The Nation Newspaper

Tag: teachers

  • Grant winners train pre-school teachers

    Grant winners train pre-school teachers

    After winning a grant from the Lagos State Government, Lagos Research and Development Council (LRDC) for their research on active model learning approach in pre-primary schools (Montessori Approach) in 2013 a team of lecturers from the Lagos State University, LASU and the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, AOCOED, decided to put their research work into practice.

    They organised two-day training for Lagos State caregivers/teachers and Early Childhood Development Desk Officers on their research to enable the teachers adopt the Montessori approach in teaching.

    Speaking to The Nation, head of the research team Dr Tunde Owolabi of the Faculty of Education, Department of Early Childhood Education said pre-school education is very important, describing it as the bedrock upon which future education is built.

    Explaining how his team got the opportunity to put the workshop together he said: “The Lagos State Government instituted a council called Lagos Research and Development Council (LRDC) to come up with a proposal that will challenge academics in the state to come up with innovations that will improve teaching in December 2013.

    “Many academics responded by writing proposals which were assessed within and outside Nigeria and about 78 were shortlisted. We won the grant,” he said.

    He noted that since their interest was in early childhood they looked for colleagues in other institutions who share their dream and are equally good in research.

    “Those we found worthy were from AOCOED so we co-opted them,” he said.

    The lecturer said the first phase was to identify the classroom characteristics of teachers at the pre-school level in the state; the second was to train the teachers, while the third would be an impact assessment of the training.

    He noted that they choose early childhood education because it is a trend in education.

    He said Montessori education teaches pupils with an array of instructional materials which makes them excel in future.

    Others in his team included Dr Babajide Abidogun and Dr Sheu Akintola of LASU, and Mr Olaogun, Mr Fawowe Sunday, Mr Asimolowo Ademuyiwa of AOCOED.

    On his part, the former NUC Executive Secretary, Prof Peter Okebukola said if Nigeria embraces Montessori education, she will be rich in values and free of corruption; a place where honesty prevails, where her citizens are able to feed themselves and have the appropriate human resources for security, health and other sectors.

    “All the countries we are aspiring to be like got there because they made this change so if we make these changes, we will also get there,” he said.

    The special adviser to the state government on education Otunba Fatai Olukoga, who also spoke said the seminar would have positive impact on the education system of the state and the nation.

    Provost, AOCOED, Dr Bashorun Wasiu, said education, particularly early childhood education is one of the areas where researches are needed for moulding the lives of children in becoming morally robust and responsible citizens.

    He called on the lead researchers and other researchers in the team to make use of the opportunity and give their very best during the training.

     

  • Teachers are ‘worst treated’ workers in Kogi, says union

    The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Kogi State Wing, has bemoaned the fate of Basic Education teachers, saying they are worst-treated civil servants in the state.

    Speaking in Lokoja last week, the state NUT Chairman, Suleiman Ndalayi Abdullahi, said primary and junior secondary school teachers are not at par with other civil servants in the state in terms of salary and welfare.

    He said minimum wage has not been implemented for them, several years after other workers have been enjoying same and their promotions have not been cash backed for four years.

    He also said the yearly salary increments have not been implemented, while their leave allowances have not been paid for years.

    Abdullahi said these are happening despite meetings and agreements reached with government officials, screenings and verification exercises carried out, and long periods of strikes.

    “Is this the way to motivate teachers? The question we are asking now is who is sabotaging all efforts to make teachers get their dues? It is sad that some of us are assessing October salaries in January, while November is just commencing. So, when will December salary be paid?

    “Today, our teachers cannot take care of their health needs, pay their bills, feed their families and provide the basic needs for their families and relations. What do you expect from a teacher that faces all these challenges? ” he asked.

    Abdullahi alleged that there is an attempt to kill public schools in the state so that the private ones can excel.  He appealed to the government, royal fathers, opinion leaders, well-meaning citizens and other stakeholders to help salvage basic education in the state.

     

  • Teachers that moved me

    In March, far away in Dubai, one of 10 teachers, shortlisted from over 5,000 from across the world, will receive the Global Teacher Prize of $1 million. There are no Nigerians among the finalists. (There were six Africans, excluding Nigeria, among the top 50).

    The criteria used to select them included the impact they made in the lives of their pupils, their influence on their communities, and their ability to persuade others to become teachers. Why no Nigerian made the shortlist is not my concern in this piece. Perhaps in another, I may discuss it. But now, the prize made me remember the many teachers that have crossed my path in my quest for knowledge – from pre-school to postgraduate studies.

