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DAILY SUN
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Education Review/NEWS “You can’t learn in school what the world is going to do next year” – Henry Ford
Kano, Nigerien govt to construct mega secondary school in Niamey From DESMOND MGBOH, KANO
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he Kano State Government and the Ministry of Education in Niger Republic are to construct a mega secondary school in Niamey, Governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso has announced. Under the arrangement, the Government of Kano State will build hostels, dining hall and other facilities while the Nigerien authority will construct classrooms and administrative block, the governor explained. Kwankwaso, who spoke while receiving a Nigerien government delegation led by a director in the state Ministry of Education, Alhadji Muhammadou Saidou, explained that during his recent visit to Niger, the two sides agreed to build the school, based on a mutual agreement that each side will present its design for the project, which will later be harmonized.
He said both parties have now finalized plans on the project, adding that the Kano State Government has gone a step further by contacting the government of France on how to get qualified teachers and facilities for the proposed school. Explaining that the school is expected to accommodate at least 1,000 Nigerien and Kano students, Kwankwaso said the aim is for students from Kano to learn French and to improve multi-cultural relations. He noted that money for the project had been set aside by the state government, even as construction work will start soon to enable academic activities commence soon. Governor Kwankwaso directed the state Ministries of Education and Higher Education to fashion out modalities for allotting a quota to Nigeriens wishing to study in the newly established Northwest University, Kano as part of efforts to strengthen bilateral relations between the citizens.
UI matriculates 6, 945 Distance Learning students From GBENGA ADESUYI, Ibadan
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niversity of Ibadan (UI) recently held its 2012/2013 matriculation for Distance Learning Centre (DLC) students. At the ceremony, held at the International Conference Centre, involved 6,945 students. Speaking, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Adewole, disclosed that 9,850 students applied for various programmes at the centre, out of which 7,000 were offered provisional admission, but only 6,945 accepted and commenced registration formalities. “It is worthy to note that the Computer Based Testing (CBT) for the selection process introduced two sessions ago by the institution has improved the admission process. Now we have a fair and ultra-transparent admission process.” He advised the students to be IT driven, because the operations of the centre are basically technological based According to him, Distance Learning education all over the world involves self-paced and learnercentred study that enable a student to have the benefit of higher education from any location with minimal face-to-face contact. It entails sourcing for study materials from public or private libraries and through the internet and other e-learning sources. He said: “In view of the pronouncement and clamp down on part-time programmes in some Nigerian universities by the National Universities Commission, it is important to emphasize that we do not run any part-time programme of any kind.” He admonished the students to shun indiscipline, adding that the certificate of the institution is awarded strictly to those who are found worthy in character and learning. He said the university had built a reputation as an emerging institution of first choice and was fast
becoming the destination of parents who want an institution with integrity for their children. “Academic excellence is founded on the kernels of hard work and character. This university is getting noticed for its emphasis on hard work and high moral standard. We are committed to a truly distant learning provision and that is why the centre has embarked on various reforms apart from enhanced IT-aided learning. The students will benefit from two rounds of interactive sessions and a final revision as against one omnibus interactive session.”
Kwankwaso
Mahammadou
On the recent Kano–Niger Republic Trade and Investment Summit held in Kano, the governor assured that committees have been set up to actualize its recommendations for the collective good of both countries. Earlier, the head of the Nigerien delegation, Alhadji Muhammadou Saidou stated that the visit was to finalize agreement on the proposed school project which he said would facilitate consolidating Nigeria-Niger relations. Meanwhile, the Kano State Government will open 8,074 adult literacy classes across its 484 electoral wards Governor Kwankwaso has revealed. Under this arrangement, an estimated 403,700 people will benefit from the exercise which is aimed at attaining about 95 per cent adult literacy level in the state by 2015, in line with the Millennium Development Goals. The governor who announced this during this year’s International Literacy Day celebration at Government House, Kano revealed that already, government has recruited 16, 148 tutors while adequate teaching and learning materials have been procured for the exercise. The governor who said that no meaningful devel-
opment could be achieved without education, announced that a special arrangement to open up literacy classes for the uneducated workers in the state civil service had been made. He challenged the people to take advantage of this opportunity to improve their lot, adding that if other states can record breakthrough in education, there is no reason why Kano cannot achieve the same feat. The governor who spoke extensively on the investment of the state government in education sector appealed to local government councils, corporate bodies and civil society organizations to support his administration in making the goal of education for all by 2015 attainable. In their separate messages of goodwill, the Deputy National Programme Manager, ESSPIN Nigeria, Mr. Jake Ross and Mr. Vincent Nemieboka, who represented the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Adult and Non-Formal Education, praised Governor Kwankwaso for his giant strides toward enabling citizens to read and write, assuring of support and urging other state governments to emulateKano’s example.
