bolajoko Falore said her children are also in training.

    “I have told my children that once I am 60, I will be at the background and they will be at the forefront because age is not on my side and I cannot continue. I have trained a lot of my staff so that without me, the school will still run. For instance, I travelled and came back just before the graduation. When I came, I just put some finishing touches and that is all. But I am training three of my daughters. They are professionals in their own fields. The first is an accountant and she will manage the adminstration; the second one is an education; she read psychology, and she has gone for Montessori courses. She is now doing her masters in Leadership and Administration. The third is a lawyer, so the three are involved,” she said.

    While some school administrators have accepted that it is inevitable for schools to pass on to the owners’ offspring, others would rather the children have nothing to do with the schools.

    Mrs Christianah Oyekanmi, HOS, Mandate Private School in Akesan, a Lagos suburb, is not in favour of children coming around to disrupt her work in the school.

    “The children should not be involved because they would want to run the school their own way. They will not give the HOS the room to run the school the way it has being. The owner should run the school or hand everything over to the HOS. The only way should be for the children to have their office elsewhere so they will just be coming in once in a while,” she said.

    Other administrators think it is foolhardy to believe school owners will not involve their children, advising that the HOS should be willing to work with the younger generation.

    Mr Mordi Ignatius, who is the Administrator of Grandmate School in Okota, Lagos suburb, said once a HOS knows his role, he can even mentor the proprietor’s heir.

    He said: “Since Africans believe in heredity, eventually everything you earn while working as a human being is for your children in case you pass on. Whoever is being employed should know this. People see it as ridiculous when you teach a child and that child later becomes the owner of the school where you are head and you start answering Sir or Ma to the child. But if there is mutual understanding; if that child knows that this is my boss and he should be boss at all time, there will be no problem. Like in my school, the owner has children and he is already training them to take over from him so we will be with the children and work together with them; so we have to train them on the job.”

    But expertd say school owners should not always insist on their children being their successors. Rather, their focus is to ensure that whoever takes over is good for the job.

    Speaking on “Identifying and Grooming your Successor” at the maiden conference of the Association of International School Educators of Nigeria (AISEN) Mrs Ndidi Nwuneli, founder of LEAP Africa, advised proprietors to have a clear succession plan. She advised them to create a governing board for the school, considering people that will help the school to survive for generations, not just because they are family members.

    She also told them to be willing to hand over their schools to non- families members.

    Founder of S.T.T and Regency School in Ikeja, the Lagos State capital, Ms Maggie Ibru, agrees with Mrs Nwuneli that the successor should be anyone who is capable.

    “If the person is loyal and good it can be anybody from anywhere. Then you should have a board of governors and board of trustees that can oversee the running of the institution because it would out live you,” she said.

    Another speaker at the AISEN conference, Mr Jeff Bradley, an American said to pick a successor, one should look for leadership quality, someone who shows imagination, passion, knows how to connect, is good at building alliances, and commands respect, and definitely not learners.

  • Kwara to upgrade 120 schools

    The Kwara State government has said it would upgrade 120 secondary schools to meet global standards of teaching, infrastructure and pupil-teacher ratio in the state.

    This is contained in a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Communications, Dr Muideen Akorede, in Ilorin.

    The statement said the move was designed to enhance the quality of education and teaching standards in schools in line with the education reform programme tagged “every child counts’’.

    “Secondary education builds on the strong foundation laid at the basic level, so we have to get it right by providing high standard education in an atmosphere conducive to quality learning for our children before they begin tertiary education.

    “That is why we are matching our teacher training with a curriculum overhaul and comprehensive upgrading of our secondary schools,’’ it said.

    The statement said in an attempt to ensure geographical spread and equitable distribution of development projects, 40 secondary schools had been selected for overhaul from each of the three senatorial zones in the state.

    The proposed upgrade will cover classrooms rehabilitation and construction; provision of science equipment; computer laboratories and sports facilities in all schools selected for the first phase of the project.

    It said that another set of schools would be upgraded once work on the 120 was completed.

    The statement stressed that the proposed overhaul of the schools would improve on the 400 blocks of classrooms rehabilitated by the state government in the last two years.

