Education
FCE, Committed To Promote ICT -Provost
The Provost of Federal College of Education (Technical) Omoku, Dr Nkasiobi Silas Oguzor, has said that the institution is committed towards the promotion of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the country.
Dr. Oguzor stated this at the opening ceremony of a four-day International conference on teaching and learning in Federal College of Education (Technical) Omoku, Rivers State, recently.
Dr. Oguzor, who described the college’s ICT centre as one of the best in the country said that it would be of great importance to participants at the conference.
He also noted that the theme of the two conferences which held simultaneously, “Emerging Myths and Realities in Teaching” and “Learning and E-Activity and Technology in a Changing Environment”, organised by the African Association for Teaching and Learning (AATL) in collaboration with the Federal College of Education (Technical) Omoku, were crucial at this time of global transformation.
The provost thanked the African Association for Teaching and Learning (AATL), African Society for Scientific Research (AASR), among others, for the choice of the college for hosting the conference.
Eminent scholars who presented papers bothering on the intricacies in educating the children of this generation and the handicap the teachers face in their chosen career include, Professor Benedicta Egbo, of the faculty of Education, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario Canada, with a paper titled’, “Teacher Capacity Building and Effective Teaching and Learning: A Seamless Connection, Professor Hanna David of School of Education, Tel Aviv University, Jerusalem, Israel, on Overcoming The Gender Gap in Mathematics, Science and Technology: a 21st century view.
Others are, Dr. Lawrence Ogbo Ugwuanyi, senior lecturer in philosophy, Department of philosophy and Religion, University of Abuja, Nigeria, “On Advancing and Environmental Ethics Through the African Worldview”, Hassan Danial Aslam, Faculty of Management, Islamic University of Behawalpur Pakistan, on Analysing Professional Development Practices for teachers in public universities of Pakistan.
Stakeholders advised parents to give priority to the education needs of children from kindergarten, so that they could develop interest in reading and writing and noted that parents have a role to play in laying good foundation early for the child to enable him or her to develop fast in school, pointing out that, the job of teaching the child should not be for the teacher alone.
“Policy makers should avoid importing exclusively western based approach to enable children participate in the 21st century global arena and prescribed building of teacher capacity and integrating technology across the curriculum”, they said.
They tasked government to provide conducive environment and infrastructural facilities for teaching and learning to enable teachers and students compete favourably on global educational related matters.
According to them, teachers’ morale should be boosted through welfare and empowerment to enable them function effectively, thus the saying that, “they are indispensable force”.
In his vote of thanks, the Chairman of the Local Organising Committee, Dr. Samuel Onuebunwa, a former Deputy Provost of the College commended those who participated in the conference.
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.