Administrator wants support for indigent pupils

The Administrator, Grace Schools, Lagos, Mrs. Olatokunbo Edun, has called on privileged members of the society to sponsor indigent but brilliant pupils to enable them achieve their dreams.

Edun said this recently while presenting scholarship awards to two indigent pupils of the school.

While noting that the award was instituted in honour of the late founder of the school, Mrs. Grace Oshinowo, Edun added that it had become an annual event to support poor pupils to enable them have access to qualitative education, regardless of their socio-economic background.

“More than ever before, it is important to provide succour for these pupils who are determined to learn. It has become a tradition for us in the school to seek out this category of Nigerians and support them. I am calling on privileged members of the society to look around and make these indigent but bright pupils a priority,” she said.

Two pupils, Olawale Ibrahim and Quadri Aileru benefitted from the scholarship awards. Olawale, who formerly attended Community Secondary School, Ilasamaja, Lagos, was elated by the gesture. Quadri’s mother, Mrs. Tinuola Aileru, a food seller at Mushin, lauded the management of the school for the initiative.

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The scholarship is worth N18m per beneficiary.

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UNICEF boss decries Europe’s child migrant, refugee crisis

The United Nations Children’s Fund has decried the unrelenting deaths of migrant children and their parents as they attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean in their bid to enter Europe at all costs.

UNICEF works for children’s rights, survival, development and protection.

In reaction to the image of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi, the Syrian child-migrant whose dead body was washed up a beach in Turkey, the UNICEF Executive Director, Mr. Anthony Lake, said, “Heart-breaking images of children’s bodies washing up on the shores of Europe, lying suffocated in the backs of trucks crossing borders, and being passed over barbed wire fences by desperate parents are unacceptable.

“As the migrant and refugee crisis in Europe deepens, these will not be the last shocking images to ricochet around the world on social media, on our televisions screens and on the front pages of our newspapers.

“But it is not enough for the world to be shocked by these images. Shock must be matched by action; for the plight of these children is neither by their choice nor within their control. They need protection. They have a right to protection.”

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Towards this end, he said, children must be protected through the provision of essential services at all times – including health care, food, emotional support, and education – and adequate shelter for migrants and refugees.

He urged the deployment of adequate numbers of trained child welfare experts to support children and their families.

He also advised continuation of search-and-rescue operations, not only at sea, but also on land, as families move across countries; while he also advised world leaders to make every effort to prevent the abuse and exploitation of migrant and refugee children.

He noted that at least a quarter of those seeking refuge in Europe are children, lamenting that in the first six months of this year, more than 106,000 children have so far claimed asylum in Europe.

He counselled, “And we should never forget what lies behind so many of the stories of families seeking sanctuary in Europe: terrible conflicts such as that in Syria, which already has forced some two million children to flee their country. Only an end to these conflicts can bring an end to the misery of so many.”

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Deaf teachers seek special standard for deaf pupils

The National Deaf Teachers Association has said it is wrong to set the same academic standards for pupils without disability and their deaf and hard-of-hearing counterparts, calling it “misplaced expectations.”

The Chairman, Local Organising Committee, Dr. Tola Odusanya, said this at the inaugural conference of the association in Oyo on Thursday, with the theme, “Deaf children’s education today: Creating a shared vision for deaf teachers.

Odusanya said setting the same academic standards for both categories of pupils would deny deaf pupils the opportunity to flourish.

“Our society has clear expectations, albeit misplaced ones, regarding deaf pupils, to the point of equating their achievements with those of their hearing peers.

“One of such misplaced expectations is to advocate for inclusion. However, it is the collective belief of deaf teachers that deaf pupils and students should not be expected to meet the same set of academic standards articulated for their peers without disabilities.

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“In this respect, we will like to emphasise that inclusion is a misplaced priority, as it denies deaf pupils the opportunity to flourish as their hearing peers,” he said.

Rather than focus on inclusive education, Odusanya, who is the head, Curriculum and Instructions Department, Federal College of Education (Special) Oyo, asked government and all stakeholders to introduce reforms regarding education for deaf children in the country.

Odusanya further recommended improved funding, equipment of interpreters and the employment of only deaf teachers to teach deaf pupils.

