Governor Peter Obi gave out N10m cheque

Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State has redeemed his pledge by presenting an additional N10m cheque to Guardian Angel Nursery and Primary School, Abatete for the ongoing reconstruction of the school’s main building destroyed by fire earlier this year.

The money is the fourth instalment payment given to the school by the governor for the project. Governor Obi said the money was to enable the school to complete the building in line with his earlier promise to ensure that the structure was put back in shape to provide good learning environment for the children.

Rev. Sis. Mary Adesanya, Principal of Dominican Sisters’ College Abatete said the Governor was committed to helping the poor and the needy in the state.

N100 billion spent annually as tuition by Nigerians in Ghana

Do you know that about N100 billion is spent annually as tuition by Nigerians studying in Ghana? Former lawmaker and educationists, Senator David Iornem revealed this at a briefing to mark his 64^th birthday anniversary in Makurdi.
The main reason for this is because Nigerian Universities cannot accommodate all candidates seeking admission to study various causes.
David suggested that Government should allow for the establishment of small university colleges by willing entrepreneurs as it is done in the United Kingdom, America, Malaysia and Germany.
“In these countries, small university colleges which may be affiliated to bigger universities are set up by small scale entrepreneurs with adequate resources. I believe that when we kick start this process, more than 500,000 university places will be created in the first year.
“This can be achieved by involving small entrepreneurs and allowing existing universities to set up satellite campuses. By the third year of starting this system, no Nigerian youth wanting to enter a university, polytechnic or a college of education will have any difficulty or denied the opportunity to develop himself or herself.
 “It is totally unacceptable to officially shut the door against young Nigerians wanting admission, thereby, leaving them stranded and hopeless; we must return the higher education sector to its days of glory when brilliant young people were sure of their future.”Prof. Iornem said

Six years on the wheel-chair, Binta Danjuma can walk again

We all should thank Almighty God on behalf of a 17 year- old Binta Danjuma who regained her ability to work after six years of paralysis due to“Tuberculosis (TB) of the spine”. She has been confined to the wheel-chair but today she can walk again and she is also doing well in her school.

Delta Shut Down 662 Schools

The Delta State Government has shut down 662 private primary and secondary schools. The action became necessary because the said schools were built below the set standards and they were also operating in unconducive environment. This according to the government is not in line with its policy of providing qualitative education at the cradle.

Adams Oshiomole Returned Schools to Missionaries

The Delta state Government has returned 41 missionary secondary schools to the original owners. The Commissioner for Education, Prof. Patrick Muoboghare disclosed that the government paid N5m as compensation to the respective missions.

You will recall that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, former Governor of Lagos State did same when he was the Governor.

ASUU Strike: End in sight?

It is hopeful that the strike action embarked upon by ASUU to force the Federal Government to implement the agreement reached with the Union few years back may be called off soon. This development may be connected to the approval of N400 billion by President Goodluck Jonathan for infrastructural development in Nigerian Universities.
 

It is expected that document to the effect will be released today at a scheduled meeting of presidential Committee on Implementation of the NEEDS Assessment in the Universities with the four University- based Unions: Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU)

The President of SSANU, Samson Ugwoke, made the disclosure while addressing members of the Union during the meeting of the National Executive Committee (NEC) held at the University of Abuja last weekend. He was briefing his members on the activities of the NEEDS assessment implementation committee, led by Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam. He noted that the fund was different from the N100 billion Governor Suswam had raised from donor agencies and big companies to tackle the problems of Nigerian universities in 2013.

Ugwoke made the statements below:

“Let me give you a tip on what the NEEDS assessment committee is doing. The president has approved that within the next four years; N400 billion would be expended in infrastructural development of Nigerian universities, to transform the universities to international standard.

“N100 billion has already been raised by Suswam committee out of which 61 universities have been pencilled down, as contained in the NEEDS assessment committee. The N100 billion is expected to address needs of the universities in the areas which include re-furbishing and renovation of lecture theatres and lecture halls, re-furbishing and renovation of laboratories/libraries and the renovation of hostels.

“The second category is building of new hostels of international standard, self-contained rooms, the latest model in the world. That is the standard to be built in every university, and also the state-of-the-art laboratories as well as classrooms, lecture theatres and the halls.”

“The second category is building of new hostels of international standard, self-contained rooms, the latest model in the world. That is the standard to be built in every university, and also the state-of-the-art laboratories as well as classrooms, lecture theatres and the halls.”

Ugwoke also informed that the money had been shared and out of the N100 billion, N96 billion had been sent to universities.

“The committee is meeting again on Monday, and by Monday (today), the document will be out. This time around, it is not only by giving university money, but it will be monitored to ensure that the money is used to transform the universities, to bail universities out of the present situation and developed to an international recognized university standard.”

Russia to Improve Quality of Higher Education Through Monitoring of Graduate Employment

The Government in Russia is very much concerned about the quality of its Higher Education and this it plans to control by regularly monitoring graduate employment. The results of the monitoring exercise with its first phase due for completion in November shall be a part of indicators for ranking Universities in 2014.

The government will not take it lightly with Universities with woeful records as the Ministry of Education may have to close such universities and their licences revoked.

How will they monitor this?

A unified register shall be opened for all graduates of Universities and their employments monitored within three months of graduation.

The register is likely to measure the percentage of graduates employed within three months of graduating, average annual salaries, career progress and salary growth. In the longer term it will also contain data on the percentage of graduates who were hired with the help of universities, or found work on their own.

It is worthy of note that only State Universities and high schools will be covered this year, others such as Private Institutions, Colleges and other Universities shall be taken care of in 2014.

What are the reasons behind this initiative?

•  To improve education quality that can match the standards obtainable elsewhere

• To inject transparency into the activities of Universities in Russia

Are there critics?

Yes! Some said the idea is too formalistic while students complained that their views were not taken into account. A representative of the Students Union described graduate employment as a superficial criterion.