  • Kwara to upgrade 120 schools

    Kwara to upgrade 120 schools

    The Kwara State Government yesterday said it would upgrade 120 secondary schools to meet the global standards of teaching, infrastructure and pupil-teacher ratio.

    In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Communications, Dr Muideen Akorede, in Ilorin, the state capital, the government said the move would enhance the quality of education and teaching in line with the state’s education reform programme, tagged: Every Child Counts.

    The statement said: “Secondary education should be built on the strong foundation laid at the basic level. So, we have to get it right by providing high standard education in an atmosphere conducive for quality learning for our children before they begin tertiary education.

    “That is why we are matching our teacher training with a curriculum overhaul and comprehensive upgrading of our secondary schools.”

    The statement noted that in an attempt to ensure the geographical spread and equitable distribution of projects, 40 secondary schools were selected for overhaul from each of the three senatorial zones in the state.

    The proposed upgrade will cover classrooms’ rehabilitation and construction, provision of science equipment, computer laboratories and sports facilities in all schools selected for the first phase of the project.

    The statement said another set of schools would be upgraded when the 120 schools are completed.

    It added that the proposed overhaul of the schools would improve on the 400 blocks of classrooms rehabilitated by the government in the last two years.

  • Boko Haram’s onslaught on schools

    Boko Haram’s onslaught on schools

    Three schools have fallen victims of Boko Haram attacks in the last few weeks, reports Christian Science Monitor

    Following an attack on a boarding school that killed 42 children and teachers, the governor of Nigeria’s northeastern Yobe state has directed that all secondary schools be closed starting today until they convene in September for the new academic year.

    The Saturday pre-dawn attack on the school saw gunmen – believed to be Boko Haram Islamist insurgents – set fire to the building and shooting pupils as they tried to flee. Survivors of the attack are being treated for gunshot wounds and burns.

    This marks the third attack on schools in recent weeks, including two in Yobe. On June 19, unknown gunmen attacked a secondary school in the Customs area of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State and the epicenter of a four-year Islamist insurgency. Four teachers and two students were reportedly killed in the raid.

    The slaughter of children at the school takes place amid a nearly two-month crackdown on Boko Haram by the Nigerian government of President Goodluck Jonathan.

    In mid-May the government scotched discussions and ended rumors about an amnesty for the Islamic fighters, and launched a sweeping offensive to end a four-year campaign by Boko Haram – which translates loosely to “Western Education is Sinful” – to create an Islamic state, partly by the killing of thousands of men, women, and children.

    The operation, launched on May 14, included placing three of Nigeria’s northeastern states under a state of emergency. Phone services have been cut to prevent intelligence of military operations from spreading within Islamist cells. In mid-June the use of satellite phones was also banned.

    The offensive initially stemmed the unrest, and the military has claimed some major successes. However, it has failed to stop the sect from launching devastating attacks, indicating that military gains may be short-lived.

    Boko Haram cells have shown in the past that they can go into hiding only to then regroup and adapt to security measures, and finally overcome them. Attacks on schools have taken place steadily in Borno and the northeast, where Boko Haram has vilified secular education as usurping its efforts to impose Sharia law.

    Muslims schools have not escaped the sect’s efforts either and have been targets of arson attacks.

    Targeting schools has historically been secondary to and less frequent than Boko Haram’s attacks on security forces and assassinations of public officials.

    “Since Boko Haram has attempted to reassert itself during the heightened northeast military campaign, it is clear that soft targets such as schools and churches have become the group’s primary objects,” according to a security expert in Nigeria.

    A continuation of the spate of suspected terrorist attacks that began re-emerging three weeks ago raises concerns over the effectiveness of the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the northeast.

    Security experts believe that further targeted shootings and low-level bombings can be expected in Borno State as pressured Islamist militants attempt to show their resilience in the face of the military onslaught.

    Soft targets such as schools and churches will be at increased risk, although militants have made recent attempts to re-launch attacks on security targets.

    President Jonathan’s administration offered an amnesty and peace talks to members who renounce violence, but their charismatic leader has repeatedly rejected any negotiations.