“Experience has shown that deaf teachers get better results from deaf pupils. To be candid, many hearing teachers in schools for the deaf today hardly know how to use the sign language or lip read. Just picture it, you have a pupil/student that cannot hear. You cannot sign and the pupil cannot lip read for one reason or the other. How will teaching and learning take place?” he asked.

In his submission, another deaf teacher, Mr. Tope Olaniyi, said the association was formed to challenge deaf pupils by organising debates as well as serve as a pressure group to make government provide better learning environment, among other objectives.

“We intend to continuously expose our members to best practices to make them effective. We are also canvassing for automatic employment for deaf graduates,” he said.

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Expert stresses importance of training

A professor of Guidance and Counseling at the Delta State University, Okobiah Otete, has called on the Federal Government to encourage teachers in public schools to undergo in-service training.

She said it would help to mould teachers’ attitude to work and enhance the development of the teaching profession in Nigeria.

Otete spoke at the 2015 Great Teachers Conference, organised by Jes’s Lord International Services Limited in Lagos recently.

The conference was held at the Home Science School, Lagos.

The professor said, “It will impact on teachers’ attitude, the students and the teaching profession. They will learn how to handle difficult subjects and issues of discipline, as an alternative to flogging children.

“They will learn what teachers need to do to become effective on the job.”

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Otete said the conference had availed participants the opportunity to identify areas of difficulties and the necessary initiatives to take to address them.

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Foundation preaches morals through drama

The Executive Director, New Generation Change Education Foundation, Dr. Sheri Ajasin, has advised pupils to align themselves to moral values and national ethics as enshrined in the constitution.

Ajasin said this during an interview with our correspondent on Thursday. According to her, it is imperative to engender a positive attitudinal change by observing the seven national ethics of Section 23 of the 1999 Constitution, using drama as a tool.

She noted that these core values include discipline, integrity, dignity of labour, and social justice. Others are religious tolerance, self-reliance and patriotism.

She added that the NGCEF, which will have its inaugural public presentation in Lagos on Wednesday, is set to drive a moral rebirth by using pupils to highlight a core value in their school each week.

“Because of the general belief that what one sees, as well as hears, is retained in the memory longer and that it makes a greater impact on the pupils physically, mentally and emotionally. “Based on this fact, once a week, a 10-minute drama sketch highlighting the core value to be taught in the course of the week is staged during assembly for the entire school.

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“This pattern, when repeated weekly, will result in total immersion of the essence of any particular core value,” she said.

According to the Project Director, NGCEF, Mr. Seyi Fasuyi, the Lagos State government has granted permission for the organisation to use all its primary and secondary schools for the project.

“This is a movement. We want people to join us and contribute financially and in any other way to making this a reality. Our pilot study has shown that a moral rebirth will bring about rapid development and growth in our country,” he said.

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Group renovates public school

A non-government organisation, Save Our Needy, has donated learning materials and renovated some classrooms of the Progress Nursery and Primary School, Festac Town, Lagos.

According to the NGO’s Chief Executive Officer, Marvella Odili, the intervention was to make the learning environment conducive for pupils who are from poor homes, adding that the gesture was also to commemorate the inauguration of the first phase of its ‘Better Life Through Education’ programme.

Presenting materials such as tables, chairs and whiteboards to the head teacher, Mrs. Ajayi, Odili added that the school was chosen because of its status as a low-income public school.

Noting that many children are deprived of learning in conducive environment because they are not from rich homes, Marvella said, “It has become increasingly clear that the efficiency of pupils’ learning is dependent on their environment. It is for this reason we’re here today to make learning conditions better for all the children of Progress Nursery and Primary School, Festac Town, Lagos.”

While saying that the motive for the initiative, which was done in partnership with the Shoprite Community Network, was to promote early childhood development and encourage basic education amongst disadvantaged children, Odili added that the transformation of the education sector should not be left solely for the government.

“We are, therefore, doing all we can within our means to make life better for every underserved child in Nigeria,” she added.

Expressing her appreciation, Ajayi said, “The materials will help our classrooms to be clean and free from dust and charcoal, due to the darkening of the former boards.

“The whiteboards make the teachers’ writings to be legible for pupils to see the coloured marker on the board. It will also make teaching and learning beautiful and exciting.”

