The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Secondary Schools

  • BrandPhase empowers students in Lagos

    BrandPhase empowers students in Lagos

    Mr. Emorinken Moses, a leadership/career development expert has charged the students of Okota Senior Grammar School, Okota, Lagos, on the fierce urgency of taking positive actions towards the fulfillment of their dreams, and also the need to build a healthy concept of self instead of being labeled and interpreted by their backgrounds or current socio-economic taxonomy.

    Emorinken, who spoke on the theme: “The future is now, dare to dream,” at a mentoring programme organised by BrandPhase Empowerment Initiative (a Non-Governmental Organisation) for the students from classes – SS1 to SS3; especially the SS3 students who are presently preparing for their Senior School Leaving Certificate examination which is to hold soon, emphasized that all men dream but not equally; some understand the need to wake up and take actions, thereby fulfilling their dreams while the rather indolent majority take their dreams and aspirations with flippancy.

    He identified three kinds of people in the world – the first set are those who make things happen, the second are those who watch things happening, while the third set are those who do not know what is happening.

    He added that even if we have to contend with our current background or were born into an impoverished inter-generational socio-economic class, we owe it to ourselves and to God to make the best of our lives by rising beyond our seemingly genuine excuses for failure. You need God and some intrinsic values like humility, persistence, and determination to be able to thrive in this time and peculiar clime.

    The Vice Principal (Academics), Mrs. Bolanle Gbemile said the students should do a SWOT analysis (Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threat) of themselves and find creative ways to solve their problems. She said “there is a way you can meaningfully approach your problems so that they can be defeated”.

    One of the students at the programme, Daniel Moses said:” Even though I hate to read, I have been inspired to imbibe a reading culture. I now know that nobody can stop me on my way to greatness except myself”. Another student, AinaBunmi said:” henceforth, I will embrace humility towards learning. I am usually angry whenever I am being advised. But today, I drop that attitude and embrace positive change.”

     

  • Road safety education in secondary schools

    Road safety education in secondary schools

    Some years ago, road safety education was incorporated into the curriculum of secondary schools through the efforts of the Federal Road Safety Commission and some stakeholders. This is a good step in the right direction as it obtains in several countries. Be that as it may, why has it taken so long to implement this curriculum fully in schools?

    I want to use this forum to challenge the new Honourable Minister of Education to organise a stakeholders meeting involving all the state commissioners of education and other stakeholders to use the deep-dive prototyping approach to set the ball rolling for immediate result – oriented implementation of the road safety curriculum in all the public and private secondary schools in Nigeria.

    The Federal Road Safety Commission should package a training manual and a refresher training for the secondary school teachers (particularly the Physical and Health Education Teachers).

    Nigerian Students must start learning about Road Safety from JSS 1 and by the time they get to SSS 3, they already have the knowledge of the A – Z of road safety (all the topics contained in the curriculum). This will greatly help them as pedestrians, cyclists, vehicle occupants and as drivers later in the future. This is what obtains in UK and several other countries. Hence their low single digit between 3.2 – (3.6 per cent) of road accident rating in the face of Nigeria is high 2digit rating (33.7 per cent).

    The earlier the implementation of the secondary school road safety Curriculum commences, the better for the reduction of the rate of road accidents and fatalities in Nigeria both now and in the future.

    In the same vein, the Federal Road Safety Commission should liaise with the National Universities Commission, National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for colleges of education to work out the modality for the incorporation of Road Safety Education into the Curriculum of the tertiary institutions in Nigeria.

    When I was in the University of Lagos, we were compelled to study General African Studies Course as well as French (These Courses were mandatory for all students irrespective of your course of study in the university). Truly, these courses helped quite a number of students to know several things they wouldn’t have known.

    I am of the opinion that if road safety education is made a compulsory course in the first year of all students in the tertiary institutions, it will further instill the road safety culture in them and for onward transmission to others. We need to go beyond talking into proactive and result – oriented actions.

