Education
‘Poor Use Of Textbooks Causes of Mass Failure’
The Vice-Principal, Issa Williams Memorial High School, Iponri, Lagos, Mr. Nasiru Sulayman, on Friday blamed the mass failure of students in examinations on the poor use of textbooks, especially in core subjects.
Sulayman told newsmen in Lagos that most students failed woefully in external examinations because of the lack of textbooks to prepare adequately.
“It is difficult for students to excel in public examinations, especially in the core subjects such as Mathematics and English when they do not have the textbooks.
You do not just attend classes without reference materials and expect to do well in an examination”, he said.
Sulayman stated that if mass failure must be curbed, the best thing to do would be to ensure that students have the required books to prepare for their examinations.
The educationist urged parents to always provide their children with textbooks and other learning materials to motivate them to excel.
Apart from providing books, he also urged parents to monitor their children’s schedules to ensure that they read their books regularly.
The vice-principal also said that the provision of up-to-date books in school libraries would give students more access to quality textbooks and encourage a reading culture among them.
Sulayman advised the government to stock school libraries with books and build community libraries as a means of improving students’ performance in public examinations.
According to him, there is also the need to improve the teacher-student ratio in schools to make teaching and learning more effective, as well as improve students’ performance in public examinations.
He said that teachers had had to contend with an overwhelming number of students in their classes, a situation, he said, had affected performance.
The vice-principal advised school administrators to help address the problem by employing more teachers and expanding infrastructure.
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.