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Parents protest as principals charge school bus, furniture levies

Community Senior Grammar School
| credits: Folashade Adebayo

Parents who have had to pay unauthorised levies to the management of some public schools in Lagos have cried out to the state government for intervention.

The parents, who are alleging that principals of the affected schools forced them to pay N1,500 before they could collect the report cards of their children, are asking the state Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, to stop the schools from further extorting money from them in the name of the state government.

It was learnt that the money was meant for the purchase of a school bus.

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One of the parents, Mrs. Kike Anibaba (not real name), alleged that her son, who is a pupil of Community Senior Grammar School, Aguda, Surulere, paid N1,500 on Monday to his class teacher on the instruction of the school principal.

She also alleged that the school ran a poultry where chickens were sold to members of the public.

“I had to borrow the money to pay on Monday. My son who was in SS1 paid the money to his class teacher before he was given his report card. They were initially asked to come with the money on August 20 but many parents could not pay up. Imagine collecting N1,500 per pupil. There are 78 pupils in my son’s class alone.

“A lot is happening in government schools and I am bitter about it. Did the pupils ask for a school bus? We even had to pay another N100 to collect the report card. Why? This particular school also charges N2,500 for customised uniforms. We are forced to buy from them. The times are hard and most of us enrolled our children in government schools because we could not afford private schools. Why are they extorting money from us in the name of government? The school has a poultry within its premises and the principal is always saying it is for Biology practical,” she said.

Calling on Ambode to step into the matter, Anibaba said the principal of the senior school, whom she identified only as a woman, had frustrated efforts of the parents to challenge her.

Another parent, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said she had to struggle to get the money when her daughter said she might not be allowed to resume with other pupils later this month.

“This idea of a school bus is strange. But I had to give my daughter the money though I budgeted it for something else. This is supposed to be a low-cost school and I don’t know the type of bus they want to buy. My own grouse is that the money is simply too much. We also attended public schools. We did not have a school bus in our time because it was not a priority. Do you know how many pupils are in a class and the entire senior school by extension? This is fraudulent and smells of corruption,” said the parent.

Our correspondent, who visited the school on Wednesday, established that pupils indeed pay the amount before they could collect their report cards. On the pretext of being the guardian to one of the pupils, this reporter met a teacher, identified as Mr. Bello, but was told to wait for one Mrs. Macauley who is in charge of payment.

Macauley, however, denied that the school birthed the idea when confronted on the issue.

“It was a decision taken during one of the parents-teachers meeting. The Junior School has a school bus and we teachers used to drive the pupils to events and competitions. There was a time we had to take 40 pupils to an event and we were running up and down.

“The parents saw this and decided, on their own, to donate N1,500 per pupil to enable us to buy a school bus. A committee of parents was even set up to that effect. The school did not force them,” she said.

The teacher, who declined to provide the contact of the PTA chairman, also denied that the school was running a poultry.

“The Lagos State Government is trying but it cannot provide everything. The government donated 200 birds to the school. We did not have computers and projectors until the state government provided them. But nowadays, parents see the need to intervene,” she said.

However, findings by our correspondent showed that the school many not be alone. A self-employed man, Mr. Olu Benard (not real name), whose son attends the Lagos Progressive Junior Secondary School, also in the Surulere area of the state, told our correspondent on Wednesday that the principal also charged N1,500 for furniture given to the school by the state government free of charge.

Pleading on behalf of other parents, Benard asked Ambode to appoint supervisors whose duties would be to periodically monitor public schools in the state.

He said the school was already giving the government a bad name because theywere told that the state government directed them to collect the money.

There were no teachers in the premises when our correspondent visited the school on Wednesday but the security man asked her to come back in order to pay for the furniture.

Speaking to our correspondent on Thursday, a source in the Ministry of Information said while the PTA could make its own arrangements, the school was not expected to compel any parent to pay.

“It is not supposed to be a fixed charge or tied to report card collection even if the PTA arrangement is true. Parents should have been allowed to donate anything they have,” said the source.

However, the Public Relations Officer of the ministry, Mr. Jide Lawal, told our correspondent on Thursday that necessary measures would be taken against any errant official.

