The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Unity School

  • Unity school heads discuss security

    Principals of Federal Unity Colleges in the Southwest zone have discussed machinery to put in place to protect their institutions in the face of growing security challenges in the country.

    Speaking at the opening of the statutory meeting of principals of Unity schools in the zone hosted by the Federal Government College, Ijanikin, Lagos last Thursday, Chairperson of zone, Dr Agnes Owolabi, said the principals were concerned about how to secure their institutions against external aggression.

    “This meeting is usually convened every three months (termly) and it is rotational.

    “It has in no small way helped in the repositioning of these colleges as well as improved human capacity development.

    “This meeting too, as usual, will also afford us the opportunity to deliberate on common issues, rub minds and chart a way forward against challenges facing our colleges.

    “As you are aware, security of our various schools has been a topical issue that we cannot ignore even though we seem to enjoy relative peace.

    “So that is why we want to put heads together to see how we can put effective machinery in place to ensure that security in our colleges  is not compromised in any form,” she said.

    She said the principals must ensure that they remained on top of security issues in their colleges  to respect and protect the sanctity of human life

    Owolabi said many of the principals had attended one workshop or the other aimed at equipping them with skills necessary to function as chief executive officers in the various colleges.

    “This knowledge is what we want to share among ourselves for the betterment of our sister colleges. Our children must feel safe studying in any environment if our quest for accelerated growth and national development is to be realised,” she said.

    A total of 18 principals of Unity schools across the Southwest region participated in the meeting.

    The host principal, Dr Olufunmilayo Essien also, said  despite efforts by the Federal Ministry of Education to improve infrastructure in Unity schools, her college was still faced with the issue of leaking roofs.

    Essien lamented that the leaking roofs were making effective teaching and learning difficult for both the students and the teachers each time it rained.

    She added that other major challenges faced by the college was that of inadequate staff in some key subjects, poor drainage system erratic power supply and exorbitant electricity bills, as well as inadequate number of security personnel.

    Despite these challenges, Essien said teaching and learning were accorded top priority in the college as many activities were put in place to ensure that academic excellence was maintained.

    The principal, however, lauded the robust relationship between the college management, the old students and the parent forum, adding that they had been a blessing to her administration.

     

     

  • FG releases admission result of candidates into unity schools

    FG releases admission result of candidates into unity schools

    The Federal Government has approved the release of admission list of successful candidates into the Federal Unity Colleges (FUCs) for the 2016/2017 academic year.

    Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said this in a statement issued by the ministry’s Deputy Director (Press), Ben Bem-Goong, on Thursday in Abuja.

    The Minister said the list has been posted online at www.fmeinterviewtest.com.

    He urged candidates who took part in the National Common Entrance Examination (NECO) to check their names on the website.

    The statement said a total of 89,231 candidates took part in the examination, out of which 46,869 met the cut off mark.

    “Of those that met the cut off mark, 24,422 candidates have been admitted, with Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC) Bwari, Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC) Enugu and Federal Government College (FGC) Owerri topping the list with a total of 400 students each, while Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC) Otukpo and Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC) Tambuwal had the least number of 120 candidates each,” the statement said.

    The statement directed all Unity Schools to resume on 19th September, 2016

  • Minister, perm sec disagree on hike in Unity School fees

    Minister, perm sec disagree on hike in Unity School fees

    •Adamu: I’m not quarrelling with Anwukah 

    Minister of Education Mallam Adamu Adamu yesterday denied knowledge of increase in the school fees of Unity colleges.

    But the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Folashade Yemi-Esan, confirmed the increase.

    Yemi-Esan admitted there was an increase which, she said, is not up to 300 per cent.

    Parents, under the aegis of National Parent and Teacher Association of Federal Government Colleges (NAPTAFEGC), had protested the increase in fees of Unity colleges, describing it as “commercialisation of education.”

    The association warned that the new fees, if not reversed, would force parents to withdraw their children from the Unity colleges.

    NAPTAFEGC, in a communiqué read to reporters by its National President, Dr. Gabriel Nnaji, at the end of its National Executive council meeting, said the increment from N20,000 to N75,000 was untimely and insensitive.

    According to him, the fee was increased on June 1 by the Federal Government.

    Both Adamu and Yemi-Esan differed during the inauguration and dissemination of the National Assurance HandBook for Basic Secondary Education in Nigeria, in Abuja.

    “‘Yes, the school fees of Federal Government colleges have been increased but not 300 per cent, as claimed.

    “You are aware of the realities in the country; it is important the colleges are able to maintain the students that are there and you must also be aware these schools are tuition free.

    ’’So, what has been increased is the boarding fees; I do not have the figures but it is not N75, 000. It is a list and when you check the breakdown, it is not up to 30 per cent, she said.

    Minister of State for Education Prof. Anthony Anwukah, who supervises basic education, was neither present nor sent any representative, thereby fuelling speculations that there had been a cold war between the two ministers.

    The case became compounded when Adamu refused to acknowledge him during protocols.

    But Adamu challenged anybody claiming he was quarrelling with Anwukah because he (Anwukah) was allegedly sidelined to provide evidence.