    Critics say that until the driving forces such as poverty, unemployment, and mistrust of the southern-led government are addressed, no amount of force will be able crush the group.

    Britain’s Home Office announced yesterday that it was adding Boko Haram to its list of outlawed terror groups.

     

  • School heads get computer training

    The need to prepare teachers for a future in which computers and other technological devices rather than the conventional teacher–to-student teaching method will prevail was the focus among school heads and owners at the Third Head of Schools Summit (HOSS) in Lagos.

    The event, which drew participants from within and outside Lagos, had as theme “Leadership that shapes the future.” It was organised by the Standard Mandate International (SMI), a human capacity development outfit.

    Its convener, Mr Nelson Ayodele said Standard Mandate International (SMI) projected into the future to guess how education would look like.

    “For example, there will be a time when children will no longer come to the classrooms with their bags or books but with their (computer) tablets and the teachers will come in with their own computers with a projector to teach.

    “A future where the school heads can become Chief Executive Officers (CEOs); not just a teacher as head of school but somebody that can manage and head the school to the point of profitability. We are talking of a future where the classrooms and school environment will look different; where parents will relate with the schools, pay fees and check students’ results in a different manner. Many people can’t see this future now that is why we are,” he said.

    Any leader that is not learning cannot justify his or her position.

    He noted that since school heads drive the school, the outfits then decided to bring them together on an yearly basis to talk to them on development, especially as it has to do with education, Information and Communication Technology (ITC), best management practices, human resource issues and dealing with parents.

    The Chairman of the occasion, Mrs Adenike Adamolekun, who is the proprietor, Supreme Education Foundation Schools, Magodo, Lagos said leadership is not ordering people around but carrying people along with you in establishing and running a system.

    She said: “Present day systems of administering school is not about wielding power, but mobilising people to face the challenges that require new habits, values, or that promotes new ways of doing old things, by inspiring people to do their work.

    “It is about defining a compelling vision while also allowing others to realise their vision, about putting right structures and processes in place so people can sharpen their skills and excel in their jobs,” she added.

    Another speaker, Mr LereBaale who spoke on Benchmarking, advised the school heads to visit other schools, see what makes them better than their’s and emulate them.

    Mr Kaoli Olusanya, Chief Learning Officer, Kith & Kin Educational Schools Ikorodu, Lagos spoke on Envisioning the future school: Educational inquiry approach, said education is not only important for acquiring facts or knowledge or skills to prepare oneself for making a living, but also about learning how to meet the challenges of one’s time-how to solve problems and adapt to new circumstances.

  • Boko Haram burns 209 schools in Yobe

    Boko Haram burns 209 schools in Yobe

    The scale of the massive destruction carried out by Boko Haram in Yobe State was laid bare yesterday.

    The government said it had spent over N4billion battling the insurgents. Yobe, Borno and Adamawa are under a state of emergency declared by President Goodluck Jonathan last month.

    Deputy Governor Abubakar Aliyu, who stood in for Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, told the visiting members of the Presidential Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful Resolution of Security Challenges in the North, led by Alhaji Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, that since November 2011, many lives had been lost.

    He said property belonging to government institutions and individuals were destroyed by the insurgents. They include 209 schools estimated to cost N2.5 billion.

    This is in addition to private structures worth N629 million, which were burnt by the insurgents.

    Aliyu said: “Within the span of one year, November 2011 and October 2012, in addition to the loss of lives, public buildings like schools, mosques, churches and vehicles were razed down by the insurgents.

    “About 209 government school buildings, comprising classrooms, hostels, workshops, laboratories, administrative blocks, vehicles were destroyed by the insurgents, costing an estimated N2.5 billion. This is in addition to the office blocks of government agencies belonging to both state and federal governments.

    “Similarly, private houses with estimated value of over N629 million were also burnt,” he said.

    Over 200 Hilux patrol vehicles were bought for security operatives, Aliyu said, adding that N200 million is being spent on logistics and monthly allowances, among other needs of security operatives every month.