“We are going to investigate and will take disciplinary actions against any teacher or principal found culpable. We will also take necessary measures to forestall a recurrence,” he said.

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United Global certifies 128 pupils

United Global Resources Limited, a partner of Microsoft, has said no less than 128 pupils have benefited from its certificate programmes in five years.

Centre Manager for UGRL, Mr. Odion Oyakhire, said it was an annual programme that provides information technology skills to primary and secondary school pupils.

“Within two or three weeks, 31 pupils wrote the exams. Twelve of the 31 got certified as Microsoft Office Specialists for Office Excel 2010, while 19 got certified as Microsoft Office Specialists for Office Word 2010,” Oyakhire said.

He said this on Monday at a programme to award certificates to some pupils. According to him, Grade Four pupils sat for the Microsoft Word exam, while pupils in higher classes sat for the Excel exam.

“There are more advanced stages, but the pupils only sat for the basic exam. They were taught in their schools, but during summer, they did revision and sat for the examination here,” Oyakhire said.

Some of the schools that participated in the certification programmes are Gem Private School, Jewels & Pearls, The Lord’s Seeds Children School, Halcyon International School and Totsville School.

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According to him, the reason is because UGRL just started the Excel programme. He also said that UGRL is making plans for Microsoft Office PowerPoint certification for pupils in Primary/Grade 6 and above.

Oluomachi Osuagwu, who wrote the Microsoft Word exam and exceeded the pass mark of 700 over 1,000 said, “I want to be a Microsoft specialist because it would help my teaching.”

A JSS 3 student of Christ College, Alausa, Bankole Morinsola, who also wrote the Microsoft Excel exam said, “It will help me to get job in the future and to get scholarships.”

A parent present at the gathering, Mrs. George Ashiru, said, “My advice to parents is that they should also enroll their children in such programmes. It is encouraging to see children who are willing to learn.”

UGRL General Manager, Mr. Vipul Gajjar, said, “We work with many schools. We see this certification as a roadmap for success for the children, because IT is the future.”

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Lessons to prevent sexual abuse should be mandatory

Some of the country’s leading child safety experts have demanded that a subject which teaches children about sexual abuse and relationships becomes mandatory.

Leading child safety experts have called for a subject that educates children on issues such as sexual exploitation and abuse to become mandatory in schools.

The demands come a year after reports confirmed that more than 1,400 children were sexually exploited by gangs in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.

In order to help raise awareness of sexual exploitation and abuse, leading child safety experts, including the NSPCC, Barnardo’s, and the Children’s Commissioner, have asked that personal, social, health and economic education becomes compulsory in schools.

These demands follow the recommendation made by the Commons Education Committee last February that PSHE should be introduced as a core curriculum subject to ensure pupils receive education on issues like sexual consent.

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But despite ongoing inquiries into the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal, the government has still not responded to the committee’s advice.

According to Ofsted reports, PHSE still remains a sub-standard provision in schools and is often taught by under-qualified teachers.

Peter Wanless, NSPCC chief executive, said: “With the potential dangers from online sexual predators and the horrifying exploitation cases of recent years there couldn’t be a more crucial time for children to learn about staying safe.

“There is no question PSHE should be on every curriculum as it is at the frontline of child protection. Without it there is a worrying gap that could leave children at serious risk of harm and sadly ignorant about healthy and caring relationships.”

Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield, OBE, reiterated this. She said: “If we are to help to protect all children from the sexual abuse and exploitation we have seen in towns such as Rotherham, it is critical that we equip them with the skills to identify unhealthy relationships.

“For this reason I am a strong supporter of making PSHE statutory. We will not be doing all we can to minimise harm until we do so.”

PSHE addresses matters such as personal safety, online hazards, bullying and healthy relationships. Evidence suggests that pupils who are taught PSHE are more likely to report abuse they may encounter.

A Department for Education spokesman said: “High-quality PSHE and relationship education has an important role to play helping young people make informed decisions and ensuring they know what support is available.

“Sex and relationship education is compulsory in all maintained secondary schools and many primary schools also teach it in an age appropriate manner.”

