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Nasarawa Assembly advises teachers against truancy

Nasarawa Assembly advises teachers against truancy

By Awayi Kuje
Truancy
Toto (Nasarawa State), Oct. 14, 2019 (NAN) The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has advised teachers against absenteeism, lateness to work and other forms of truancy.
The Chairman, House Committee on Education, Mr Daniel Ogazi, gave the advice on Monday when the committee paid an unscheduled visit to Central Pilot Primary School, Nakuse, Toto Local Government Area.
According to him, such negative attitude could undermine the education sector in the state.
Ogazi decried the nonchalant attitude of some teachers, stressing that the committee will do everything humanly possible to ensure that primary education which is the foundation of learning is optimally repositioned in the state.
He warned that the committee would not hesitate to recommend punitive measures against any teacher found wanting in discharging his/her duties.
“I want to call on you to be serious and committed while discharging your duties in the interest of our children and for the overall development of the state.
“The State Government has invested massively in the education sector, hence the need for teachers to be up and doing towards improving on the standard of education in the state.
“We (legislature) will continue to do our best by giving the education sector the much needed priority it deserved,” he said.
Mrs Charity Agmada, the Head of the school, commended the committee for the visit and called for its sustenance.
She assured of their commitment to duties in order to improve on the standard of education in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that on Oct. 7, the Speaker, Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, directed the standing committee chairmen and their members to embark on oversight functions from Oct. 8, in order to ascertain the level of the 2019 budget performance. (NAN)
AKW/CHIN/MST
Edited by Chinyere Bassey/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

SMEDAN trains Adamawa school teachers on entrepreneurship

By Muhammad Adam
Entrepreneurship
Yola, Oct. 10, 2019 (NAN) Nigeria’s Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN) has organised an intensive building capacity for primary and secondary schools teachers in Adamawa on entrepreneurship.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the three-day training kicked off on Thursday in Yola.

Mr Dikko Radda, the Director-General of the agency, said at the opening that the training was designed to enhance the capacity of the teachers who would in turn prepare and convert their pupils and students into entrepreneurs.

“There is much anxiety and uncertainty among Nigerian students about their future because of dearth of employment opportunities and their lack of entrepreneurial skills to go into new business ventures.

“It was on this premise that the Mind Shift Entrepreneurship Programme (MEP) was conceived by the agency,” Radda said.

He said the programme was designed to engage the vibrant energy of the nation’s students and youths and channel it into productive venture creation and management of their own businesses.

According to the director general, the programme is aimed at providing access to functional and hands-on entrepreneurship literacy and community service education to every primary and secondary student in Nigeria.

He said the programme has three main components that include entrepreneurship training the trainer (teachers), exposure to selected business skills, and post training and hands-on support.

He noted that the core objectives of the programme was to inculcate the culture of entrepreneurship to students of young age, involve many business and community leaders in the programme and to stimulate and facilitate the culture of entrepreneurship and community service in schools across the country, among others.

Hajiya Aishatu Umar, the Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Education, said the state government was making effort toward implementation of entrepreneurship education.

Umar said that the participants were intensively selected and urged them to pay attention on the training in order to acquire more knowledge.

She thanked the agency for selecting Adamawa in the North East to start the pilot programme, adding that the ministry will use the opportunity to promote entrepreneurship education in all primary and secondary schools across the state.

NAN also reports that about 60 school teachers were participating in the training. (NAN)
AMA/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Education

Nasarawa LG boss tasks teachers on hard work, dedication

Nasarawa LG boss tasks teachers on hard work, dedication

By Awayi Kuje
Teachers
Keffi (Nasarawa State), Sept. 19, 2019 (NAN) The Chairman, Keffi Local Government Council of Nasarawa State, Alhaji Abdulrahman Maigoro, has urged teachers in the area to be hardworking and dedicated to their duties in order to raise the standard of education in the state.

Maigoro gave the advice on Thursday in a statement by his media aide, Mr Shuaibu Muhammed, a copy of which was made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Keffi.

Maigoro said that the importance of education to societal development cannot be overemphasized, hence his call in that direction.

He said his meeting with teachers in the area was aimed at discussing the way forward on how to improve on the standard of education.

The chairman called on the teachers to be punctual in school in order to impact positive knowledge on the pupils.

“On our part, we will continue to initiate good policies and programmes in order to increase pupils’ enrollment in schools as well as improve on the standard of education.

“As both President Muhammadu Buhari and Gov. Abdullahi Sule are doing their best in uplifting the standard of education in the state and country at large.

