Education
TASCE seeks collaboration with TESCOM on effective teaching skills
For effective teaching skills and delivery of qualitative education service across the Secondary Schools in the State, the Management of Tai Solarin College of Education (TASCE), Omu Ijebu, seeks to collaborate with the Ogun State Teaching Service Commission( TESCOM) to move the education sector forward.
The Provost of the College, Dr. Adeola Kiadese, made this known during a courtesy visit to the Chairman, TESCOM, Evang. Olalekan Ifede at the Commission’s Conference Room, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
He said the collaboration is long overdue, adding that the step is meant to guide against half baked students at the Secondary Schools level.
Kiadese said ways the management wish to collaborate with TESCOM include training teachers on Information, Communication Technology (ICT) to enhance teaching profession, training and re-training of teachers on the skills needed to be adopted in handling core subjects, monitoring their performance level after graduation from the College and their academic performance to mention but a few.
“In as much as we are concern about the performance of our products in the labour market and their academic achievements, teaching and delivery skills of our students also matters to us, particularly in core subjects such as English, Mathematics, Chemistry, fine art and other subjects,” Kiadese said.
He applauded the Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun for the giant strides in the State education sector, adding that the management of the College is fully ready to join hands with education stakeholders to move the sector forward.
Speaking, the Chairman, (TESCOM), Evang. Olalekan Ifede, advised the management team of Tai Solarin, College of Education to incorporate new training courses in their curriculum to enhance academic excellence in the State.
He admonished them to intimate their students on the rudiments of academic skills, in order to upgrade the standard of education.
Ifede said the Commission would collaborate with the college on capacity building of teachers, noting that it is imperative for management of the college to deploy strategies, which would rectify lackadaisical attitude exhibited by students who later become teachers in various schools.
Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, TESCOM, Mr. Johnson Odeyemi charged the institution to train their students on Information Communication Technology, as well as introduction of a course on Principle of Ethics and educate them on the importance of imbibing the spirit of rural adaptation to guide against future lobbying and improve knowledge impartation of students placed in their care.
In their separate remarks, the Commissioners in the Commission, Hon. Adeola Akintonde, Omoba Adetokunbo Tella, Mr. Olanrewaju Majekodunmi and Hon. Joseph Adeleye, enjoined the institution to enlighten the future teachers to reflect commitment in their professional dexterity, so as to restore the lost glory of education in the State.
The Commissioners also implored them to dissuade their students from engaging in social vices, that could jeopardize their future, as they would become role models to their students in the future.
By Saka Laaro, Ilorin
Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, has been chosen as one of the six pilot universities for the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the Office of the First Lady’s initiative to establish ICT Experience Centres in public tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
According to a letter addressed to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Shaykh-Luqman Jimoh, and signed by the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Architect Sonny S.T. Echono, KWASU was selected as a pilot institution for the project.
The letter stated that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, in collaboration with the Office of the First Lady, is championing the establishment of ICT Experience Centres in furtherance of the joint initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Federal Ministry of Communication, Technology, and Digital Economy Learn to Earn Programme.
It added that the project, which is part of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Federal Government, aims to provide undergraduates with tailored technological education and opportunities to thrive in the digital era.
“The primary objective of the ICT Experience Centres is to empower undergraduates and institutions of learning with skills, infrastructure, and mindset necessary to excel in a digitally driven world.
“Your Institution has been chosen for the first phase/pilot programme of this initiative,” it added.
Six pilot ICT Experience Centres, one in each geopolitical zone of the country, constitute the pilot stage.
Reacting to the development, the Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University, Professor Shaykh-Luqman Jimoh, described the selection of KWASU as elating and indicative of the strategic positioning of the institution as a hub for the training of 21st century individuals who contribute significantly to national development.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has urged the Federal Government to prioritise university education to boost research and academic excellence in the nation’s ivory towers.
The Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo (AEFUNAI), branch of ASUU made the appeal in an address delivered during a press conference on the campus on Wednesday at Ikwo local government area in Ebonyi.
The union had earlier embarked on a peaceful march that commenced on the university campus and terminated at the entrance gate of the institution to draw awareness of its demand for a better welfare and funding of university education in Nigeria.
The address signed by Dr Louis Omenyi and Dr Joseph Chukwu, the branch chairman and secretary respectively, lamented the poor state of infrastructure, welfare of lecturers and other anomalies in the system.
According to the unionists, the perceived rot in the public owned universities need urgent action so as to stem brain drain and incessant strike actions that had bedevilled the university education.