Source: telegraph.co.uk

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‘Children under 10 should not own smartphones’

Survey finds that majority of parents believe that young children should not own smartphones

Children under the age of ten should not be allowed to own a smartphone, a majority of parents believe, according to a new survey

Internet Matters, a non-for-profit organisation working to keep the internet safe, found that 85 per cent of parents of primary school children want an age requirement enforced.

Currently, as many as 65 per cent of children aged between eight and 11 years old own a smartphone.

Newcastle has been nicknamed the “smartphone capital of Britain” – more than 90 per cent of eight to 11 year olds own a device.

Second is Nottingham at 90 per cent. London sees fewer young children owning smartphones at just 55 per cent. In Brighton just four out of 10 children in that age bracket own such a device.

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“With such a huge amount of young people owning smartphones and the acceptable age of doing so being 10, parents need to be more aware than ever of what their children are doing online,” Carolyn Bunting, General Manager at Internet Matters said.

That’s why we have launched our brand new online safety guide, so that parents remember these safety precautions in their back to school shopping list for their children.

“We would urge parents to ensure they have the conversation with their children about how to be responsible on their phones and ensure that the safety settings are in place across all their devices and search engines.”

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School admits girls for the first time in 500 years

A school which has only taught boys for more than 500 years has opened its doors to girls for the first time.

Nottingham High School welcomed 41 girls in the sixth form as the new term started on Thursday.

The school, which taught writer DH Lawrence, Jesse Boot of Boots fame, and politicians including Ed Balls and Ken Clarke, had only accepted male pupils since it was founded in 1513.

There was also be a mixed intake of pupils in reception, year one and two.

Lucy Stansfield, 16, of Newark, is studying drama, economics, history and English, and is among the first girls to start at the school.

She said: “It’s really exciting – I know everyone says that – but I am one of the first girls and it’s like we’re making history.

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“I’m intrigued. It will be interesting to see how the school make us feel welcome, but they seem to have done a really good job so far.

“It’s really important in sixth form to have a mixed environment and the contribution from both girls and boys is really key. It helps with discussion and more accurately reflects how things will be in later life.”

Alex McConachie, 16, of Wysall, is able to join twin sister Grace after the entrance policy changed.

He said: “We haven’t been in school together since primary school and we get on really well so it’s quite fun having her and all the new people here.

“I wasn’t expecting it to be so sociable between the boys and the girls.”

Grace said: “I was a bit scary at first, I thought it would be hard being one of the few girls, but it’s been fine.”

Jamie Ellis, 16, from West Bridgford, said: “It didn’t feel like school at first because you are not used to having girls around, but it slowly has become the norm. You get used to it relatively quickly because you know that’s how it’s going to be from now on.”

The school has just under 1,000 pupils and headmaster Kevin Fear said he would like to eventually have an equal mix of male and female pupils.

He said: “Education has to prepare young people for real life and in real life men and women work together.

“It was our 500th anniversary two years ago and we had a look at where we wanted to be in five, ten, even 20 years time and decided it was right to become a school for both men and women.

“We have attracted many more girls than we expected and I think that shows the reception to the plans has been very positive.”

Students have to pass an entrance exam to gain a place and fees start at £3,048 per term for the infant school and rise to £4,452 per term at the senior school.

The school, in the Arboretum area of Nottingham, had a 99 per cent GCSE and A-level pass rate this year.

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ASUU warns of crisis in LASU over VC’s conduct

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“Ebola case in Liberia will be child’s play; health supersedes education” – Nigerians warn against Sept. 22 resumption