    A stitch in time saves nine.

     

  • ‘Religious Studies must be made compulsory in secondary schools’

    The absence of moral values is responsible for Nigeria’s political and socio-economic woes, professor of Church History, Rotimi Omotoye has said.

    In view of this development, Religious Studies, as a subject, must be made compulsory at the secondary school level to equip the young minds against vices of corruption, Omotoye further added.

    Omotoye, a lecturer in the Department of Religions at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), spoke at the 159th inaugural lecture of the institution. The lecture is titled: ‘Christianity as a catalyst for socio-economic and political change in Yorubaland, Nigeria: An account of a church historian.’

    Omotoye said: “Church historians should note that the political and socio-economic history of the nation should also be documented because they are inter-related to religious matters; if development is to be sustained and change effected in Nigeria, there is a need for an enduring sense of history.

    “Religious leaders irrespective of their religion and political leaders in Yorubaland must continue to maintain religious understanding and peaceful co-existence; archives where diaries of religious and political leaders are to be kept for posterity must be built by the government and be made available to church historians and other scholars for documentation.

    “Church historians should also be given priority in sponsorship to local, national and international conferences, so as to make the history of churches and their contributions known to the outside world.”

    The university teacher, who is also a vicar of Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, urged historians both in Nigeria and diaspora to intensify “efforts in documenting religious activities of Nigerian preachers in foreign countries.”

    “Many Nigerian historical church documents kept in foreign archives should be retrieved to Nigeria for accessibility to church historians in Nigeria; church historians should avoid distortion of historical facts in pleasing a particular denomination, while church historians in tertiary institutions in Nigeria should also hold annual academic conferences,”  he added.

  • Community craves secondary schools, roads

    Community craves secondary schools, roads

    Dwellers of Ibeju-lekki have lamented the poor state of accessing education in the community during a sensitisation programme on governance of primary school education for community stakeholders.

    The programme, which is an initiative of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in partnership with Human Development Initiative(HDI), is a four-year programme which would be done in four states – Kano, Enugu, Lagos and Abuja. It would be carried out in local government areas of the aforementioned states.

    Speaking at Ibeju-lekki Local Government Education Area, the youth leader of Arapagi, a community in Ibeju, Lasisi Morufu said the community has no secondary school, that and their children go by sea to school in a neighbouring community.

    He said:  “In Ibeju-lekki, the road leading to some areas are not motorable. The children have to cross the river before they get to school. This is a threat to life. This has discouraged some of them from going to school. There is no secondary school in Arapagi. We only have about five primary schools in this area and when these children are done with primary school, they are being posted far from home. Every morning, you will see children conveyed in a boat to cross the lagoon before they can get to school. We are all crying out to government to help us with at least a secondary school here.”

    He continued: “This river, which the children pass through, is now being dredged.  We have concentrated dredging companies and about 10 of them dredging sand from that river. Before they used to use paddle to pave their way on water but that is no longer possible because the river is getting deeper by day. This can lead to loss of lives. This community has been kicking against dredgers; we really need the government to help us.’’

    He noted the shortage of teachers in the community, adding that the problem arose because teachers posted to the area reluctantly stayed because of inaccessibility to good roads.

    “When you have a teacher handling two classes, how convenient is that let alone teaching about eight subjects for each class in a day? Teachers here are really trying their best,” he added.

    The Education Secretary, Ibeju-lekki, Olatunde Talu, who once taught in Arapagi corroborated Morufu.  Nonetheless, he hoped the sensitisation would go a long way in informing the dwellers of their role in education, and hold the government accountable for sound education.

    Participants also frowned against the non-availability of secondary schools, which they attributed to the failure of the government to address their needs.

    Rev.Taiwo Oluwole of Redeemed Church enlightened participants on the role of the councils in primary education. He said the mis-use of federal and state financial allocation for primary education, non-provision of the conducive classrooms and teaching aids, shortage of teachers, among others, were lapses which needed to be rectified for a better primary education.