    “I am not aware of increase in the fees of Unity schools. I am the minister of Education and I am not aware. Well, you better try to find out. I am not aware that the minister of state has been sidelined. It is not true  that there is a feud between me and the minister of state,” he said.

    On why Anwukah was absent at the event, Adamu said he was not aware.

    He said: “I don’t know why he was absent because the last person I saw in the office was Professor Anwukah. I am not aware I didn’t acknowledge him in my protocol, maybe it was a mistake. The appointments into parastatals under the Ministry of Education is not one sided.”

    The minister defended the shake-up in the education sector, particularly the sacking of the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB), Prof. Dibu Ojerinde.

    “As far as I am concerned, everybody was carried along in the appointments in Ministry of Education. The former JAMB Registrar (Ojerinde) was not fired; the tenure of some head of parastatals expired. We just replaced or retained some,” he added.

  • Despair as diarrhoea hits Unity School in Ekiti

    Despair as diarrhoea hits Unity School in Ekiti

    There was disquiet at Federal Government Girls’ College, Efon Alaaye, Ekiti State penultimate week where about 300 students were reportedly suffered from diarrhoea. ODUNAYO OGUNMOLA reports that the outbreak caused panic in the community and created anxiety in the minds of parents and guardians.

    For parents and guardians whose children and wards are students of Federal Government Girls’ College, Efon Alaaye, Ekiti State, there were moments of pandemonium and despair. First, there were rumours that some of the students had fallen ill. The news spread like wildfire but there was no specific information with regard to what the ailment was. The nature of the ‘epidemic’ was shrouded in mystery. Parents became so anxious to know their children’s health status.

    The incident could no longer be kept secret as scores of school girls were taken to the hospital.

    What was first suspected was cholera, but after officials of the state Ministry of Health visited the school, it was discovered that the students were down with diarrhoea after some of the victims were subjected to medical scrutiny.

    •One of the sources of water at the college
    •One of the sources of water at the college

    Cholera or diarrhoea, no parent wants his/her ward to be afflicted with any of the two. After series of tests were carried out on the students, food and water facilities at the school,  it became clearer and the situation was brought under control.

    This was the scenario at the Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC), Efon Alaaye in Efon Local Government Area of Ekiti State where normalcy has since returned after many of its students suffered bouts of diarrhoea.

    As the news spread, some parents stormed the school to ascertain the health status of their children. Others who couldn’t appear physically were monitoring the development on the telephone.

    It was not only the parents that were worried, the school authorities led by the Principal, Mrs. Grace Ogunyomi, could not sleep until the last victim was discharged from the hospital.

    Besides the management, the leadership of the school’s Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) were also inundated with phone calls by concerned parents and guardians.

    Doctors, nurses and other workers at the General Hospital, Efon Alaaye, were stretched to their limits and they worked round the clock to ensure that the embattled school girls regained their health.

    The traditional ruler of the town, the Obalufon Alayemore of Efon Kingdom, Oba Emmanuel Adesanya Aladejare, also visited the hospital to know how the students were faring.

    That became understandable because the school was an important mark of federal presence in the community.

    Teachers, non-teaching staff and students of the school which has a population of over 700 students are still wondering how diarrhoea crept into the school.

    Throughout the period the diarrhoea scourge lasted, confusion loomed large at the college established in 1999 following claims in some quarters that as much as 300 of the students were hospitalised for exhibiting symptoms such as stooling, vomiting and weakness of the body, among other symptoms.

    Sources at the school confided in Southwest Report that some students began exhibiting signs of the illness on October 10 by vomiting and stooling uncontrollably.

    As the matter became worse, the Principal, Mrs Ogunyomi, was said to have reported the case to the Ekiti State government on Wednesday, October 21, through the Ministry of Health for prompt action.

    The source revealed that the students were not infected at the same time, but were taken to the hospital in batches for medication.

     

  • Parents to fence Unity School over security concerns

    Parents to fence Unity School over security concerns

    Parents and guardians of pupils attending the Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC), Orozo, FCT, have resolved to erect a perimeter fence around the school. The institution is one of the 104 Unity Schools owned by Federal Government.

    The Nation gathered that each child has been taxed N2, 000, while parents with more children will pay more for the project.

    Parents told our reporter that they could no longer wait for endless promises by the government on the project which has dragged for years; hence the decision to levy themselves.

    They said as stakeholders, they could not fold their arms and allow a repeat of the abduction of over 200 school girls of Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State by Boko Haram insurgents last April.

    The Parents Teachers Association (PTA) Chairman of the school, Peter Oriaran, said the project has become crucial in view of the prevailing security situation in the country especially in the FCT where the school is located.

    He said though the project is expensive, the parents would do it gradually to cushion its financial effects, especially on those parents with more than one child in the college. Aside the fencing project, Oriaran said the PTA has contracted a private security firm and trained its workers to improve security around the school.

    He praised the parents for their cooperation and urged distinguished old students to financially assist their alma mater.

    Parents also berated the government for not communicating adequately before implementing the students’ insurance policy.

    However, the Principal of the school, Mrs. Obiageli Ihekwaba, assured them that government has revisited the policy to ensure fairness to all stakeholders.