Many Nigerians have disagreed with the new directive by the federal government that all private and public primary, secondary schools resume September 22.
The reviewed date made public on Friday was a reverse of the initial October 13 date approved by the Federal Executive Council, FEC.
The federal government had considered the option of keeping all schools closed as a precautionary measure against the spread of the Ebola Virus Disease.
Latest figures shows that the virus has killed 2000 in West African countries of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Nigeria has officially recorded seven deaths.
Reacting to NewsGenesis’s report on the September 22 date, respondents wondered why the federal government postponed resumption in the first place, asking which is wise of re-opening schools and ensuring a disease-free society.
Corper Basil from Abia state said: “One thing I like about Ebola is that even the Minister is not safe. I don’t know what is wrong with our leaders. That is how they were so reluctant on Boko haram initially; now see the nature of our security. Bet me, if out of their ignorance, the resumption of schools goes awry, Liberia will be better than Nigeria on EVD.”
Demola, responded this way: “These people are grossly incompetent. How could they think it is okay for schools to resume in September when d country is still on a high red alert. I thought the Minister of Health assured that the EVD was only in Lagos and boom another case in Port-Harcourt. These people (government officials) have their children studying abroad and that’s why they care less – just like the missing Chibok girls. EVD should never have entered Nigeria if Chukwu (Health Minister) had taken appropriate precautionary measures.”
A female commentator, Susan accused leaders of wrong policies and at the same time looting funds meant for the education sector to sponsor their wards to study abroad.
“These morons have no regard whatsoever for human lives. They don’t have their children here. If so, I doubt they would suggest our children go back to school while the nation tries to get grip of the deadly Ebola virus. They rule over us like we are cattle; making foolish decisions without thinking twice will destroy us if they are not stopped.”
Another respondent, Ren, advised the Minister to withdraw the latest directive, saying a dead child cannot be educated. “The current health situation in the country is far more pressing than academic matters. Nigerians should stand up and protest against school resumption.”
Florence Obafemi, adding her voice posited: “It is not for the good of our children because it is difficult to tell little children not to play with others. Our innocent children must be protected at all cost. Forget the cry of some private school owners. Some are protesting because of the money they are losing due to the postponement.”
Bassey, for his part, posed series of questions: “Can someone please tell me what is wrong with our leaders? What is the rush all about? Is one month to wait for Ebola to be eradicated in the country too much? If there was war in the country, won’t the schools wait ? If the private schools want to open, let them go ahead and do so, but they must sign an undertaken in case anything goes wrong in the lives of our children. We are just too careless in this part of the world.”
A certain ‘Stay’ also asked when the FG started caring about the future of the young ones. According to him, “Teachers/lecturers can be on strike for as long as possible, yet there won’t be any intervention. Poor people are always at the receiving end, their children are either grown-ups or not resident in Nigeria. God help the masses!”
Joining the debate, an anonymous commentator insisted that the previous resumption date (13th of October) remains the best choice as it will give the government time to think on how to resolve the issue better.
Continuing, “I personally would never allow my kids resume while the Ebola issue is still very much at hand. So please I’m begging the government on behalf of my family to let be 13th of October”.
Supporting government, however, one of the respondents, Michael, opined that since the Minister of health has deemed it fit that schools re-open on September 22, the directive should be respected.
Welcoming the new date, a supporter stated that the academic career of the children would be affected if schools remain shut, while another, Promise by name, went spiritual. He called on Nigerians to “leave everything to God because children can get Ebola Virus Disease at home or in school. We should keep praying against further outbreak,” he said.
Another angle to the discussion was taken by Alake, who opposed calls by some persons that other states can open classrooms on September 22, while schools in Lagos and Port-Harcourt remain shut till next month.

“That is not a good decision because some of these children actually travel to different places including Lagos and Port-Harcourt, so please let the resumption date remain 13th October.”

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Reps Criticise Finance Ministry For Delayed Release Of Education Funds

 
The House of Representatives Committee on Education has criticised the Ministry of Finance for the delay in release of appropriated education parastatals.

The Committee expressed its disappointment on the back of its oversight function to the National Universities Commission to ascertain the level of implementation of projects for the fiscal year and the efficiency of its operations.
The Deputy Executive Secretary of Administration for the Commission, Akinbode Agbaoye, revealed to the lawmakers that only 35 million Naira had been released out of the 130 million appropriated to the commission for 2014.
The Director of Accounts, Dr. Sam Onazi, also explained that the amount released amounted to only about 27% of appropriated funds and this has caused huge delay in projects execution.
The Chairman of the Committee, Aminu Fagge, while echoing that the delay in the release of funds had hampered budget implementation and execution of capital projects in the education sector, also asked for quick intervention from the Finance Ministry.
Another issue addressed at the meeting was the persistent conflict between the commission and other professional bodies over accreditation of university programmes and the recent allegation by a vice chancellor that the commission charges a fee for accreditation.