    Sunday Alade, an engineer, admonished the stakeholders to complement the government’s efforts through proper utilisation and monitoring of infrastructure provided for the community’s benefit. He said communities must see education as a collective responsibility.

    He explained that children were faced with some challenges, such as lack of self-concept, lack of necessary materials, improper guidance and counselling, poor study habits, hostility of teachers to students among others.   Alade admonished parents to avail their children the opportunity to access primary education as mandatory by the Federal Government, in line with the statuted Child Right Act and Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act.

    President, Out-of-School Children Empowerment Foundation (OSCEF) an implementing partner for the USAID programme, Mr Akeem Kelani, said the programme is aimed at educating stakeholders at the grass roots and emphasise the role of local government in primary education.

     

  • JABU holds quiz contest for secondary schools

    JABU holds quiz contest for secondary schools

    The Joseph Ayo Babalola University (JABU), Ikeji-Arakeji in Osun State will test the knowledge of secondary school pupils in English language, mathematics and current affairs tomorrow and Saturday.

    Winners of the maiden editionof the national quiz competition will get scholarship into the institution.

    Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof Sola Fajana, said that the competition provides a platform for JABU to contribute to the development of the education sector and fulfill the purpose for which the institution was established, which is to touch the lives of Nigerians in positive ways.

    Fajana urged participants to be diligent, transparent and honest as the competition promises to ensure high standard and all fairness.

    Prizes to be won include scholarship to study in four to five-year degree programmes at JABU, cash prizes and books worth N200,000.

     

  • French now compulsory in Navy schools

    French now compulsory in Navy schools

    •Naval Chief inaugurates houses, others

    The Nigerian Navy yesterday said French language has become compulsory in its secondary schools.

    The move, it was learnt, was part of efforts to bridge the communication gap between Nigeria and its neighbouring French-speaking countries and add value to its students.

    Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba spoke in Lagos during his annual inspection and inauguration of projects at Navy Town.

    Among the projects inaugurated were a N170 million newly built and equipped diagnostic centre, the Physics, Biology and computer laboratories at the Navy Secondary School, Ojo; a car park, the reconstructed First and Second Avenue roads, blocks of classroom, 24 blocks of two and 17 blocks of three-bedroom flats for Senior Ratings and Lieutenant Commanders, 24 one-bedroom flats at the campsite; pilot quarters, female transit accommodation as well as the rehabilitated Naval Ordinance Depot (NOD) Jetty.

    Ezeoba said he was pleased with the performance of the French teacher at the school.

    He explained that irrespective of the students’ discipline, studying French was a must in all Navy schools.

    “As a matter of policy, French must follow all the students to the SS3. It is their choice to make, whether to register it in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examinations or not.

    “We must do things differently and add value to our students. That will make them more competitive in this 21st century,” Ezeoba said.

    Inaugurating the computer laboratory, the CNS directed the school authorities to document an intervention and assistance they had received from individuals and corporate bodies and make same available to him in two weeks.

    Ezeoba said he was motivated by the quest to leave a good legacy for posterity to judge.

    The Naval chief said the houses were built for its personnel from savings, adding that they were not captured in the capital budget.

    The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC) Western Naval Command, Rear Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas, said the Naval chief’s annual inspection and one year anniversary enabled him to assess the level of implementation of set goals.

    He described Navy Town in Ojo as a key welfare unit, because it doubled as the main barracks in Lagos and hosted the Navy Reference Hospital and several welfare schools.

    At the inauguration of first and second avenue roads as well as blocks of flats for officers and senior Ratings, the Commander, NNS Wey, Ojo, Commodore E. R. Yakubu said the realisation of the projects was surprising beause of the period of their award and completion.

    He said the contract was awarded on March 22, last year.

    According to him, on assumption of office, Ezeoba ensured its completion on record time.