    The first teacher I can remember who made an impression on me was, Mrs Pratt, my Primary Two teacher. I was not among the top 10 in my class (I can remember coming 13th once). But I loved to read. At the beginning of the school year, before my parents bought my books, I would borrow the Macmillan Primary Reader from my classmates. At break time, while they played outside, I read all the comprehension passages in the textbook, enjoying the stories about Simbi and Ali. I did not know Mrs Pratt noticed until one day, she told the class to emulate me. Was I surprised! I was a star for one day.

    I remember with fondness my Primary Six teacher, Mr Ojo-omalade for being strict and demanding the best from us. I particularly recall the day he told my classmates that I did not transit to secondary school from Primary Five, not because I failed the National Common Entrance Examination but because the cut off for my state was very high.  He calculated my score and told the class I had made above 80 per cent, which I did not previously know.  That was his call for us to be serious.  And he implemented it with words of counsel and with the rod.

    I also remember my second Primary Six teacher, Mr Ojimmy, for the poems he made us to recite before classes began each day. Because of him, I know a number of poems and also appreciate the morals conveyed in them which made little sense back then.

    In secondary school, I remember the Fine Art teacher who gave me two marks extra for writing neatly – though I cannot recall her name. Those two precious marks pushed me closely to 60 than 50.  I also remember the delectable Ms Nwaobi, who made me love Integrated Science in junior secondary school, and Biology in SS1 and SS2 because she taught so well.  When she was changed, I hardly attended Biology classes again till I graduated.  I remember my Igbo teacher, Mr Azubuike, who regaled us with interesting stories when I was in JSS2. He made me almost register for Igbo in the Junior School Certificate Examination. It took my classmates to warn me not to try such foolhardy plan if I did not want to score an F.  I did not.  I chose Yoruba, which was more familiar.

    I remember my Yoruba teacher, Uncle Bode.  I lived in terror of him because of the stories I had heard from my seniors about his strictness.  However, when he took my class in JSS3, I loved every bit of it.  He was really good.  Unfortunately, he left before we returned to senior school.  The teacher that replaced him, made me hate the subject.  I did not sit for it in the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE).

    At tertiary level, I remember the lecturer who gave me a second chance though I cannot remember her name.  I did not submit an assignment she gave for no tangible reason.  I was just being the unserious fresher.  Somehow, she got to know when I quietly confessed to another classmate who was asking for my script in her office, hoping with all my heart that she would not hear.  She did; and all hell broke loose.  But, surprisingly, she allowed me to do the assignment and submit it.  I ended up with a B in her course.  She definitely earned my respect.  Not many lecturers would have been so gracious.

    I remember Dr Etsiotse, a lecturer that taught me English as a GNS course.  He was so good – so good that I kept his class notes for years after graduation.  But for moving house, I would still have had it.  I do not think I have lost it.  In my heart, I believe it is somewhere in my luggage, waiting to be discovered on a future date.  And, would I be glad!

    I remember so many good teachers that taught me at postgraduate level.  I remember Mr Tomi Vincent that made Law and Ethics desirable to learn.  I also remember Dr Ike Obiaya for giving so many exercises in his Writing Skills classes, which I always looked forward to; and Dr Austin Nweze for being ever so patient.

    All these teachers, and some more that I did not mention because of space, have a special place in my heart.  They may not win the Global Teacher Prize but they have impacted my life positively.  To them, I say thank you.  What about you?

  • Our condition for local govt autonomy, by teachers

    Our condition for local govt autonomy, by teachers

    Local government autonomy is a touchy issue.  While local government workers desire it, others, particularly public primary school teachers, abhor the idea.  The reason is not far-fetched.  They remember the 1990s as the dark years of primary education – when teachers were not paid in many parts of the country for between six and 12 months.  Back then (1992-1994), the local governments were responsible for funding primary education and paying teachers’ salaries.  The  councils’inability to pay teachers regularly from their allocations led to the creation of an account managed jointly by the states and local governments.  It is from this account that primary school teachers’ salaries are removed first before the allocation is disbursed to the various local governments.

    However, with the National Assembly granting the 774 local government councils full financial and administrative autonomy, teachers are afraid the dark ages may be making an unwelcomed comeback.  In October, the National Assembly amended Section 124 of the 1999 Constitution to the effect that local councils should function as a tier of government, independent of state government control.

    But the state Houses of Assembly have rejected independence for local councils.  They gave the feedback to the National Assembly on the amendment last Friday.  This may not be unconnected to the pressure mounted by the NUT, which visited the various houses of Assembly to air their grievances against council autonomy.