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Consultant rues WAEC results, says parents must encourage their children not to relegate education

 


An education consultant, Afolabi Imokhuede, has attributed the decline in the performance of students that sat for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the last three years to societal failure.
Results released by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) showed that out of approximately 1.7 million students that took the exams, 529,425 passed with at least five credits, including Mathematics and English language.
A total of 145,795 results were withheld, with the performance percentage declining from 38.81 per cent in 2012 to 36.57 per cent in 2013 and 31.28 per cent in 2014.
Although the latest decline is coming in the same year a summit was held on education to address the issues and challenges in the sector, Mr Imokhuede stressed that the immediate effect was not expected just few months after the summit.
He pointed out that the steady decline should be a wake-up call for the government, stressing the need for the resolutions of the summit to be implemented.
“We cannot afford to sweep the summit resolutions under the carpet”, he told Channels Television.
Imokhuede stated that there were some recorded improvements in the performance between 2000 and 2010, but that the stakeholders in the education sector had allowed the improvement to fizzle out.
“It is a societal failure in my opinion. And when I say societal failure, I mean the parents, the teachers the government, politics and the students who are also involved. It is a combination of all of these things that is resulting in what we see now.
“We have not done a lot as a society, in front of the younger ones to propel them to want to study. You will see situations where people think they can make money without going to school.
“They think they can make money from social media, music and Nollywood . We have had societal decline in the value of education and that needs to come up, and that is why I blame a lot of the parents.
“Parents have got to make out time to teach their children. This younger generation is yearning for a different kind of learning, because on the backdrop of the decline, we are still seeing a lot of innovations and these are coming even from the younger generation”, he said.
The consultant also said that the Research and Development agencies had to carry out more researches to “identify the kind of learning process teenagers want”.
“This is the time we should get it right the most and it has to involve all the stakeholders. Our curricular are obsolete and they should be looked into. The textbook and how it is used should also be looked into”, he said.

Imokhuede further called on the government to address recruitment of teachers, improvement of the facilities in teachers’ training schools, remuneration of the teachers and the need to get learning foundation right.

NEWS GENESIS (C) 2014 All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from News Genesis.

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Lasu Freshers 2014 / 2015 Resgistration Portal Reopened

The University Management has approved the re-
opening of the
Portal for three[3]days, Wednesday 13th to Friday 15th
August,2014.
The re-opening was borne out of many complaints
received from
students ranging from wrongful upload of course
codes in some departments to errors in the
registration of some courses with compulsory and/or
elective status
in place of others at the beginning of
2013/2014Academic Session.
Students with such problems are enjoined to seize this
window of
opportunity available to make corrections and to access
“Add and Delete”Portal. Once corrections have been
made, students are to print-out their course registration
forms which are to be endorsed
by their respective Heads of Departments.
Also, in line with the reversal of school fees to the old
rate by the
Lagos State Government, students who are yet to
register for 2013/2014 Academic Session
are also enjoined to do so within this period.
Finally, Management is in conjunction with the State
Government looking into the cases of those who had
paid their
school fees and registered prior to the recent downward
review.
The concerns of the affected students will be
addressed shortly. UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT

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Lasu Freshers 2014 / 2015 Resgistration Portal Reopened

The University Management has approved the re-
opening of the
Portal for three[3]days, Wednesday 13th to Friday 15th
August,2014.
The re-opening was borne out of many complaints
received from
students ranging from wrongful upload of course
codes in some departments to errors in the
registration of some courses with compulsory and/or
elective status
in place of others at the beginning of
2013/2014Academic Session.
Students with such problems are enjoined to seize this
window of
opportunity available to make corrections and to access
“Add and Delete”Portal. Once corrections have been
made, students are to print-out their course registration
forms which are to be endorsed
by their respective Heads of Departments.
Also, in line with the reversal of school fees to the old
rate by the
Lagos State Government, students who are yet to
register for 2013/2014 Academic Session
are also enjoined to do so within this period.
Finally, Management is in conjunction with the State
Government looking into the cases of those who had
paid their
school fees and registered prior to the recent downward
review.
The concerns of the affected students will be
addressed shortly. UNIVERSITY MANAGEMENT

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Female hostel in Benue State University on fire [PHOTO]

Report reaching usfrom Makurdi, the Benue
State capital indicates that a female hostel of the state
university is currently on fire.
According to our source, the fire outbreak was caused
by electrical fault on Tuesday morning in the Block S
Hostel, 2nd campus.
This newspaper further learnt that no life was lost in
the incident. We gathered that fire service men are
currently on ground to put out the ragging inferno,
which has already destroyed several property in the
institution.

