Education
Accreditation, Our Key Challenge – CHST’s Provost
Iam an insider: I was a
student here, grew through the rank and file, became a lecturer, held different positions, sometimes as Head of Department (HOD), then Director in the school, and finally, now, the Acting Provost.
“So, I am part and parcel of this college. I know everything about this institution, hence, my focus is to ensure that I put in place policies aimed at improving the academic profile of the institution.
These were the words of the Acting Provost of Rivers State College of Health Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, Dr Nnamdi Amadi.
In an exclusive interview with The Tide, Dr Amadi who is the second internally generated head of the school, explained that his goal of improving the academic profile of the college and ensuring that it is reckoned with in terms of excellence was achievable.
The key challenge, he said is provision of necessary facilities like well equipped classrooms, laboratories and hostels among others, stressing that they were the core problems facing the school, which his administration must strive to overcome inorder to attain excellence. According to him, this would ensure that all the programmes and courses in the institution attain accreditation.
Towards ensuring that the school attains that required excellence, he said, every other aspects have been fine-tuned to make it easier for the school to forge ahead.
“It is going to be easy because in this institution, we work as a family. All hands are on deck to ensure that we achieve our aim: the Bursary, Academic Planning and every other Departments as well as staff and students work closely towards taking the institution to an enviable height”, he explained.
Beyond these challenges, Dr Amadi acknowledged the importance of finance in executing and or putting in place necessary facilities which are criteria for the programmes in the school to be accredited.
“Already, there are excruciating challenges which we have in this college. The major challenge is to ensure that all our courses are accredited, because without accreditation, the certificates we award may amount to nothing since accreditation is what gives meaning to the certificates.
Accreditation, the Acting Provost explained, passes through various stages: It starts with the school putting in place necessary facilities before inviting the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to undertake an assessment visit. This is followed by another visit during which provisional or full accreditation is given to programmes depending on state of facilities available.
From 2014 when the NBTE accorded a provisional accreditation status to three programmes, out of eleven in the college, he said, efforts to improve on the facilities in the school have been near impossible due to the fact that management of the school had to rely on only Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), which he said, is barely enough to provide other equally necessary services in running the school.
Such services, according to him, include provision of essential services such as water and light, security, payment of casual staff and the day-to-day running of the school.
Consequently, the college now faces the possibility of not only losing the provisional accreditation given to three of its programmes, but also not having a chance of the remaining eight programmes being accredited.
“By now, we are supposed to call on NBTE for full accreditation to those programmes we have already gotten provisional accreditation, and, possibly, get accreditation for Higher National Diploma (HND).
“But because of lack of finance, we have not been able to secure full accreditation for these other ones we have gotten. As I talk to you now, we are almost at the verge of losing the accreditation we have gotten”, he lamented.
A cursory look at facilities on ground in the campus reveals that accommodation for instance, is far below the over 4,000 students that require to be accommodated in the campus.
What the college has as a library and laboratory could at best go for a rickety arrangement to fulfil all righteousness.
This is by far below modern standard in which institutions now compete in such fields as e-library and the most equipped laboratories suitable to dispense what is required of a modern college of health sciences and technology.
Some of the students who spoke on condition of anonymity expressed personal fears regarding the status of their certificates if their programmes are not accredited by NBTE.
“The implication is that whatever we are struggling for, the pains we are going through in order to have a certificate will amount to nothing if our certificates cannot be recognised when we go to seek for job.
“This is why we are appealing to the government to please come to our aid by doing the needful so that programmes in this school can be accredited by the relevant authorities”, some of the students expressed pleaded.
Dr Amadi explained further that although several efforts have been made to present the challenges of the school to the Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike since his assumption of office in May, 2015, the political situation had made it difficult.
“But now that the Supreme Court has upheld his election, I believe that as a Governor that listens to the plight of his people, he is going to attend to the challenges”, he said.
He expressed fears over the worst case scenario should the NBTE withdraw the provisional accreditation given the three programme of the college and the possibility, of not accrediting any other programme.
“If we lose accreditation for those programmes, it means we are going back to the starting point.
“For us to regain the accreditation, it means we have to go back to the basics to provide those facilities, and it will be terrible.
“Moreso, it will also lead to a kind of retrenchment, because if we do not have money to sustain some of the programmes, definitely, we will step some of the programmes down.
“When we do this, lecturers who teach those programmes both part time and full time, will have to leave as well, and this will add to the unemployment situation in the state”, he said.
Sogbeba Dokubo
Dr Nnamdi Amadi
The Executive Chairman of the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board, Alabo David Briggs and his Post Primary Schools Board, counterpart, Dr. Sam Emejuru recently embarked on a joint visit to Model Girls Secondary School, Mbodo Aluu in Ikwerre Local Government Arera of Rivers State.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after interacting with the students, Alabo Briggs said both of them were in the school to know how the students are faring, how happy they are, and to also know their areas of need and then take pragmatic decisions that would enhance the wellbeing of the students.
Describing the school as the only boarding school in Rivers State made up of Senior and Junior Secondary, the UBE boss said the visit has actually afforded them the opportunity to know what is lacking in the school, and promised that every machinery would be adequately put in place to ensure that the school is made more attractive and students well taken care of.
He further maintained that the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) and staff of the school must rise to the occasion so as to bring back the lost glory of the school and ensure that the students are treated and well handled like their own children.
