Education

Education: NUT, ASUP Laud NEC, Want Speedy Implementation

Published

7 years ago

October 22, 2018

The Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) has commended the recommendation of the National Economic Council (NEC) that state governors should declare ‘state of emergency’ in the educational sector.
The decision was reached at the just-concluded NEC meeting in Abuja chaired by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.
NEC also recommended that the Federal and State Governments should allocate 15 per cent of their allocation to education.
Mr Adedoyin Adesina, Chairman, NUT, Lagos State Chapter, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos that the recommendations should be speedily implemented.
Adesina said that the declaration of state of emergency in the sector was long overdue, taking into consideration all the challenges confronting education.
He said the recommendation was timely; adding that government at all levels should prioritise their needs.
“Education is the bedrock of any economy; any country that fails to take its education seriously will have itself to blame.
“The recommendation is a welcome development because that is what we have been advocating for, that government at all levels should allocate 26 per cent of their annual budget as stipulated by UNESCO standard.
“In 2014, when the National Education Summit Group met, they told the government then that for the economy of this nation to grow, we must invest heavily on our teachers.
“If you want to get a Banker, Doctor, Nurse, Lawyer, Journalist, Engineer and others, who are suppose to create wealth and boost the economy, they are to pass through teachers at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.
“The 15 per cent recommendation is not yet there, but it is better than what we have now. UNESCO recommended between 15 and 26 per cent. To set a good standard, it must not be less than 15 per cent.
“In the 2018 budget, only Lagos State allocated 12.07 per cent to education others including the Federal Government are single digits,” he said.
Adesina said the state of emergency should focus on curriculum planning, policy somersault, frequent change of textbooks, poor remuneration, training of teachers and infrastructure.
“Ordinarily, state of emergency is supposed to be declared so that we do not have half baked graduates that cannot read or write.
“No nation can develop beyond the level of its education, our governments are not priortising their needs,” he said.
Also speaking, Mr Usman Dutse, President of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), said that the implementation of the recommendations would determine the impact.
Dutse said many policies and recommendations had been made in the past to revampe the sector but received little or no commitment from government.
According to him, in the past, we have received fantastic and brilliant recommendations and policies that can help shape the system, but implementation has always been the problem.
“Many of these recommendations die natural death, they were never implemented.
“It is a welcome development but our concern is the implementation. Most of the time they are political statement, a pronouncement that government will just make without fulfilling it,” he said.
Speaking on the 15 per cent recommendation, Dutse said that the percentage was not significant, adding that it would not make significant changes required in the sector.
“UNESCO already set a benchmark and our thinking is that any pronouncement by government should be in line with it.
“Actually, if you see any country that has improve its education system, it’s either their budget is higher than UNESCO recommendation or it is 26 per cent.
“If truly they will implement what has been recommended with serious commitment, I believe it will bring a little succour to improving the sector,” he said.

Education

Rivers NYSC Cordinator task corps members on peace building

Published

2 weeks ago

December 8, 2025

The Tide

Corps Members have been urged to use the rich cultural heritage of Nigerians to promote peace in the state and country at large.

The Rivers State Coordinator of NYSC Mr. Moses Oleghe gave the charge during the inter-platoon cultural carnival competition for 2025 Batch C Corps Members deployed to the State orientation camp, Nonwa-Gbam Tai held over the weekend.

Oleghe while addressing the Corps Members, further charged them to be a “source of light in their host communities,” noting that the “symbolic lighting of the cultural carnival torch means that every Corps Member must be the light that dispels darkness.”

He urged them to integrate and internalize the culture of the people of their area where they serve, strengthen cultural practices that promote human dignity, rights, and respect.”

The radiant and colorful event witnessed the regeneration and rebirth of various ethnic cultures by the Corps Members.

At the end of the competition, 4 platoon was adjudged the overall best, 9 platoon 2nd and 6 platoon 3rd.

Education

RSU Best Graduating Student Makes Case for Absorption of Graduates

Published

2 weeks ago

December 8, 2025

The Tide

Miss Chukwuka Christabel Chidnma, one of the best overall graduating students of Rivers State University (RSU), Nkpolu/Oroworukwu, Port Harcourt, has advocated for the retention of the best graduating students of the institution to fill the gap in teaching staff in the institution.

Chidnma, who was adjudged the overall best graduating student of the class of 2023/2024 academic session in the just-concluded 37th and 38th combined convocation ceremony of the university, had a CGPA of 4.88 from the Department of Theatre and Film Studies in the Faculty of Humanities.

She made the call while delivering her valedictory speech at the awards of the first degree on Saturday, saying the call becomes imperative to ensure that the department and the university at large continue to thrive and maintain academic standards.

She opined that she and her colleagues would be eager to contribute to the workforce of the development and the school in general, in whatever capacity the institution may deem appropriate, to bring their skills, training, and passion to support its continued growth and excellence.

The overall best graduating student decried the enormous challenges lecturers of the department and the university as a whole are facing due to limited manpower and appealed to the university management to also employ professional producers and technical personnel.

She recounted the experiences and challenges she faced during her years of academic studies, noting that resilience, hard work, determination, and being focused were the bedrock of her success.

She dedicated the award to her parents for their untiring efforts in ensuring that her academic fortunes were not cut short.

By: Akujobi Amadi

Education

Students Free to Choose Any WAEC Subjects of Their Choices – FG

Published

2 weeks ago

December 8, 2025

The Tide

The Federal Government has reaffirmed that senior secondary school students whether in arts, commercial or science classes are free to register any approved subject of their choice for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), as confusion over the revised curriculum continues to generate debate across the country.

The clarification came in a press statement issued on Saturday and signed by Boriowo Folashade, Director of Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, following widespread misinformation circulating on social media and within some schools.

According to the ministry, contrary to claims that students must strictly remain within their designated subject tracks, “there is no restriction or exclusion attached to the selection of any approved subject under the Senior Secondary School Curriculum.”

Officials said the curriculum was intentionally designed to be flexible, student-centred and supportive of diverse academic and career interests.

Under the guidance, science students may select subjects traditionally grouped under the arts or social sciences, just as arts and commercial students may choose science-designated subjects provided such choices are supervised by school authorities, parents or certified counsellors.

The ministry also clarified public concerns surrounding the subject formerly known as Information and Communication Technology (ICT), confirming it has been renamed Digital Technology.

The statement emphasised that the change is purely in nomenclature and does not alter the curriculum content or disadvantage students who previously took ICT in school.

Regarding Trade Subjects, the ministry noted that six trades have been approved under the curriculum.

Students may register any of these trades only if the subjects are offered by their schools and they have been taught them. However, the government stressed that students who have never been exposed to any of the six trade subjects are under no obligation to register one as a third subject.

This clarification comes as WAEC registration for the 2026 examination cycle continues nationwide. WAEC recently urged schools to ensure accurate subject entries before the January deadline, warning that mistakes in registration especially in subject combinations have increasingly led to withheld or invalid results in previous years.

The announcement also aligns with ongoing reforms in Nigeria’s education sector. Earlier this year, the ministry began rolling out teacher retraining and digital learning initiatives aimed at boosting performance in core WAEC subjects, following several exam cycles that showed inconsistent pass rates in mathematics and English.

Nigerian universities often require specific subject combinations for competitive courses such as medicine, engineering, law, accounting and mass communication.

The ministry urged the public to rely solely on verified information, noting that misinformation remains a major challenge during examination cycles. It said further updates will be issued as reforms continue across the senior secondary school system