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NOUN opens centre in Emevor, awards full scholarship to 102-year-old monarch

Prof. Tenebe Vincent

The National Open University of Nigerian, NOUN, has awarded full scholarship to the Paramount Ruler of the Isoko North Local Government Area community; HRM Francis Onovughakpor Ekhama.
The announcement was made as the people Emevor, a community in Delta State, celebrated the opening of a NOUN Study Centre in their domain.
Vice Chancellor of NOUN, Prof. Vincent Tenebe, who made the disclosure, said the monarch would study to any level of his choice at the institution.
“I mean every word of it. The Odion has to start burning his candle now to earn a degree free of charge”, he said.
“He is not the first to be so challenged. The Awujale of Ijebu Land, Ogun State, Oba Sikiru, who is 80 years old is a student of NOUN. He would soon graduate.
“This scholarship to His Majesty, added to the opening of a NOUN center at Emevor today, are all in our efforts at demystifying university education in Nigeria.
“One of the mission statements of the NOUN is bringing education to the doorstep of everybody in open and distance learning without undermining quality. By every standard, this Study Center represents the presence of a Federal University in Emevor.
“We are the only university that democratises university education, giving freedom and liberty to individuals to study at their own time, at their own pace without the barriers of limited admission space, distance, business engagements and even age that deny several persons university education in the conventional universities”.
Tenebe said with the Study Center at Emevor, artisans, traders, full time housewives, and workers who had been restrained by their business or social barriers from gaining higher education in the conventional university now had the opportunity to gain tertiary education.
It is still unknown if the Emevor monarch would take advantage of the scholarship to enroll at the NOUN as he declined immediate response.

The apparently joyous monarch, who joined the Pro-Chancellor of the NOUN, Sen. Ameh Ebute, the VC and other dignitaries in declaring the center open, said he would make his decision known later.

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Ondo students fault SSG, SSA on imposition of candidate

Members of the National Association of Ondo State Students (NAOSS) are now at loggerhead with some aides of Governor Olusegun Mimiko over an alleged undue interference to the affairs of the union.
They are particularly pointing accusing fingers on the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Rotimi Adeola and the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Affairs, Muyiwa Asagunla for imposing an already impeached Students’ Senate President, Israel Fagbamigun on them.
Speaking at a Press Conference in Akure, the State Capital, today, the NAOSS National President, Simon Awodola explained that Fagbamigun was impeached on the ground that he had been suspended in NAOSS Chapter of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) before coming to contest the Senate Presidency.
He added that a notice of his impeachment was immediately communicated to all the necessary quarters including the office of the SSG and the SSA Youth.
Awodola said despite the quick communication about Fagbamigun’s impeachment, the SSA to the governor and SSG allegedly summoned a Senate sitting which was held at Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo under the leadership of the impeached Senate President.
The NAOSS President alleged that those who sat as members of the Senate were non-students, while the mace used was fake because it was designed by the SSA.
His words, “We wish to put it on record that the Senate that sat in a school that has been closed for all academics activities for over three weeks and the mace used at the sitting was said to be brought there by the SSA-youth, who is not a member of the Association is illegal.
“In view of this, we urged all Naossites worldwide and the general public to disregard any resolution issued by these usurpers as legality cannot be built on illegality. A fake Senate cannot make law or enact laws for authentic Students.
“The acclaimed Senate President has been impeached and the man they are using as the Chief Whip is a security man at the National Industrial Court, Akure. This is aberration therefore should be allowed to stand”.
Meanwhile, Asangula has denied the allegation, saying he had never for once interfered in the affairs of the students or imposed a candidate on them despite that his office is in charge of students’ activities.
As at the time of filing the report, the SSG mobile lines were unreachable.

NEWS GENESIS (C) 2014 All rights reserved. This material, and other digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior express written permission from News Genesis.

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