    The government praised the people for their prayers, which it noted have drastically helped in the improvement of security and the gradual return of peace, in the state, adding that schools and economic activities have picked up.

    Aliyu regretted the recent attack on the Government Secondary School, Damaturu, saying: “The attack came as a surprise as the state has done 10-month of uninterrupted peace.” It praised the Federal Government for deploying more security in the state.

    The deputy governor praised the gallantry of the men of the Joint Task Force (JTF) and urged the people to continue to support them.

    He said the state would empower the 17 women and 21 children so far released by the JTF through the Women Development Centres.

    The chairman of the committee and Minister of Special Duties Turaki, condoled with the government and people over the loss of life and property since the attacks began.

    He stressed the need for the cooperation of the people towards finding a lasting solution to the problem.

    Turaki said they were in the state as a demonstration of the Federal Government’s commitment to reconciliation with insurgents, adding that the committee would meet with the clergy, royal fathers, elders and heads of security agencies to find a solution to the security challenges.

    Turaki said: “Life is gradually and steadily returning to Yobe State. Despite the state of emergency, all democratic tenets are being adhered to as security operatives are operating within the ambits of law.”

  • NGO donates books to primary schools

    To instill a culture of reading in pupils, the Educational Standard Revival Initiative (EDUSTAR), a non-governmental organisation has presented 50, 000 text books to 100 primary schools in Cross River State.

    Speaking at the presentation in Calabar, EDUSTAR Executive Director of Prof Owan Enoh, said it is important to pay more attention to basic education because it forms the foundation of any development.

    Enoh lamented that many pupils at the tertiary level could neither read nor write properly, a situation he attributed to poor education background.

    He said the 50, 000 copies of the text entitled: ‘Reading Companion for Primary Schools’, were distributed to the selected schools free, ditto for the ‘Pupils Progress Monitoring’ exercise books in the EDUSTAR Reading Intervention Programme.

    He said the programme involves raising the reading ability of pupils through teacher retraining in reading and continuous monitoring of their teaching effectiveness, and through pupils’ performance in class tests.

    Chairman of the organisation’s Board of Trustees and a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof Kevin Etta, said EDUSTAR is poised to reverse the trend where many undergraduates have poor reading and writing skills, by ensuring standards are maintained in the school system. He said this is achievable through entrenchment of a culture of reading at a very early age.

    Commissioner for Education, Prof Offiong Offiong, said no matter the sophistication of technology, it can never supplant the essence of reading. He said no matter how much a child is exposed, the mind cannot be properly developed except through reading.

    Prof Offiong called on other well-meaning individuals and organisations to also join hands in the provision of qualitative education for the children.

     

  • Lagos clears air on restriction of Hijab in public schools

    Lagos clears air on restriction of Hijab in public schools

    The Lagos State Government yesterday said female Muslim pupils will not be allowed to wear hijabs in public schools.

    Commissioner for Education Mrs. Olayinka Oladunjoye spoke during a ministerial press briefing marking the sixth anniversary of the Governor Babatunde Fashola administration.

    Mrs. Oladunjoye said pupils are only allowed to wear conventional uniforms to school, adding that the government will not tolerate the use of religious materials in public schools.

    She said: “The issue generated a lot of debates. I summoned a stakeholder’s meeting that was chaired by the Commissioner for Home Affairs and Culture, Alhaji Oyinlomo Danmole. Muslim pupils and lawyers were represented. We discussed the issue at length and reached an agreement.

    “We agreed that pupils could use hijabs when they want to go for prayers during school hours; when they want to read the Qur’an and when they are going for Jumat prayer on Fridays. We agreed that no pupil should wear hijab on her uniform, as doing so will cause confusion and a break down of the law. They can put on their berets, when it is not prayer time.

    “Whoever wants his daughter to wear hijab to school should send her to a Muslim school.”

    The commissioner said the government is committed to overhauling the education sector, adding that it had spent over seven billion naira on the upgrading of the Lagos State University (LASU).

    She said the government has initiated various educational programmes, such as the Eko Project, Support Our Schools Initiative, specialised development programmes for teachers and administrators in 20 specialised areas.