EDUCATION
Why My Administration Invested In Education – Jonathan
Commends Bayelsa Gov On Summit
Former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has identified functional education as vital to the development of the manpower resources of any society.
Dr. Jonathan, who was the keynote speaker, stated this on Monday at the maiden five-day Bayelsa State Education Summit, with the theme: “Optimising the delivery, performance and sustainability of outcomes in the education sector,” in Yenagoa.
Highlighting the contributions he made in the development of the education sector when he was governor of the state and at the national level, Dr. Jonathan emphasised the important role of information and communication technology.
According to him, his administration made substantial investments at the national and state levels, including providing scholarship programmes.
He stressed that his recognition of the vital place of an educated citizenry was the reason behind his administration’s investment in almajiri schools in the North.
His words: “Education is a strategic tool for national development and social change. You cannot make progress without educated citizenry. People cannot develop without functional education.
“Today, ICT is key. It is replacing almost everything. The teaching of ICT has to start right from the nursery schools.”
He applauded the vision of Governor Douye Diri and his team in holding the summit to fashion out a sustainable policy for the sector.
He urged the state government to legalise its educational policies so that successive government would not jettison them.
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Jonathan also charged stakeholders at the summit to consider introducing a common language in the educational curriculum.
“If we must come together, we must have a common language. When you want to develop our educational policies, do not forget the languages because language is very critical in creating global citizens.”
Declaring the summit open, Governor Douye Diri said at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Bayelsa was handicapped as it lacked the equipment required in delivering remote learning.
On the need to back educational policies with a law, the governor said a bill would be sent to the House of Assembly to that effect.
Commenting on the need to adopt a common language, Senator Diri said already, the state executive council had adopted Kolokuma as the chosen dialect and directed the Ministries of Education and Ijaw National Affairs to ensure implementation of the policy.
According to him, “language is not only critical in education but also in establishing one’s identity and conscious efforts must be made to ensure our language does not go into extinction.”
He called on stakeholders in the sector to develop a 15-year education plan that could be reviewed periodically to enable Bayelsans take their rightful place in the country and the world.
Diri also assured that his administration would continue to support the model schools he inherited
from his predecessor and called for support from the private sector, particularly the oil companies operating in the state.
Chairman of the state Education Development Trust Fund and one-time Minister of Science and Technology, Prof. Turner Isoun represented by Prof Francis Sikoki, said the board remains committed to providing interventions in the education sector.
In their goodwill messages, chairman of the state traditional rulers council, King Alfred Diete-Spiff, representative of the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Content Development and Monitoring Board, Mr. Dan Kikile, and a representative of the Managing Director, Sterling Bank, described Senator Diri’s vision on holding the summit as brilliant.
They said this was time to put Bayelsa on the global map.
EDUCATION
SIGN OUT VIRAL VIDEO: ONDO GOVT WITHHOLD WAEC RESULTS OF STUDENTS, ORDER NAMES WRITTEN IN “BLACK BOOK”
•••••• EDUCATION MINISTRY SANCTIONS STUDENTS IN VIRAL VIDEO
The Ondo State Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology has cracked down on a group of secondary school students from Oyemekun Grammar School, Aquinas Secondary School, and CAC Grammar School following a viral “sign-out” video that sparked widespread public outrage across social media.The video, which circulated heavily on platforms like TikTok and Facebook following the completion of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), showed graduating students engaging in chaotic and undisciplined behaviour, including tearing uniforms and chanting inappropriate slogans.In an emergency meeting convened at the Ministry’s headquarters in Akure, government officials and school administrators gathered to address the breach of conduct.The Ministry has handed down the following immediate sanctions to serve as a deterrent to other schools across the state:The official school testimonials and WASSCE results of the 17 students identified in the video will be withheld until further notice, and their names will be entered into the “black book” of their respective schools.All principals have been directed to open a “black book” for student misconduct, and senior officers at the affected schools have received official queries for failing to adequately supervise and allowing the celebrations to degenerate into lawlessness.For those in the video who are not in the terminal class, the Ministry has directed that they be expelled from school immediately.The Commissioner advised all parents to consistently counsel their children against actions that could mar their futures, stating that the measures taken by the Ministry will serve as a deterrent to other students who might consider engaging in similar acts in the future.
