Education
WASC: Lack Of Laboratory Scares Students
Science Students of community secondary School, Nkpolu have expressed fears over their fate in the forth-coming West Africa School Certificate Examination (WASC) Scheduled to begin from April , 2010.
Some of the Students who spoke to The Tide on condition of anonymity during the 9th Annual Inter House Althletics competition held recently, stated that since they “ became senior students, we have not been in a science laboratory to do practicals, all we’re been doing is theory what do we do when we get into a laboratory during the examination.
According to the Students, the fear is increased by their knowledge that some others, who would write the same examination with them, particularly those from private schools that have laboratories, would have been exposed to laboratory settings.
“How can we compete favourably with those who are used to using laboratories, in the same examination,” they rhytorised.
Meanwhile, the principal of the school, Mr. Amadi Charles has called on the state government through the permanent secretary of the ministry of Education to come to the aid of the school in the area of provision of Desks for students to enable them have a condusive learning environment.
According to him, the provision of desks became necessary because of the situation in which some students seat on the floor, some stand while very few students are seated during lectures.
In addition to the provision of desks, the principal also stated that there is absolute need to post security guards to the school in order to secure the school premises.
“We appreciate the impute of the state government in the development of educational infrastructure, but functional education may be difficult to attain without a condusive environment. This is why I am drawing the attention of ghe permanent secretary of the state ministry of Education, to ensure that provision of desks in secondary education should be one of the ministry’s priorities to enhance the vision of Governor’s Amaechi’s administration regarding Ideal environment for education in the state.
The Acting Vice Chancellor of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Prof. Okechuku Onuchuku, emphasised the need for students to go beyond academic achievements during the university’s 43rd Convocation ceremony.
The theme, “The University Culture In Practice, The IAUE Experience,” highlights the importance of embracing cherished traditions and intellectual values that define great universities.
Prof. Onuchuku encouraged the new graduates to work hard and persevere, noting that their convocation marks a new beginning in their careers and personal lives. He emphasised that they must prove themselves worthy of the certificates and prizes they have received.
According to him, out of 2,887 first-degree graduands, four made First Class, 403 secured Second Class Upper, 2,030 got Second Class Lower, and 450 graduated with Third Class. Additionally, 1,492 postgraduate students graduated, including 306 PhD holders.
The Sole Administrator of Rivers State, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Rtd), praised the university’s commitment to academic excellence and institutional maturity. He commended the Acting Vice Chancellor for achieving full accreditation for 47 academic programmes and implementing the NUC’s Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards.
The administrator urged the new graduates to uphold the positive values instilled in them by the university and strive for continuous knowledge and improvement.
By: King Onunwor
The Niger Delta Students Union Government, Rivers State Chapter (NIDSUG), has suspended its planned protest against the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) state office in Port Harcourt. The suspension followed an intervention by the state Commissioner of Police, CP Olugbenga Adepoju.
The students had planned to protest on Thursday, citing alleged neglect by the NDDC, particularly in welfare and capacity-building programmes for students from the state. However, after the police intervention, the students agreed to participate in a roundtable discussion with the commission to address their concerns.
NIDSUG leader, Comrade Loveday Njoku, expressed dissatisfaction with the commission’s alleged exclusion of students from benefiting from its programmes. He presented a seven-point demand, including the reintroduction of scholarships for undergraduate and postgraduate students. Njoku emphasised that education is crucial for community development and urged the commission to invest in the future leaders of the state.
The students warned that if their demands are not met, they will resume the protest and occupy the state commission office until their demands are addressed. Despite previous attempts to reach out to the commission’s management team, the students claimed their efforts were unsuccessful.
By: Akujobi Amadi
As part of efforts to improve the welfare and overall quality of education for students in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area, the Sole Administrator, Sir (Dr.) Clifford Ndu Walter DSSRS, FCAI, JP, paid an unscheduled visit to Universal Primary School, Rumukwurusi.
During the visit, Sir Walter expressed deep concern over the deplorable state of the school and its surrounding environment. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the development of the education sector, stressing its critical role in nation-building.
“I have visited the primary school in Ogbogoro, and now I’m here at the Universal Primary School, Rumukwurusi. I am not satisfied with what I’ve seen,” he stated, indicating that more surprise visits to schools would follow.
To address the issues, the Sole Administrator directed the Council Engineer to commence process for rehabilitation of the school.
The visit was part of a broader initiative aimed at conducting on-the-spot assessments of educational facilities to determine the level of intervention required by the local government council.
Dr. Walter also assured the teachers of his unwavering commitment to revamp the school and improve the learning environment for both staff and students.