Education

Gov. Babatunde Fashola of Lagos State on Thursday said that education in the country must now be geared toward meeting the nation’s needs to make graduates employable

The National Examination Council has released NECO 2012 external November/December Senior Secondary School Examination SSCE result with 54 percent and 33.8 percent credit pass above in mathematics and English language respectively. The Result released ...

The Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) on Thursday called on the Bauchi Government to as a matter of urgency, resolve the contentious issues of the disengaged 2000 teachers in the state.

The NUT President, Mr Micheal Olukoya made the call while briefing newsmen on the face-off between the Bauchi State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and the state wing of the NUT in Abuja.

``It should be recalled that Bauchi Universal Education Board

sometimes in December 2012, disengaged almost about 2000 primary school teachers on the inexcusable grounds of possessing a National Certificate of Education of the National Teachers Institution.

``All efforts to convince the Bauchi Government to appreciate that NTI as a federal institution legally established to train and
certify teachers in this regards fell on deaf ears.

``At the intervention of the Elders Forum in Bauchi, the state government accepted to verify the genuineness of the certificate.

``Yet till date, the teachers have not been recalled, even after the intervention of the elders and the National leadership of the union,’’ he said.

Olukoya said that the leadership of the union had made an attempt to meet with Gov. Isa Yuguda of Bauchi to amicably resolve the issue but was ``rebuffed’’.

He said that payments of teachers’ salaries from January till date had been stopped while the state government had also impounded the union's dues.

Olukoya, therefore, called for a peaceful resolution of the contentious issues which included the return of the disengaged teachers back to the classroom, while the process of verification of their certificates continued.

He called for the immediate release of the salaries of all the teachers in the interest of equity, fairness and justice.

He also called for the release of the check-off dues of the NUT in compliance with the Trade Union Act of 2004.

The Trade Union Act stated that it is mandatory on employers to deduct check-off dues from workers wages and release same unconditional to the registered office of the union.

Olukoya said that the union was desirous of a quick end to the dispute and called on the state governor to grant the leadership of the union an immediate audience to dialogue ways of industrial peace in the sector.

The National leadership of the union assured teachers in the state that the union was doing everything possible to resolve all issues with the relevant authorities.

He commended the Bauchi state Elders Advisory Committee, state House of Assembly and the Nigerian Labour Congress state council for their efforts in fashioning out ways to resolve the issues. (NAN)

Sequel to the activities of cultists at the Lagos State University, (LASU) that led to the killing of two students, the State House of Assembly on Tuesday called on Governor BabatundeFashola to as a matter of urgency fortify security to save the lives ...

Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi has said that the establishment of private universities is a catalyst that may revive the quality of education in Nigeria. Speaking, yesterday, as a guest lecturer at the 2nd convocatio...

Saddened by the alleged killing of students of the Nasarawa State University by men of the Nigerian Army, the House of Representatives yesterday mandated its committees on Army, Internal Security and Police Affairs, to investigate why soldiers were dep...

Federal College of Education, Technical, Gombe, has advised all its students staying off campus, particularly residents of London Maidorowa and Kagarawal quarters, to relocate to the campus for safety reasons.

The Provost of the College, Dr Abbas Gimba,  gave the advice in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Friday, saying that all the places mentioned were volatile and not good for students to live.

He said the advice was prompted by the recent incident at London Maidorowa, where one of the students was shot dead when security personnel invaded the area in search of criminals.

He said the school authority had to relocate some of the students whose houses were demolished when the security personnel raided the area in search of criminals' hideouts last month.

“In spite the fact that all accommodation in the campus was allocated we still created a space for them.

“The college even gave them money to buy clothes and food because most of their belongings were destroyed,“ he said.

The provost said by next semester the college would privatise its accommodation and make arrangements for people to come and start building the facilities because government had stopped funding the construction of hostels.

The provost said the college's major challenge was finance and expressed the hope  that government would fund the institution adequately.

The Minister of State for Education, Chief Nyesom Wike,  on Thursday said  the poor performance of students in mathematics and English Language had given the Federal Government cause for concern.

Wike made the statement in Abuja at a meeting of the Steering Committee on Strengthening Mathematics and Science Education (SMASE) Nigeria Project.

He said that if Nigeria was to attain its vision 20:2020, improving teaching and learning in mathematics, English language and sciences would be vital.

The minister said that poor performance in the subjects, especially at the basic level, would hamper the building of a solid foundation for the Nigerian child.

He said the role mathematics and sciences played in building human capacity for national development in a technology-driven global economy could not be over-emphasised.

Wike said the meeting would enable the committee to assess the project and its implementation to take decisions on the success of the second phase of the project.

He urged the committee to ensured full implementation of the activities ear-marked in the project document.

He also urged the Department of Technology and Science Education to work with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and other stakeholders to evolve strategies to enhance timely completion of the project.