The union rejected what it termed, illegalities, underfunding, disrespect and flagrant violation of university autonomy and academic freedom by governments at all levels.
It also decried the federal government’s failure to honour the agreement it reached with the national body.
“All these anomalies have occasioned the massive exodus of some of our best brains through the phenomenon that has become popularly known as ‘Japa’ syndrome.
“The few of us left behind will not let our generation down because the struggles of our irrepressible union are our historic responsibility to secure the heart and soul of the university system where intellectualism, research, innovation and development are nurtured and delivered.
“The baton is in our hands today and we cannot let down our heroes past by allowing people who benefited from free and subsidised education to destroy our national heritage and educational system,” ASUU said.
ASUU which reaffirmed its commitment to industrial peace and harmony noted that it remained and committed to placing quality education of all Nigerians in its rightful place.
“We are here to reaffirm that we are committed to ensuring qualitative and affordable higher education for all Nigerians and nothing will make us renege from this sacred responsibility,” it added.
The union frowned at the government’s insensitivity to the plight of the university lecturers and lack of commitment to implementing agreements entered with the union and the infrastructural decays.
It therefore called on relevant authorities to do the needful to avert another looming crisis that could lead to further devaluation of standards in the university education.
“We are also making a clarion call to all Nigerians to join hands with ASUU to salvage the Nigerian university system from total collapse.
“We are also using this medium to warn that the ritual of ASUU’s preparation for another round of strike has just begun.
“Arising from the texts of press conferences after the National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union held recently at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), the cloud is gathering for a show down if the needful is not done very quickly.
“You will recall that ASUU has reached an agreement with the government in 2009, which is supposed to be reviewed three years later; for 15 years now, that agreement has not been wholly implemented, let alone reviewed.
“As a consequence, lecturers in public universities have remained stuck with the same poor condition of service,” the union said.
ASUU called on the government to urgently set up a committee to review the agreement reached by its leadership and Prof. Nimi Brigs-led Government committee to further look at the document, adjust it according to the current economic realities.
The union condemned the government’s sustained use of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) payment platform saying that the system usurped the powers of the university councils.
The group rejected continued withholding of three and half months salaries of members, non-payment of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) and promotion arrears among other alleged injustices.
Education
Poor infrastructure, funding for public varsities responsible for incessant strikes — ASUU UNIJOS
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), says poor infrastructure and inadequate funding of public universities by the Federal Government were responsible for the incessant strikes by lecturers.
Chairperson of the University of Jos chapter of the union, Dr. Jurbe Molwus, said this during a town hall it organised on Thursday in Jos.
He added that the failure of the federal government to honour agreements it reached with the union over the years had contributed to the industrial disharmony between the lecturers and government.
“As a union, we are very reluctant about going on strike; we find it very painful anytime our members resolve to embark on industrial action.
“But the failure of the government to honour agreements it reached with the union is largely behind recurrent strikes.
“ASUU has entered a series of agreements with the government but all of them ended as promissory notes.
“Most of our public universities are now an eyesore; no basic infrastructure like lecture halls, equipped laboratories, among others, and this because successive governments refused to properly fund education,” he lamented.
On the rationale for the town hall, Molwus said that it would provide an opportunity for the union and members of the public to interact on the challenges currently facing public universities in Nigeria.
“This meeting will give us the opportunity to discuss with Nigerians from all walks of life and fashion best ways of tackling the current challenges confronting university education in Nigeria.
“We have called you here to tell you our side of the story as a union and to hear from you how best we can collectively move our education system out of its current quagmire,” he said.
Speaking at the event, retired Prof. Sylvester Alubo, called on the federal government to grant full autonomy to public universities, insisting that such a move would enable optimal productivity in the institutions.
“Granting full autonomy to the universities will solve a lot of challenges confronting our educational system.
“This is the practice in other climes; the government doesn’t interfere in the running of universities,” he said.
Alubo, who decried the proliferation of universities in the country, also called on the federal government to urgently address the situation.
The retired professor added that poor remuneration of university lecturers was responsible for the increasing ‘Japa’ syndrome among lecturers.
He called on the government to review the salary structure of the lecturers to reflect global standards and current economic realities in the country.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, commended the union for organising the town hall.
The Vice Chancellor also called on the federal government to address all demands of ASUU, insisting that the demands were critical toward having functional and productive universities in the country.
The town hall had parents, students, market and transport unions, security agencies, government officials, among other critical stakeholders in attendance.
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