“The Presidential School feeding programme has helped a lot towards boosting pupils enrolment in schools as well as helped in bettering children living conditions.

“Gov. Abdullahi Sule is also committed as there is ongoing construction of classrooms across the state.

“So, it is in view of this that I want to call on you and other teachers to be hardworking and dedicated to your duties so as to complement government efforts to improve on the standard of education in the state,” he said.

Maigoro also called on parents and guardians to give topmost priority to the education of their children and wards for societal development.

The chairman assured of his continued determination to create an enabling environment for teaching and learning in the area.

Responding, Mr Emmanuel Barau, the Education Secretary (ES) of the council, assured that teachers in the area would continue to be dedicated to duty.

He said teachers in the area would raise their gair towards improving the standard of education. (NAN)
AKW/ESAN/MST
Edited by Abiodun ESAN/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

Yobe Govt establishes teachers training centre for capacity building

By Mohammed Mamman
Teachers
Damaturu, Sept. 7, 2019 (NAN) The Yobe Government has established a Teachers Training Centre in Damaturu to train existing and newly employed teachers to improve teaching in public schools.

Alhaji Baba Malam-Wali, the acting Secretary to the State Government, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday.

He said the establishment of the training centre was a follow up to the recommendations of the technical committee on education.

The statement said the centre would train new teachers and retrain existing teachers to improve the capacity of teachers and quality of education.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gov. Mai Mala Buni, declared state of emergency on education when he assumed office in May.

Meanwhile, the technical committee on revitalisation of basic and secondary education under the chairmanship of Prof. Mala Daura, former Vice Chancellor, University of Maiduguri, has submitted its report to the governor.(NAN)
MM/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Education

Katsina Govt. re-engages 153 contract teachers—Commissioner

 

Katsina Govt re-engages 153 contract staff to enhance quality education—Commissioner

Teachers
By Zubairu Idris
Katsina, Jan. 10, 2019(NAN) The Katsina State Government on Thursday re-engaged 153 contract teachers to enhance the quality of education in the state,.

The Commissioner of Education, Prof. Badamasi Lawal made the disclosure while distributing re-engagement letters to some of the renewed contract staff in Katsina.

He said that the staffers are Nigerians residing in the state who are professionals in various subjects.

According to the commissioner, the teachers are proficient in subjects including English Language, French Language, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry.

“The Ministry of Education recommends your re-engagement because of your hard work and commitments.

“The contract appointment is just by name but the services you are rendering is beyond that.

“We renewed your contract appointment in order to make Nigeria better,’’ he told the re-engaged teachers.

Lawal called on them to continue to put in their best for the development of education in the country in general.

He also said that the government will include five per cent contract addition into their salaries.

Responding on behalf of the staff, Mr Lucky Emmanuel, an English Language teacher, thanked the state government for re-engaging them into the service.

He said that they will continue to put in their best for the development of education in the state.(NAN)
ZI/VIV/MZA

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Editing by Vivian Ihechu/Maharazu Ahmed

General news

Schools: Give us more facilities, teachers – FCT Head Teachers

Schools: Give us more facilities, teachers – FCT Head Teachers

By Kabir Muhammad
Facilities
Abuja, Nov. 1, 2019 (NAN) Head teachers of secondary and primary schools in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have called on the administration to provide more teachers, classrooms, dormitories, seats and teaching aid facilities to the schools.

The call was made by principals and schools’ heads when the Acting Secretary, FCT Education Secretariat, Dr Bala Liman, made a familiarization visits to some schools in territory on Thursday in Abuja.

The schools include Model Secondary School, Maitama; Government Secondary School, Gosa (Airport Road); Junior Secondary School and Primary School Pasali; Government Secondary School and Government Girls Science Secondary School, Kuje.

At Maitama, the Principal, Mrs Patience Oti, told the acting secretary that the school has 520 students with 67 to 70 in a class.

“We have a combined class of SS 3C and D having more than 140 students with 68 teaching staff, having 39 female teachers and only five mathematics teachers,’’ she said.

Oti called for more teaching staff, chairs and desks, and completion of abandoned school hall.

At GSS Gosa, Mr Muhammad Tanko, Vice Principal (Admin.), said SS are over 500 while JSS 1 to 3 has over 1000 students with over 80 students in a class that SS level was supposed to have not more than 40 in a class.

Tanko who also disclosed that the SS section has 20 teaching staff while the JSS has 27 teaching staff, appealed for more desks, chairs and classrooms.