A governorship Aspirant under All Progressives Congress APC in Ekiti State Engr. Kayode Ojo greets the teachers on World Teachers Day, describing them as great impetus and steam for the development of any society.
“Teachers’ roles at modelling both children and youths towards nation building cannot be under estimated”, hence the need to always prioritise their welfares. “
Engr. Kayode Ojo made the assertion in a statement issued and made available to newsmen in Ado Ekiti on this year’s Teachers Day celebration.
The APC governorship Hopeful described Ekiti Teachers as partners in progress if properly renumerated, especially with prompt salary payment, training, retraining, incentive, motivation, and promotion, among others.
He commended them over their sacrifices to impact positively on the lives of both Students and Youth in the State, despite numerous challenges facing them at discharging their duties due to what he called systematic errors under the present administration in the State.
“Teaching profession needs to be treated with desired respect and dignity because of its foundational roles at developing the society by incurcating both academic and social values on the lives of the People.
The current Pro Chancellor and Chairman Governing council, University of Nigeria Nsukka UNN, commended President Bola Tinubu for prioritising Teachers Welfares as one of the cardinal policies of his administration, hence the need for various State Governors to compliment and support the president policy.
The industrialist and engineer turned Politician assured teachers in Ekiti State of more conducive atmosphere to operate if voted into power during this month APC governorship primary and 2026 elections in the State.
According to him, teachers in Ekiti will be compensated with incentives, training, prompt payment of salary, and general motivation.
While congratulating all Teachers in Ekiti on this year celebration, Ojo urged them to continue to put in their best to develop the state.
…As lawmaker distributes educational materials to students
Ifako-Ijaiye has been named one of the most educated local government area of Lagos state by stakeholders in the education sector of Lagos state.This was as the lawmaker representing Ifako-Ijaiye Constituency I at the State House of Assembly, Hon. Adewale Temitope Adedeji, distributed thousands of school materials to students of the local government as part of his ‘Back To School Support Initiative’.The event, which took place at Fagba Junior Grammar School, Ifako-Ijaiye, attracted hundreds of schoolchildren, parents, teachers, community leaders, and stakeholders.Items distributed by the lawmaker included 500 school bags, 6,000 exercise books, 10,000 writing materials, 500 mathematical sets, 1,000 pairs of socks, and 500 water bottles.Speaking at the event, Hon. Adewale said the gesture, which is the 5th, was aimed at easing the financial burden of parents while motivating pupils to excel in their studies.Adewale, who distributed GCE and JAMB forms to candidates earlier in the year, said his effort was to complement the unwavering commitment of President Bola Tinubu in the education sector.
“Many people do not understand that service and leadership start from the grassroots. This is one thing that has kept Asiwaju Tinubu formidable over the years. His passion to bring education to children while as governor of Lagos state remains the most effective education strategy in recent times.“Today, we recognize him as the best President Nigeria has had. This is why I also encourage people to do the little that they can. The education of our children cannot be left to the government and parents alone,” he said.Adewale said education remains one of his top priorities as a legislator, describing it as the “bedrock of human and societal development.”He assured the students that as they excel, they would benefit from the free GCE and JAMB forms initiative as well as the scholarship scheme of the Adewale Temitope Adedeji Educational Initiative (ATA-EI).In his remarks, the Lagos Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Tolani Ali-Balogun, said Ifako-Ijaiye has been projected to become one of the most educated local government area in the state.Commending the lawmaker for his investment in education and support for the government, in he urged the beneficiaries to be focused on their studies as a way to encourage the lawmaker to do more.On his part, Dr. Afolabi Abiodun Tajudeen, Special Adviser on Political, Legislative and Civic Engagement to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, tasked the students to focus on their studies so they could enjoy a brighter future.The Tutor-General and Permanent Secretary, Education District 1, Dr Oyetola Olufunke Idowu, further confirmed that the lawmaker’s support for the government’s education stride saying this had started yielding results in the area looking at examination results of 2023 and 2024.Some of the beneficiaries promised to use the materials judiciously.
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