Education

Participants Hail Ministry On Workshop

Published

13 years ago

September 3, 2012

Participants at the just concluded workshop on education
held in Port Harcourt have rated the programme high, saying the United Nations
Education Fund, (UNICEF) made invaluable contributions to the knowledge of beneficiaries in terms of
education planning.

A Deputy Director in the Ministry of Education, Mrs Ibiso
West, noted that the knowledge acquired at the workshop would be deployed to
boost education development from the kindergarten level in the state.

Speaking to The Tide
in an exclusive interview, Mrs Ibiso West acknowledged that when you send a
child to a better school with necessary facilities put in place, as a parent,
you have made an “investment case”.

She said investing in that child means investing in the
future of the child who would tomorrow become useful to the parent and society
at large.

In a closing remark, the Director, Special projects,
Ministry of Education, Mr. Hanachor Ogbonda Hanachor, who spoke on behalf of
the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Richard Ofuru, reminded the participants that
“investment case” is their job as no other person can do it for them.

His words: “I want to tell all of us that this is our job,
nobody can do it for us. And for the fact that we have participated in this
workshop, we now know the philosophy behind it as well as the history, vision,
mission and the objectives.

At every point in time, we will certainly be called upon to
do one thing or the other to ensure that the programme succeeds.”

According to him, the infrastructure and equipment provided
in schools form 10 per cent of the work in education while human capacity
development of those who would drive the programme has 90
per cent. He said that if the human capacity
is properly grounded in their jobs, the objectives of the programme would be
achieved.

A UNICEF resource person, Mr George Igelegbai who delivered lectures on “Five Programming
Principles of the United Nations “(UN) Systems,” said the participants were
sensitised on the need for a review of the state education sector plan in order
to enhance the plan based on the evidence on ground.

Mr. Igelegbai noted that it requires a thorough analysis of
the situation of education in Rivers State as at today in order to be able to
identify its area of strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to
successful, rapid and adequate development of the sector in the state with a
view to providing opportunity to replanning.

Eunice Choko-Kayode

Education

Rivers NYSC Cordinator task corps members on peace building

Published

7 days 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

7 days 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

7 days 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