    However, despite not getting the 2/3 vote it needed from the state houses of Assembly, the Senate President, David Mark, said the National Assembly would continue to press for autonomy for local councils “until common sense prevails.”

    While the National Assembly is fighting for autonomy for local councils, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) has vowed to oppose it.  Its members, who spoke with The Nation in Lagos, Benue, Niger, Plateau, Abia, Ekiti, Ondo, Rivers, Cross River and other places, threatened to paralyse the basic and secondary education sub-sector should primary school teachers be returned to the care of local councils.

    Recalling the suffering of teachers under councils’ control, two decades ago, Akwa Ibom State chairman of the NUT Comrade Etim Ukpong said local council autonomy would deal a death knell to public primary education.

    “In an event the provision is revised and there is no joint account any longer it will therefore means that we should forget completely about public primary education in Nigeria. To vote yes to council autonomy is to vote yes to the death of public education in Nigeria,” he said.

    The Niger State Secretary of the union, Comrade Labran Garba, said though the teachers are being blackmailed for their stance, they are more concerned about their teachers.

    “We are not opposed to local government autonomy, but our concern is informed by the harrowing experience our members had when local governments pay teachers’ salary. It was a sad memory. Virtually all the councils owed salaries for upwards of 6 months to a year. It was a period of incessant strikes.

    “We are not ready to be subjected to the hardship of the dark days. This is the bone of contention for us at NUT. We are been blackmailed as working against councils’ autonomy, all we are after is the welfare of our members,” Garba said.

    Mr Adesegun Raheem, the NUT Chairman, Lagos State wing, said the National Assembly was aware of the feelings of teachers about the autonomy issue.  He said there are other ways to solve the abuse of local councils by state governments without putting teachers at risk.

    He said: “The proposed bill on the autonomy of the local government will not do public primary schools any good. It was been practised before it was scrapped because of the excesses of the local government chairmen and we feel that if governors of various state are suppressing the activities of the local government by making use of their money illegally, I think as we have JAAC (Joint Accounts Allocation Committee) at the state level we also have FAAC (Federal Accounts Allocation Committee) at the federal level. If the commissioners for finance and the accountant general in so many states could stage a walk out at FAAC when appropriate money was not disbursed, why not local government chairmen staging a walk out from JAAC?”

    Raheem said further that primary education should be taken away from local governments completely and jointly managed by the state and Federal Government.

    He said: “The funding of primary education should be taken away from local government to either the state or back to the Universal Basic Education Commission which of cause metamorphosed from the National Primary Education Commission. If this autonomy scales through, we as professional teachers and a trade union, and of course as taxpayers whose tomorrow hang on the balance, we will make sure that all schools in Nigeria both primary and secondary would be shut down till that law is reversed.”

    Already, some form of joint-funding of primary education is going on between the Federal and state government under the Universal Basic Education (UBE) scheme.  The UBE Act of 2004 allows the Federal Government to match whatever the state government allocates for primary education with two per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund.  The money is disbursed for infrastructural development, instructional material, staff training, but not used to pay salaries.

    The Chairman of NUT, Rivers state, Comrade Geoffrey Worgu, said local council autonomy does not appeal to teachers because of what they suffered between 1990 and 1994 when they had to queue at council offices to get their salaries, which was not always sure.

    “Because then Education Secretaries and Accounts Supervisors turned themselves to demigods and seized teachers salaries at will,” he said.

    Dr. Cletus Uchenna Okeke, NUT Chair, Imo State wing, said those who retired back then did not get their pensions as a result of local government’s insensitivity.

    “All primary school teachers who retired during that period and even soon after were not paid their pensions and gratuities. Most of the lucky surviving retirees of that era are still suffering the effect of that neglect by local government councils,” he said.

    On his part, Kwara State NUT Chairman, Comrade Musa Abubakar, said teachers would not mind autonomy for local councils as long as the JAAC remains.

    He said: “We are not against local government autonomy, we don’t want a repeat of what obtained in the past. Because between 1992 and 1994 primary school teachers in this country saw hell under the authority of the local government; that time was a period of total collapse of the primary school system, it was the period of dark moment in this country.

    “With introduction of joint account between the state and local governments the system has been stabilized and primary school teachers receive their salaries without any hitch. We are saying that if the local government is granted autonomy, federal government should allow the states to run primary schools. After all there is a Supreme Court judgment that favoured the state on the issue of primary schools.”

    Abubakar added that local councils have been unable to discharge their other responsibilities properly and therefore should not be saddled with a responsibility as important as education.