``The report of our Japanese counterpart of April last year for the mid-term review evaluation of the project, drew my attention to the challenges of the project.

``It made me to constitute a bilateral task team to assess the progress of the report on the  project, identify the gaps and challenges based on the assessment.

``I, therefore, proposed strategies for accelerating the process of the project implementation and to prepare a memo to the National Economic Council on the SMASE Nigeria Project".

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Thursday called for the provision of quality reproductive health services for women in the country.

Obasanjo made the call at the first Dr Abel Guobadia Memorial Lecture, organised by the Women’s Health and Action Research Centre, in Benin.

He named some of the services needed to be provided by government as medical care, family planning, delivery care and treatment as well as prevention of sexually transmitted infection.

The former president added that ``until we are able to have the issue elevated and addressed, we will not be dealing with the issue on the basis of root, stem and branch solution''.

``The beginning of such solution will be giving the girl-child education a pride of place and the seriousness it truly deserves.

```Education is core in resolving a lot of the questions and challenges around women’s health.

``The person who said `educate a woman and you educate a nation’ could not have phrased or captured it better.

``And I strongly believe that even more now than ever. Your work here in this centre is highly desirous, if we must make a headway that is meaningful to our society.’’

He said government also needed to ensure that there was improvement in the social and political conditions of women, rather than emphasise on the increase of their numerical strength.

He said that government should provide the enabling environment to encourage women to have access to quality education.

``Women are faced with hard tide of second best education, after their male counterparts.

``Women must be able to access more economic opportunities, more education and they must be able to have a lot to contribute to decisions that challenge and affect them.’’

On the life of Guobadia, he said the former INEC boss’ interest in women’s health was infectious.

``His championship had effect on my administration in paying greater attention more than any other administration on women’s health, in terms of legislation passed,’’ he said.

Gov. Adams Oshiomhole commended Obasanjo for his interest in the affairs of one of his appointees, even after death.

Oshiomhole described the former president as an ``African voice that is respected across the globe''.

``Those who have respect for what people have done, will surely get respect when they die.’’

He said Obasanjo was known for his hard work, dedication and delivery on his commitment.

Oshiomhole, however, tasked the public to encourage women to participate in all human endeavour and encourage girl-child access to quality education.  

Stakeholders in the education sector in Kebbi State have asked the authorities responsible for the conduct of examinations in Nigerian schools to address the menace of malpractice. They also described as appalling, the continued declining integrity sta...

152 out of the 400 teachers sacked last year by the Bayelsa State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) over alleged irregularities in their employment were, yesterday, re-employed after due application, interview and proper employment letters. The 4...

President Goodluck Jonathan said on Saturday that only high standard of education would guarantee a better future for Nigerian children.

He made the remark in Nsukka at the 42nd convocation and conferment of higher and honorary degrees at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

He said the best way to derive the benefits of the country's large population was to get the people educated, skilled and employable.

“It is for this reason that education receives the highest financial allocation in our budget in 2013,” Jonathan said.

“The present administration is determined to provide access to quality education at all levels for Nigerians”.

Represented by NUC Secretary, Prof Julius Okogie, Jonathan urged the private organisations to join hands with the Federal Government in forging partnership in funding of research and scholarship with the universities.

“We are prepared to work with all relevant stakeholders to improve education sector of our national economy.

“As a developing economy, our social progress and economic advancement will depend largely on progress we make on research and technology,”he said.

He urged the recipients of honorary doctorate degrees to see the awards as a way to strengthen their relationship with the university as well as make them to contribute more to national development.

“Let this honour done to you by the oldest university in the county spur you to greater height in your service to your fatherland, “he said.

Jonathan commended the university’s Vice-Chancellor Prof. Bartho Okolo and his management team for the massive infrastructure development going on in the university, urging other universities to emulate it.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that four eminent Nigerians were conferred with honorary degrees including Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, Secretary to Federal Government.

He bagged the Doctor of Law; Prof Attahiru Jega,the INEC Chairman, received Doctor of Administration; Mr Fola Adeola, the Chairman of Main One Cable, Doctor of Business Administration and Mr Alex Oti, MD/CEO of Diamond Bank PLc ,went home with Doctor of Business administration.

Responding, Anyim expressed appreciation to UNN for finding them worthy of the award.

He noting that the ward would make them to do more to the university as well as to the country.

"We are excited for finding us worthy of this prestigious award, we will continue to identify with the university in its quest to become world Class University,” he said.

Earlier, Okolo said that the awardees met the stringent conditions of the University for Conferment of honorary degree, having distinguished themselves and contributed so much to national development.

“By this award, they awardees have become alumni of UNN and will share in pride privileges and responsibilities of the university.

"As special alumni of the university we hope you will hearken to our calls in times of need," he said.

The VC announced that 198 persons would bagged doctorate degrees, 2,268 master degrees while 269 will receive post-graduate diploma.