    “Majoriy of the houses in Navy Town were old and dilapidated. The worst hit areas were the senior ratings, lieutenants and lieutenant-Commanders’ quarters.

    “This situation led to the abandonment or forfeiture of official accommodation by the residents, which created colosal housing problems,” Yakubu said.

  • CIIN to introduce text book in secondary schools

    The Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria (CIIN) will soon introduce an insurance text book in secondary schools.

    At the moment, it is seeking the Federal Government’s nod for it.

    CIIN President, Mr Fatai Lawal, said this at the presentation in Lagos of books to some tertiary schools.

    The recipients are University of Lagos, Lagos State University and Lagos State Polythenic.

    According to him, the gesture is not only a commitment to the agenda of the institute, but also forms part of a series of actions geared towards accelerating the empowerment of institutions offering insurance.

    Lawal, who said promotion of insurance education, is one of the major anchor of the theme of his administration, argued that insurance awareness could only be created through education.

    He said: “Aside the production and donation of insurance textbooks to the secondary schools, we will be adopting some of the schools as models for the promotion of insurance education by providing as much support as possible to enable them deliver the subject at the best possible practice.

    “We are aware of the challenges regarding the dearth of teachers and lecturers for insurance at both secondary and tertiary levels of education in Nigeria.

    “To tackle this dilemma, the institute has initiated a campaign to encourage insurance professionals to take up teaching positions either on full time or part time basis. CIIN is also gearing up to commence refresher courses for insurance instructors in secondary schools. This is to aid non-insurance graduates like business studies teachers with the minimal skills needed to deliver insurance lectures for senior secondary examinations.”

    He said financial illiteracy was the cause of poor patronage of financial services.

    He said: “The Nigerian population has just about 3,500 professionally qualified insurance practitioners out of about 160,000,000 people. The only way we can get insurance to penetrate every nook and cranny of this country is to get more people involved as crusaders for insurance.

    “To this end, the donation of books to tertiary institutions is not only significant as a landmark commitment to our growth agenda, it also forms part of a series of actions geared at accelerating the empowerment of institutions offering insurance courses across Nigeria.”

    He added: “We have also supported accredited tertiary institutions offering insurance to enhance their capacity to offer quality education, reinforced activities at the College of Insurance and Financial Management at Asese Village on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; completion of the ongoing restructuring of the institute’s secretariat to enhance operational efficiency and effective service delivery and resuscitation of the institute’s Victoria Island Building Project.”

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Secondary Schools: The Premier League

    Some secondary schools in Nigeria are as expensive as private universities

     

    1. Atlantic Hall, Poka, Epe, Lagos. The fee covers the costs of return flight each year; boarding is N2.5 million.

     

    2. American

    International School, Victoria Island, Lagos. The JSS 1 – 3 pays $15,400 and SSS 1 – 3 pays $15,400 per annum.

     

    3. Lekki British International High School Lekki, Lagos. The day students in JSS pay $10,500 and day students in SSS pay $12,000. Boarders in JSS pay $18,000 and boarders in SSS pay $19,000.

     

    4. Green springs School, Anthony, and Lagos. The tuition fee for day students is N1.1 million while for boarding students it’s N1.9 million per annum.

     

    5. Corona Secondary School, Agbara, Lagos. School fee is N760, 000 including development fee of N75, 000 which is paid once on entry.

     

    6. Dowen College Lekki, Lagos. The college pupils pay as much as N600, 000 per annum.

    7. Loyola Jesuit College Abuja. Students pay N631, 500 which covers tuition, uniforms, sandals, textbooks and supplies, room and boarding.

     

    8. Chrisland College Idimu, Lagos. Students pay up to N750, 000 to N1 million annually.

     

    9. British International School Lekki Lagos. The students pay up to N402, 500 per annum.

     

    10. Whitesands School, Lekki Lagos. Students pay as much as N400, 000 per annum.

     

     

    •Fees correct as time of publication, contact the schools for other specifics