Education
Teacher Tasks Govt On Visually Impaired Students
A visually im
paired teacher, Mr Winful Clement, has appealed to the government to subsidise education for visually impaired students in the country.
Clement, an Information Communication Technology teacher, made the appeal on Sunday in Lagos in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Clement, who teaches at Parcelly School for the Blind and Partially Sighted Children, Lagos, said it was very expensive to train a visually impaired student in Nigerian schools.
He said that on the average, a visually impaired student needs equipment like writing frame, typewriter, Braille machine, laptop and an application called Job Acceleration with Speed (JAWS) to learn.
“To train a visually impaired person like myself is very expensive than the able-bodied person.
“The least material we use to educate the visually impaired students is about N5,000.
“On the average, a student needs more than N500, 000 to purchase the equipment he or she will use in school and also other resources which cannot be quantify.
“The government is paying more attention to conventional schools for able- bodied students than special schools for persons with disabilities,’’ he said.
Clement stressed the need to pass and sign into law the Disability Bill.
He said that the Disability Bill was the last hope for persons with disability.
“We hope that before the end of the tenure of President Muhammodu Buhari, the bill will be passed and signed into law.
“If the bill is signed, it will make legislation of persons with disability much effective.
“Persons with disability have much to gain in the bill, which include right to education, medical care, social amenities and job opportunity and protect us against discrimination and stigmatisation,’’ he said.
He said many parents cannot afford to send their children to the few schools, which also have limited facilities for training.
The teacher said that many struggle to complete their tertiary education, and also have to struggle for the few job opportunities.
“After spending so much in school, our experience in securing a job is pathetic; most organisation will said there is no vacancy and the few ones available will tell you that you are not competent for the vacancy.
“Public and private organisation are not employing visually impaired graduates, they say we cannot perform, but with today’s technology, can work in the office conveniently with the support of application and ICT,“ he said.
Clement listed lack of access road, unpaved road, lack of facilities in public places like banks, hotels, cinema, public transportation as some of the challenges confronting visually impaired students in their day-to-day activities.
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.