    “Check out the local government areas in the country today, you see that nothing is working. Even their statutory responsibilities they are not equal to the task not to talk of education which is the bedrock of our development,” he said.

    However, a member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ahmed Babba Kaita argued against the continued existence of the JAC on his Facebook page that it has failed the purpose for which it was established.

    He said: “Many may like to argue about the constitutional provision of joint account operation between the local and state government as a safety valve. This was a mechanism put in place to check the menace of public funds pilfering and ensure accountability and probity. However, this mechanism has since lost out to the creativity of Governors who take advantage of a poor and obsolete system of public financial accounting procedure in a manner that defies logic, common sense and patriotism. Governors have over the time perfected the art of muscling the local governments using their supervisory role to usurp the powers of the councils.”

    Sir Raymond Ichita, Chairman NUT Abia State, said he trusts state governments to manage education better than the local councils.  Apart from not paying salaries on time, Ichita said local councils could sack teachers in a bid to save money.

    “The teachers can be victimized by the local government authority; they can sack them at any time.  We don’t trust the local government chairmen because when you give them such money, they will utilize it anyhow they like. They may want to use teachers’ salary to do one project or the other – maybe to pay back later – and while they may want to do that, another problem might crop up which they would use the money for while teachers’ salary will keep lingering,” he said.

    Some senior staff of Aba North and South local government councils who spoke anonymously described the teachers’ fears as unwarranted.  They said that the autonomy would not affect their salary, but would help the council manage its funds properly.

    One of them said: “What the teachers are scared of is that some local government may be looking at what they get monthly and what projects they have, and might decide to prune their staff strength to match their wage bill. But for me, it will be in the teachers’ best interest and help the local government manage schools at the grassroots very well. Have you gone to some schools and see how they are? Such would be a thing of the past if local governments are allowed to manage schools in their domains. That is why we are always referred to as the government that is closer to the people in the hinterland.”

    In Jos, Plateau State, where teachers protested the proposed council autonomy penultimate week, the NUT Chairman, Comrade Gunshin Yarlings said granting autonomy to councils would amount to retrogression as councils do not consider education as a priority.

    “The local governments never took primary education as priority thus did not care to pay their contribution of a mandatory 15 per cent of the teacher’s emolument to the pension fund meant for the payment of pensions and gratuities of primary school teachers.

    “The granting of autonomy to Local Government Councils therefore will amount to the Labo         ur of our heroes past to be in vain because the establishment of National Primary Education Commission (NPEC) now Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and subsequent creation of the State joint Local Government Accounts were done to reverse the trend of Local government councils abuse of teachers,” he said.

    However, chairman of the National Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Comrade Samson Mufuyai, said lack of autonomy has hampered development at the grassroots.

    Mufuyai said: “There is so much developmental deficit at the grassroots and because of the joint account. Life has become more and more difficult for the people at the rural areas, resulting to the worrisome rural-urban drift in search of better life and to have access to basic social amenities.

    Mufuyai suggested that since the JAC is an issue, teachers’ salaries should be sent to SUBEB directly from the federal government for onward payment to them.

     

     

     

  • Osun deputy governor pleads with teachers over salaries delay

    Osun deputy governor pleads with teachers over salaries delay

    The Osun State deputy governor, Chief Mrs. Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori,  has pleaded with teachers to show understanding over the delay in payment of their  salaries.

    Speaking in Osogbo, the state capital while flagging off the distribution of instructional and ICT materials for Elementary and Middle Schools, she blamed the delay on consistent reduction in monthly federal allocation accrued to the state in the last fourteen months.

    Items distributed include, 30 sets of computers, training materials and packets of chalk.

    However, the deputy governor promised a new lease of life for teaching and non- teaching staff in the state public primary and secondary schools.

    She restated  the government’s commitment to the welfare of the workforce in the public schools.

    According the deputy governor, who is also the Commissioner for Education, investment in workers in the public schools, no doubt, will sustain the growth of the state education sector.

    The deputy governor, who described the distribution of the materials as symbolic, assured that it will be a continuous exercise which she said “was designed to make Osun public education a model to other states in the federation.”

    Earlier, the Permanent Secretary in the Osun State Universal Basic Education Board, Alhaji Fatai Kolawole, said the provision of functional education is a key performance index of the Aregbesola administration.

    According to him: “It is not surprising that throughout the first term of this government, Governor Aregbesola touched all the ingredients of educational tripod upon which teaching-learning is anchored. These are the child, classroom environment and teachers.”