Mrs Adekunle Fumilayo, Head Teacher who represented the Headmaster, LEA Primary School, Gosa, said the school has over 800 pupils but also are looking for classroom accommodation.

Mrs Mary Daniel, Principal, JSS Pasali, said every class is joint class of special needs and regular students with over 2000 students in the school and having 100 students in a class.

She complained that a contract was awarded in 2015 for the renovation of four blocks of four classrooms but the contractor did not complete the renovation and absconded from the site.

At the GSS Kuje, the Principal, Hajia Fatima AbdulRahman, said the total number of the students is 2900 with 110 teaching staff and 52 non-teaching staff.

She called for the building of Government Day Secondary School, Kuje, in order to decongest the school which has some classes with about 80 students.

AbdulRahman solicited for more teachers and renovation of a burnt hostel which was destroyed in September as a result of using charcoal iron.

She said MTN renovated the Biology Laboratory and gave the school a bus while DSTV supported the school with power point as teaching aid and decoder.

When the acting secretary visited GGSSS Kuje, Mrs Umoga Bassey, the Principal told him that the school has over 800 students though the new SS1 students were still reporting, she added that the school also has 48 teaching staff.

She also appealed for more teaching staff and classroom space to reduce the number of students in a class.

Responding, Liman said he undertook the visit to get firsthand information on the challenges at the schools and seek a way to improve the system.

“Some of the issues were highlighted by the FCT Minister, Malam Muhammad Bello. One of the issues is on the decongestion of the classrooms.

“He has asked Education Resource Centre and the relevant directories to try to ensure that we reduce the number of students per class.

“To do that on the same hand we realised that we also have to increase the number of teaching staff because if we reduce the number of the students per class we must have more teachers to teach them,’’ he said.

Liman said he has requested for comprehensive list of all the projects to see exactly when they were awarded and address the issues.

According to him, “and taking a cue from what the minister is doing, we will try not to initiate new projects until we finish the outstanding projects, I think that is key here”. (NAN)
KM/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Nurse advises teachers, parents to inculcate personal hygiene habit in children

Nurse advises teachers, parents to inculcate personal hygiene habit in children
By Maureen Ojinaka
Hygiene
Enugu, Nov. 1, 2018 (NAN) Mrs Ruth Onyia, a retired Senior Nurse, has urged parents and teachers to inculcate personal hygiene habit in their children for healthy living.
Onyia, formally with the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku-Ozalla, Enugu State, gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Thursday.
She noted that lack of awareness on personal hygiene could lead to contamination of various diseases in human beings.
She explained that diarrhoea, dental and skin diseases, worm infestations are most commonly associated with poor personal hygiene, adding that one of the major problems faced by school children are infections.
The medical officer pointed out that infection and malnutrition form a vicious circle and retard children’s physical development as well as their academic performances.
“Repeated attacks of infections often compound the existing poor health of children, compromising children’s attendance and performance at school.
“However, majority of the childhood illnesses are preventable by promotion of hygienic practices among school children through proper health education by their parents and teachers,” she said.
She added that the origins of many illnesses of adulthood have their roots in the health behaviours of childhood and adolescents. (NAN)
OJI/OIF/MST
Edited by Ifeyinwa Okonkwo/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Education

World Teachers Day: Group commends teachers in North-East

World Teachers Day: Group commends teachers in North-East
By Mustapha Sumaila
Education
Abuja, Oct. 5, 2018 (NAN) Plan International Nigeria, an NGO, has commended teachers and volunteer teachers in conflict region of North-East for their sacrifices in ensuring that children in the affected areas are educated.
Plan’s Country Director, Dr Hussaini Abdu, made the commendation in a statement to mark 2018 World Teachers Day in Abuja.
Plan International Nigeria is an independent development and humanitarian NGO with its headquarters in Canada. It advances children’s rights and equality for girls.
Abdu explained that there was need to salute the courage and sacrifices teachers and volunteer teachers in conflict affected areas, especially in the North East of the country made in the education sector in those areas.
He said that teachers in that region had been instrumental in provision of education for the children affected by the conflict in the areas.
The country director said that issues affecting Nigeria’s education system and availability of qualified teachers in the country must be addressed by government at all levels.
He stated that the right to education could not be separated from the availability of qualified teachers.
He observed that this had been admitted by President Muhammadu Buhari, who attributed Nigeria having 13.2 million children out of school and high illiteracy level to infrastructural deficit and decay, unqualified teachers, and inadequate instructional materials in the country.
According to him, the implication of lack of relevant and competent teachers is aptly captured in the theme of the 2018 International Teachers’ Day; “The right to education means the right to a qualified teacher”.
Abdu urged governments at all levels to “prioritise improvement in teachers’ education, better investment in in-service training of existing teachers, creation of relevant incentives for teachers and further recruitment of qualified teachers”.
He noted that governments needed to improve on incentives for teachers and the teaching profession given the importance of education in building and sustaining individual and society’s development.
“The governments must prioritise the restoration of the dignity of the teachers who drive the impartation of knowledge in schools,” he said. (NAN)
MS/OSA/MST
Edited by Shittu Obassa/Muhammad Suleiman Tola