NTI boss, minister make case for quality teacher education From NOAH EBIJE, Kaduna
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ll roads led to the National Teachers Institute (NTI), Kaduna, during its second national graduation held recently. During the ceremony, the Director-General of the institute, Aminu Ladan Sharehu and the Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufa’i made strong case for quality teacher education. The minister said that it has become imperative to establish National Commission for Distance Education (NACDE) despite the roles of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) and the National Universities Commission (NUC) in accrediting distance learning programmes in the country. The Director-General revealed that 44, 060 graduating students were awarded the National Certificate in Education (NCE), 878, Advanced Diploma in Education (ADE) while 13, 382 bagged the Post-Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE). He noted that this brought the total number of graduating students to 58,320. He pointed out that since
the establishment of the institution about 36 years ago, it held the national graduation for the first time in 1994. He stressed that one of the future plans of the teacher training institute is to ensure that every student acquires computer education before he or she would pass out of the institute. He noted that our immediate future plans include, “the establishment of model computer laboratories nationwide, starting with the six zones and later in the 36 states and FCT for the use of teachers free-of-charge to improve their computer application and usage.” He called on the Federal Government and individuals committed to computer education of teachers to support “the establishment of a computer laboratory in each of the states of the federation using the N1 billion worth of computers already donated to the institute by an international donor agency.” He noted, however, that the institute is facing some challenges such as inadequate funding, inadequate financial support from states and Local Government Education Areas (LGEAs to sponsor specific projects. He added that poor public perception of Ordinary Diploma in Education (ODE) and
its immense potentials for education in Nigeria is another challenge the institute is facing. During the ceremony, fellowships of the institute were conferred on the president of the Commonwealth of Learning, Prof. Asha Kanwal, Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha and Katsina State counterpart, Ibrahim Shehu Shema, for their contributions to the development of education and teacher education in the country. Also honoured were Kaduna State Governor, Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa, Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido, Edo Etate Governor, Adams Oshiomhole, Chief Afe Babalola (SAN), Prof. Adamu Baike and Prof Thomas Adeyanju who received the Ambassador of NTI award for their contributions to distant learning as well as teachers welfare. In the same vein, the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and the late Prof Babs Fafunwa received post-humous awards. Sharehu urged the awardees and the graduating students to continue to fly the banner of the institute wherever they might find themselves, describing the ceremony, “as a very great day in the history of this institute.”
Why international scholars shun Nigeria for fellowship programmes –Don By ADESINA OLANREWAJU
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Prof. Adewole, VC UI
cting Director, Abadina Media Resource Centre, University of Ibadan (UI), Dr. Fadekemi Oyenusi, has explained why international scholars do not like investing in Nigeria’s education system through fellowship courses. Oyenusi, who was the chief host of this year’s 27th International Annual Conference organized by the Nigerian School Library Association (NFLA), tagged: “Role of effective school library in developing favourable reading culture in Nigerian Schools,” held in Ibadan, Oyo State, attributed international scholars’ lack of interest in taking up fellowship courses in Nigerian universities to incessant academic strikes resulting from industrial disputes between the government and university staff, teaching and non-teaching staff. “You are beginning to see that we do not have
many international students coming to Nigeria or international scholars coming for fellowship courses here because they are not sure of completing their programmes due to incessant strikes,” she noted. “Another issue is the funding system. Nigerian universities are still under-funded; government is trying its best through the introduction of Education Tax Fund (ETF) so that other sectors in the society are involved and become stakeholders in the education sector. Even with this, it still a far cry from what is required to adequately fund the education sector. Our lecture rooms are still grossly inadequate and in terms of criteria for rating universities in Nigeria, we are lagging behind. We have not been able to meet up with the bibliometric system of rating university through their research , where there is no electricity, you can’t be there online; our bandwidth is slow.” Bemoaning the effect of constant strikes on our students, she added that they have produced frus-
trated youths because “our students will go into the university system but do not know when they will graduate, due to repeated strikes. She maintained that despite the fact that the Nigerian education system is faced with repeated strikes which can be dealt with by the government and concerned unions, our students are still reckoned with in the international community. “In Nigeria, we have people that are brilliant,” she noted. “If we do not have people that are brilliant, we will not have the issue of brain drain. For the past 30 years, academics have been going out of the country to input their knowledge into other countries because our environment is not conducive for research. The issue of strikes is a major factor that government will have to work on”. Responding to questions, Oyenusi urged the government to embrace the idea of injecting vocational training in Nigerian school curriculum at all levels, adding that the Nigerian student must be cautioned on the use of social media.