  • Glorious day for three Ekiti teachers

    Glorious day for three Ekiti teachers

    It was a glorious day for three teachers of St. Mary’s Catholic Nursery and Primary School, Irona, Ado-Ekiti who  were honoured at an impressive ceremony to mark their retirement from public service.

    Former Head Teacher, Mrs. Rebecca Moradeke Ogundare; Assistant Head Teacher Mrs. Janet Leye Ojo and class teacher Mrs. Deborah Olufunmilayo Adelusi were honoured after putting in the statutory 35 years in careers that dated back to old Ondo State.

    Teachers, non-teaching members of staff and pupils of the school, teachers and pupils from other schools, family members, well wishers and other members of the public thronged the school’s sport field to witness the event. The event featured songs, recitation of poems, cultural dance, choreography by pupils and special song from the teachers of the school.

    Teachers of the school were resplendent in their pink lace ‘aso ebi’ and sky blue headgears. They defied the scorching sun to sing for the retirees with whom they enjoyed good working relationship.

    The three retirees and their spouses wore grey lace materials with orange headgears to match.

    The retirees were also showered with gifts from individuals and the schools where they served during their careers.

    The chairman of the occasion, Senator Bode Ola, in his speech congratulated the trio on the retirement from public service.

    He advocated an enhanced welfare package for teachers, noting that teaching is the foundation of all other professions.

    In her address, Head Teacher of the school, Mrs. Modupe Ajayi, said that it is a thing of joy to work for 35 years and retire without any blemish.

    She said the teachers’ efforts must have produced important persons in the society.  But added: “Sadly enough, the society does not accord due recognition to teachers and this calls for a rethink.”

    “The retirees of today had paid their dues and are bowing out with their heads held high. They have contributed in no small measure to the education of many pupils in the last 35 years and have left their indelible prints on the sands of time.

    “There is nothing done for them that can match what they have put in. We can only ask God to compensate them appropriately. While in service, they were dedicated, committed, hardworking, compassionate, painstakingly thorough.

    “All these attributes marked them out as thoroughbred administrators, a legacy they bequeathed to their successors. As they were successful at work, they were equally successful on the home front as virtuous women. The staff and students cannot thank you enough for your contributions and we will ever remain grateful”.

    Mrs. Ajayi also hailed what she called the “unparalleled cooperation and support” of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) in the success story of the school.

    Responding on behalf of the honorees, the retired head teacher Mrs. Ogundare expressed delight for the “great honour” done her and the two other retirees which she noted would remain indelible in her memory.

    Mrs. Ogundare described teaching as the best profession in the world saying she and her co-retirees were fulfilled being teachers as the profession gave them an opportunity to mould the future of the nation’s future leaders.

    She said it was a rare privilege to serve for 35 years and quit when ovation was loudest commending the staff and pupils of St. Mary’s Catholic Nursery and Primary School for their cooperation during her tenure as head teacher.

    “Today is a glorious day for us, serving for 35 years is rare privilege and we want to give God the glory for sparing our lives to witness today in which we are being honoured by all of you who are here.

    “We are all fulfilled being teachers and teaching still remains a noble profession. Its contributions to nation building cannot be quantified and we are glad that the pupils who have passed through us are making their marks all over the world.

    “On behalf of the retirees, I want to thank you for honouring us today and we are grateful for these wonderful gifts you have showered on us. We will continue to remember today and thank God for the rest if our lives”, she said.

     

  • Our burden, by Northeast teachers

    Our burden, by Northeast teachers

    Theirs is an unenviable task. As teachers in the Northeast states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe where the Boko Haram insurgency is rife, they are faced with the burden of keeping their schools running. With the schools virtually deserted, it is their lot to ensure that pupils keep coming. They share their experiences with KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE.

    In  the Southern part of the country, pupils go to school with ease. They do not have to worry about being harassed on the way.  In the Northeast, where insurgency is rife, it is not easy going to school.

    While other parts of the country enjoy an uninterrupted academic calendar, teachers and pupils in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states, have to think of staying alive first, before any other thing.  In the past one year, primary and secondary schools in the states have been shut for up to nine months in some cases. However, despite the security challenge, states, teachers, pupils and parents have not given up on education.  Some teachers, who attended a school safety and security workshop in Abuja last Friday, said they have improvised ways to keep the schools opened, despite the Boko Haram threat.