Corroborating the UBE boss, Dr. Sam Emejuru of the Post Primary School promised that everything possible would be done to reposition the school, and appealed to all concerned to be patient.
During the visit, the two Board chairmen and their members met with the school authorities wherein issues bordering on the school were discreetly ironed out and some good changes made.
Alabo Briggs also gave cash to some of the students that performed well in the essay competition that took place in Port Harcourt.
The students were also given cartons of sanitary pads to mark the International Day of the Girl Child which was celebrated all over the world recently.
By: Akujobi Amadi
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) support programme on report writing for Chief Supervisors and Evaluators of the Local Government Areas took place recently at the UBE Board Headquarters in Port Harcourt.
Addressing the participants, the Board member in charge of Supervision/Monitoring, Chief Nwuke Anucha, described the programme as very interesting and educative as it is aimed at broadening the knowledge of the Chief Supervisors and Evaluators on report writing.
While thanking UBEC for the initiative, Chief Anucha also commended the resource persons who came from UBEC Abuja for doing a good job and appealed to the participants to see the support programme on report writing as an opportunity to do better.
Also speaking, the Board member, Project/Technical, Dr. Walson Ominini described the programme as a good one that all the participants must take seriously for the good of Rivers State.
Ominini used the medium to announce the personnel audit for staff of the Local Government Education Authorities in the three Senatorial zones coming up next week at the Board Headquarters adding that any staff of the LGEA who does not take part in the Audit should regard himself or herself as not being a staff of UBE.
In her vote of thanks, the Director, Quality Assurance, Mrs. Nnenna Osumenya thanked UBEC for the programme, and described it as a welcomed development.
She particularly thanked the Executive Chairman of the Board, Alabo David Briggs and the Board members for giving the programme the needed attention.
By: Akujobi Amadi
In cognizance of the value of reading in educational, career and knowledge pursuits, TotalEnergies Joint Venture(JV) Asset has committed itself to instilling the habit in students of secondary schools to enable them succeed in their academic pursuits and become good leaders of tommorow.
This, it is achieving through its Annual Book Reading and Open Day programme.
This year’s event, organised for Senior Secondary Schools in Rivers State,with the theme, ‘The World Is A Maze; Navigate It — Read’ and held at the Event Centre, TotalEnergies Office, PortHarcourt, explored the book, ‘Unexpected Joy At Dawn’ by Ghanaian author, Alex Agyei Agyiri.
Participating schools chosen across Port Harcourt included Government Technical College, PortHarcourt; Bishop Crowther Memorial Secondary School, Rumuobiakani; Oginigba Comprehensive Secondary School; Community Secondary School, Rumuomasi, and Hilltop Prime International College.
Others were Community Secondary School, Amadi-Ama; Government Senior Secondary School, Elekahia; Community Secondary School, Nkpogu; Dietams International Schools; and Community Secondary School, Abuloma.
In his address, the Deputy Managing Director, Joint Venture Asset, TotalEnergies EP, Nigeria Limited, Olivier Cassassoles, said reading habit remains a major essential needed for life’s development in information, direction and character building, and stressed the need for the students, many of whom he said would grow to become leaders to cultivate and sustain the culture.
Cassassoles, who was represented by the Executive Director, JV Asset, PortHarcourt, Obi Imemba, quoted former American President, Barack Obama’s words, “reading is the gateway skill that makes all other learning possible” and stated that “this clearly aligns with the theme of the day and implies that in order to successfully navigate the complexities of life, one needs to read”.
Cassassoles said “as students, many of you will grow to be leaders and leaders need a lot of information to stay relevant. The books you read will shape your future and through them you will find wisdom to make a difference”.
According to him, the book reading event is one that the company holds dear to heart as it promotes the culture of reading among students in Nigeria.
While encouraging the students to make conscientious effort to research good books with themes and characters that align with what they intend to do in future, Cassassoles expressed the hope that the students would commit themselves to a life of reading, adding that “I expect that you will be leaving here with a clearer idea of the career path you want to pursue “.
Also speaking, the State Commissioner for Education, Dr Ovy Chinedum Chukwuma, described this year’s theme as ‘most appropriate’ at a time when students have abandoned the text book for not only the phone – Whatsapp, Twitter etcetera but other vices.
Represented by the Technical Adviser to the Commissioner, Dr Joy Nwamaka Joseph, Chukwuma noted that reading is an effective tool for engaging students in critical thinking, saying “a student that reads focuses attention on the task at hand, immersing them in information and improving his/her concentration and memory”, insisting that students must read in order to navigate this maze-like world successfully.
The Commissioner commended TotalEnergies for “always seeking to improve the educational standards of our pupils, students, under/post graduates in our institutions and for inspiring them to develop the habit of reading as a life style”.
Earlier, the Country Communications Manager, TotalEnergies, Charles Ebereonwu, revealed that the annual reading event is part of the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility(CSR) targeted at making the best of future leaders.
In his closing remarks, the Special Adviser, People and Talent Management, TotalEnergies EP Nigeria Limited, Samuel Nkwo, lauded the students for going beyond reading the book to taking lessons there from.
“What has happened here today has given us encouragement that this is a good thing to do and that we should continue to do it” Nkwo said.
Highlights of the event included reading and discussion of the book, ‘Unexpected Joy At Dawn’, questions and answers session and presentation of gift items including school bags, solar lamps, books among others to the students.
By: Lady Godknows Ogbulu