Health

Mrs Buhari reaffirms commitment to boost capacity of special teachers

Mrs Buhari reaffirms commitment to boost capacity of special teachers
By Ahmed Ubandoma
Teachers
Abuja, June 22, 2018 (NAN) The wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, has reaffirmed her commitment to boost the capacity of health workers, care givers and teachers handling children with special needs.
Mrs Buhari made the commitment on Friday during the closing ceremony of 4-days capacity building workshop organised by the Aisha Buhari Foundation in partnership with NIKA Foundation for teachers and healthcare providers handling children with special needs at Kuje, FCT.
The programme attracted participants from the FCT School for the Blind, School for the Deaf as well as School for the Handicap in Abuja.
The wife of the president who was represented by her Personal Physician, Dr Mohammed Kamal, said the programme was organised to equip the teachers and caregivers with the requisite knowledge to teach children with special needs.
“Everywhere in the world, there are children with either physical or mental disabilities and these children are confronted with hearing and seating difficulties as well as malnutrition on a daily basis.
“They are also susceptible to infectious diseases as well as inability to speak and write in school,” she said.
The wife of the president also explained that the decision to engage specialists for the training was borne out of the emerging need for the children to have special attention.
She said the programme was meant to cater for the needy women and children with disabilities.
According to her, educational empowerment is one of the cardinal objectives of her foundation.
The Global Coordinator of NIKA Foundation and a resource person at the training, Mr Dan Philips, commended the teachers for their quick understanding of the new techniques in the lesson which could assist them impact on the children.
Philips also commended the participants for their attention during the session and urged them to practice the skills acquired.
Also speaking, a Development Paediatrician, Dr Shola Faniran, stressed the need for early detection of child disabilities.
Faniran said that early detection of child disability would assist parents to intervene in addressing issues related to child disabilities.
One of the participants, Mrs Chizoba Odili, said the training would impact positively in her new method of teaching.
According to her, they were exposed to new educational applications that will go a long way to improve their teaching skills.
While thanking the Aisha Buhari Foundation for organising such an important training, Odili said the new application would make them work conveniently and enable them impart good knowledge to the children. (NAN)
AMU/MST
Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola

General news

(Audio) NUT urges FG to address shortage of teachers in schools

Teachers

By Jacinta Nwachukwu/Okeoghene Akubuike

Abuja, March 27, 2018 (NAN) The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has called on the Federal Government to employ qualified teachers to address the shortage of teachers in schools in the country.

The Secretary-General of the union, Dr Mike Ike Ene, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Tuesday.

Cue in audio (Ike-Ene)

 

 

“We have professional teachers but the problem is that the government are not taking any step to filling up these yearning gaps we have in our schools.

“If you go to some schools you will find out that we still have situations where you get one teacher to a hundred pupils or one teacher to 70 students.

“Yet we have colleges of education, universities, other educational faculties and departments that are churning out quality, qualified professional teachers.

“These teachers are not being employed; people are using employment as political patronage instead of employing the right people.

“If Liberia says they want this quality, qualified and professional teachers and we think we have (them), instead of staying here to waste away, we should be able to allow those who are prepared to go there to do so.

“After all there is always this exchange programme that is based on bilateral agreement.

“But  I want to advise that you do not give somebody the nose which you are using to breath.

“Rather, let  our  government do everything in its power to keep these teachers by employing them and posting them t the schools that need them.’’

Cue out audio

NAN reports that Liberian President George Weah had requested Nigeria to help fill the 6,000 teacher deficit in his country.

Weah said that the government needed to make up the teacher deficit at the federal, state and local government levels. (NAN)

JIN/OKE/YEE

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Edited by Emmanuel Yashim