    Mr Buka Modu, Principal of Government Science and Technical College, Gujba in Yobe State, misses his school but cannot go there for now because he said it has become Boko Haram base. The sect sacked the school and destroyed its facilities in July. Though the school has been merged with two others close to Damaturu, the State Capital, Modu said school life is not what it used to be before the insurgency. Many of the pupils have been separated from their parents.

    He said: “The insurgency has affected school activities greatly. My school has now relocated to another local government which is about 200 kilometres away from the children’s parents.  The school’s previous site is now captured by Boko haram. Even the school is now their abode; they have destroyed everything in the school. The pupils and their parents are far away now. Some are in Bauchi, Gombe and other states. Now, it is very difficult for those parents to send their children to the school.”

    Since relocating, Modu said only “40 percent or less” of his pupils have resumed. He also said many of those that have resumed find it difficult to study because of fear. He is concerned that performance in the 2015 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) may be poor.

    “They have to stay in a boarding school because there is nowhere to live. In normal days, there is evening prep, night prep, games.  But now, we don’t have such things because you don’t know who will come and bundle you, so you can’t come out and play. Now, may be 10 students play at a time, then, after that, another set would make a team and play.

    “Concerning the night prep, there is no light; almost everything is disconnected. And you cannot put on the generator because the sound would not allow you to hear if anything is happening in the environment.  So, we cannot even put it on for the pupils to read at night.  Students come to class only in the day time.  By 2 or 3pm, the school has closed, and the students go back to the hostel, take their bath and read two or three pages of their books and that’s all. So, you see, it is very difficult for them to pass the SSCE, because you have to read in the night to pass your exams. But, at night you don’t know what is happening. You can’t even sleep let alone read. The mind is just somewhere else. Even the sound of a balloon scares you,” he said.

    Modu urged the government to improve security so teachers and pupils could face the tasks of teaching and learning.  He said some parents actually wait for their wards throughout school hours, to take them home.

    “You know when this happens, at least, we expect the security details around. When you see them around, your mind would be at rest. Our minds, both the teachers’ and pupils’ are not at rest to pass the teaching and learning process. All the school needs is to have security. When something happens, they will come. But, sometimes, they will say they have come, we don’t even know the time they came,” he said.

    Mrs Aishatu Mohammed Bakare of Government Day Secondary School, Bungere in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, is also worried about performance in the 2015 WASSCE.

    “We are more than two steps backwards because we have not been operating schools in Adamawa State. We closed and resumed late due to the Ebola problem; then, we just started for about three weeks and we had to close schools again because of the insurgency. Now, everybody is at home – the public schools. Only the private schools are still on. Actually we do not know what will become of our pupils, this year, especially our SS3 pupils,” she said.

    She said even before the government ordered schools to close, parents had stopped their wards from coming to school.

    “Parents actually stopped their children from coming to school.  Then, finally, we just had to close. Every minute we hear different rumours that they are coming to Yola, so we had no options than to close temporarily,” she said.

    Alhaji Abubakar Hayatu, Principal of Government Secondary School, Mayo-Belwa, Adamawa State, said most schools have closed down.  But some of his pupils still attend school – thanks to hunters who provide security.  He said they are funded by the school’s Parents-Teachers’ Association.

    “Well with the help of our teachers, the PTA, and hunters, we are able to hold classes. In the night, they patrol within the school premises. The hunters are helping us. We are paying them with the meagre resources we get from the PTA,” he said.

    Though situated in the Borno State capital where there is relative safety, Mr Adamu Wakawa, Principal of Government Girls College, Maiduguri, has to cope with running a school that also serves as a camp for internally-displaced people.

    “In my school, particularly, we have displaced persons. Despite  that the school is rowdy, we still make effort that the students, if not all, at least the finalists, are kept in place for them to face their WAEC. Managing students and displaced persons is the greatest challenge that we are now facing. As far as I’m concerned, together with the government, effort is being made to see that students do not lose. Apparently, some schools have been opened. Students can now go to school to cover up what they had lost, so far,” he said.

    Mohammed Musa, Principal of Government College, Nguru, Yobe State, said the lack of perimeter fence around his school worsens the feeling of insecurity.

    “Any time there is an attack close to the school, you see children and teachers disturbed. Most of the schools are vulnerable because they don’t have fences. But it is not all about fencing; whether there is fence, it cannot stop these people.  Government ought to provide security. If security personnel are posted to schools, at least students and teachers will feel secure because somebody is around – at least there is somebody to confront them.  But as teachers and students, we cannot confront any insurgent using just your hand and your biro and whatever, but the presence of security personnel on the school premises is very necessary. And to cap it all the school ought to be fenced, not just this bare fencing; the fencing has to be a little bit high with barb wire on top so that it will prevent anybody scaling thorough,” he said.

