Education
WAEC Advocates National Honours For Teachers
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) says it has reached an advanced stage with plans for the hosting of the 37th annual conference of the Association for Educational Assessment in Africa (AEAA).
The council’s Head of National Office (HNO), Mr Olu Adenipekun disclosed this in an interview with newsmen, last Saturday in Lagos.
The theme of the conference is: Innovations in Educational Assessment.
He stated that the conference, slated for Aug. 4 to Aug. 8, would seek to put to the fore, new developments in the area of educational assessment and standards, as well as assessment of candidates.
“We are happy to state here that preparations for the upcoming conference in Abuja are in top gear and have reached an advanced stage.
“This year, Nigeria will be hosting the annual conference which was hosted last by Lesotho in 2018.
“The association is a continental body for assessors, examination bodies, institutes and Faculties of Education and universities are also represented in it.
“We meet once in a year where we bring to the fore, situations in areas of educational assessment across the world. Like you may know, the last conference was hosted by Lesotho, where Nigeria was given the hosting right and elected as the Vice President of the conference,” the WAEC boss said.
According to him, members of the association want to also bring to the fore, new developments in the area of educational assessment, not just in Africa, but the world at large.
He noted that participants would want to see the things required to ensure that assessment and standards in education and other key areas are up-to-date, remain valid and ensure that its integrity was intact.
According to him, participants would also want to see how they are responding to new challenges, financing, as well as the development of human capital.
On whether the council had plans to review upwards, stipends paid to examiners who participate in the marking of examination scripts of candidates, Adenipekun said: council cannot equate their services in monetary value, considering their contributions to nation building.
“It is something that is quite clear to us that teachers who serve as examiners to us need to be given enhanced remuneration.
“But let me state it clearly here that the operations of WAEC are largely based and dependent on the teachers.
“For instance, the items which are the raw questions are developed by the teachers, the questions that are so developed are moderated by the same teachers. And when these questions are so moderated, the conduct of the examinations themselves are handled by the teachers and then the standard fixing is also done by the teachers.
“So one will see that as a council, we only provide the enabling environment to ensure that the procedures are followed rigidly, as well as provide the necessary leadership in the area of bringing to the fore, new and positive developments,’’ he said.
“You know, once you share knowledge and you see that knowledge translates to human development, it gives one an unquantifiable sense of joy and self fulfilment that transcends monetary gains.
“We, therefore, acknowledge their contributions to national development and the need to continue to encourage them, which we have been doing, through the continuous improvement of the remuneration of our examiners.
“But also, let me state clearly and this is a fact that the teachers are not in the employ of the council full time.
“They only work for us on part-time basis for a period of time, basically during the marking of examination scripts.
“During this period, we normally inform both the Federal and state govenments, just to let them know that we will engage the teachers for a period of time.
“WAEC does not charge economy fees. What we charge for the examination is strictly limited. It is never given a free hand to charge economy fees because education at the secondary level among the five member nations of council is considered as a social service.
“So, the same way we now plead with our ad hoc staff, supervisors, examiners, checkers, by putting our cards on the table for them to see that what we are all doing is contributing to the development of our dear country,’’ he said.
Adeniekun, however, assured that the council would continue to strive to find means of continually reviewing upward, the stipends being paid the examiners.
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