    To encourage pupils to go back to school, Suleiman Maina, the state national representative of the National Union of Teachers (NUT), Borno State, said the union has partnered with the government and other stakeholders to keep as many schools as possible open in and around the state capital.

    “Our state governor has formed a high-powered committee by name Primary School Resuscitation Commitee. The committee has sat down with NUT, head masters and stakeholders and now our primary schools have been opened. Out of about 1,000 primary schools now 400 in maiduguri and outskirts are running.  It is so encouraging because now in schools, teachers are performing their jobs,” he said.

    Mrs Jebu Babe of Government Girls Secondary School, Buni Gari in Yobe State, said her school was relocated to Government Girls Unity College, Damaturu, after it was attacked about the same time that Boko Haram killed about 40 pupils of the Federal Government College, Buni Yadi.

    “Our administrative block was totally burnt down in February 2014. Presently, where my school is located is the most dangerous area of Yobe State.  Most of the students are from that area and were also affected personally.  Currently, the school is in Damaturu because the state government has moved it from that area to safety,” she said.

    However, since it reopened at its new location, she said not all the pupils have resumed.  To encourage the pupils to return to school, Mrs Babe said the government has mounted a publicity campaign for them to resume and continue their education.

    “Not all the students have reported to that school because of that thing. Parents have left their homes, and gone to other places, especially Gombe State, because we are bordering them. But three-quarters of the students are back because the government is making everything possible to see that the students are back.  They announce over the radio, television, telling them to come back to school, and by whatever means. I personally as the principal, and other teachers communicate to them through the phone and we tell them to come back; ‘that it is safe here’, ‘come and continue your schooling’. The government is trying by making the parents aware that it is very important for them to send their children; continue their  education because of tomorrow. ”

    She added that the reopening of schools, despite the insurgency is important so the insurgents do not achieve their goal of stopping the education of the citizenry.

    “They should not close our schools because this is one of the things they (insurgents) want. So, let us stand our ground and make sure that we follow the truth. Once the parents feel secure enough, feel that the government is on their side, the students will come,” she said.

  • Rescue our teachers from EVD countries

    We need Dr Joel Okei-Odumakin and other civil rights activists to mobilise people to take to the streets and carry placards to protest the alleged abandonment of 150 teachers sent to Ebola-ravaged countries under the Technical Aid Corps programme.

    These teachers were sent to Liberia, Sierra Leone and Cote D’Ivoire and other countries to teach Mathematics, English Languages and Sciences between 2012 and 2014.  They ought to have returned to Nigeria since last month (October 15-17).  However, the epidemic caused by the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in some of the countries they were posted to has complicated issues.  Commercial flights to the worst-hit countries have been suspended, so it has not been easy for them to return home.  According to reports, they have been appealing to, and waiting for the Federal Government to transport them back home.  Some of them who got tired of waiting endlessly embraced the alternative of traveling by road.  But embarking on the trip by road is a long-tortuous journey home – and a risky one at that.  Those that have done it have had to travel en-route Ghana, Tunisia, and Morocco to get to Nigeria – during which process they were more likely to make close body contacts with many people.  And, of course having to travel that way means they are totally anonymous.  On arrival in Nigeria, there were no medical personnel to check them for symptoms of Ebola.  This only shows how much we are putting ourselves at risk of a reintroduction of the disease into Nigeria.

    Teachers, who are still stranded in those countries, are not finding it easy.  They are afraid to mingle freely for fear of the virus.  One teacher even said he has to beg people to help him purchase food from the market.  Others are located so far from the capitals of these countries.  It must indeed, be a lonely time to be away from home.  They feel neglected and afraid, and some have started regretting ever signing up to serve Nigeria.  I doubt this would have happened if it were American teachers that were involved.  Their government would have ensured they were evacuated right on time.

    The teachers’ suggestion that the Federal Government should charter a flight that would move round the concerned countries to pick them up for the return journey home makes a lot of sense.  That way, they said the government would account for those returning home and be able to test and monitor them right from the airport.  There should be no more delays in getting these teachers home.  They went in service to their fatherland.  They should be treated with dignity and not feel as if they have been abandoned by Nigeria.  Moreover, we need them here to teach in our schools.  They are specialists in the subjects they were sent to teach in those countries – subjects that our children perform sub optimally in.  We should value them so much and get them back home as soon as possible to re-unite with their families.  All it takes is for the President to give the order, and it would be fulfilled.  President Goodluck Jonathan, we are waiting.

     

    No to UI’s PG discrimination

    When will we see an end to discrimination in our education system in this country?  When will we allow merit to determine who is qualified and who is not?  The HND/BSc dichotomy has been on for decades now with many of those affected crying for a change to no end.  Before private universities came into being, I used to hear that some employers discriminated against graduates of state universities.  Now, private university graduates have joined the train.

    I was shocked to learn that the University of Ibadan, which prides itself in maturity, could be involved in this kind of discrimination business.  In its recently-concluded postgraduate admission exercise, it organised a test for all applicants irrespective of the schools they graduated from.  Applicants were told that anyone that made above 40 had a good chance.  However, after results were published, the university announced that only those with First Class from private universities would be considered, while for other universities, it was 2.1.  This was irrespective of whether the private university applicant scored higher than his counterpart from the public university in the screening they did.  An applicant from a private university who scored 64 was dropped because she did not have a First Class, while an applicant from a public university that scored 50 plus was taken.

    The university should have stuck with its screening test as criterion for admission.  What else do they need as proof that a private university candidate is competent after doing better than a public university graduate?  Please let us allow merit to guide us.  Nigeria will be better for it.

     

  • Adeboye makes case for teachers

    Adeboye makes case for teachers

    The General Overseer, The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has appealed to governments and other stakeholders  to encourage teachers in giving their best to pupils under their care.

    He made this appeal at a special prayer and thanksgiving service for teachers and pupils organised by the church at its national headquarters, (Throne of Grace), Ebutte-Metta, Lagos.

    The event, which featured song rendition, bible teaching and prophetic ministration, brought together teachers and pupils nationwide.

    Adeboye, who spoke through his Special Assistant on Personnel and Administration, Pastor Johnson Odesola, said teachers are instruments for positioning youths for exploits; hence the need for them to be encouraged to give their best.

    Adeboye described the neglect of teachers’ welfare as a generational problem that has inhibited students’ performance in their various workplace today. The cleric noted that proper investment in education is non-negotiable as it remains a veritable platform to prepare youths for a more prosperous future.

    Said Adeboye: “I have discovered that if we want to make progress in Nigeria, it is the youth that is engaged, empowered, and envisioned that would lead the change we want to see. We cannot drive the engine of the 21st century with old, obsolete and parochial mechanisms which has pervaded the system and has continued to draw us back among emerging economics of the world”.

    He said: “We are all product of the work and commitment of teachers, therefore they are supposed to be appreciated and celebrated to do more.”

    He admonished teachers to perform their duties with patience, honesty and fear of God which would go a long way in shaping the future of their pupils who look up to them for guidance and direction.

    Adeboye told teachers that God is taking record of their performances, adding that He would reward them for their faithfulness no matter their challenges.

    He restated the commitment of the church to supporting education of the rural poor in Nigeria, particularly primary and secondary school education, saying it is the core of the church corporate social responsibility.

    The event, according to him, is aimed at celebrating teachers as makers of destiny, while also putting forward their challenges and concerns.

  • Foundation honours teachers

    A charity ball to honour  teachers in Oshodi Local Government Area, Lagos would hold on Sunday.

    The event tagged: ‘Teachers Charity Ball 2014’, is being organised by the Hopegate Foundation to commemorate the World Teachers’ Day.

    The Founder, Mrs. Ojuolape Akinyemi, said the ball, which would feature awards, is meant to reward teachers.

    “The event is an excellent way to say ‘thank you’ to teachers who are making a difference in the lives of our children, encouraging them to do even more. Awards to be presented include those of outstanding teacher, longest serving, and best head of school (headmaster, headmistress and principal).

    “This year’s activity by Hopegate Foundation is a pilot in the Oshodi Local Government area, with a view to holding a state wide award and recognition event in the coming year,” she said.

    She argued that not enough effort was being made to appreciate the efforts of teachers “without whom we all cannot be whatever we are today”.

    She urged more corporate organisations and individuals to join  to improving the well-being of the teachers, especially those teaching in public schools, by partnering with government at various levels and NGOs, such as Hopegate Foundation.

    Mrs Akinyemi said the foundation seeks to enhance the socio-economic well-being of the Nigerian teacher through awards, training, and supply of equipment and teaching aids to improve the quality of their service delivery.

    Last month, the foundation held a charity golf tournament titled, ‘Honour the teachers kitty’, at the Ikeja Golf Club to create awareness about the charity ball.

    A total of 100 golfers participated in the tournament that culminated in the presentation of trophies and a dinner.