The Education Minister, Adamu Adamu, has admitted he had no knowledge of the sector when President Muhammadu Buhari appointed him.

The Minister said that he had just “superficial” knowledge of the sector before he became a minister.

The longest-serving education minister spoke on Thursday during a valedictory service in his honour where he received accolades from members of staff of the ministry.

Adamu said that to make up for his lack of knowledge of the sector, he consulted the services of professors in  education who assisted him in putting a roadmap for the education sector.

He in 2016 unveiled the “Education for Change: A Ministerial Strategic Plan (MSP)” document for the country’s education sector.

The roadmap was expected to serve as a blueprint or a pill capable of curing most of the ailments currently affecting the sector, and provide immediate short and long-term solutions.

The Minister said: “I didn’t know anything about education except superficially. When Buhari decided to make me Minister of Education, there is somebody here sitting and looking at me; he was the first person I called. He said ‘what do you want to achieve?’ I said I want to achieve good things. And these are my ideas as a learner.

“After that meeting professors of education were called and I told them what I wanted to achieve and let them put it in writing for me and they (the professors) did. And then we had a document,” he said.

During Adamu’s period as Minister, the sector witnessed lots of ups and downs.

Despite the fact that his tenure witnessed the highest number of industrial strike actions from tertiary institutions-based unions such as the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union among others, the sector also witnessed the implementation of new policies, increase in the number of new institutions among others.

For example, his tenure witnessed the implementation of a new retirement age for teachers.

It also witnessed the establishment of more public and private universities.

About 122 new universities were licensed by the National Universities Commission (NUC) with some other colleges of education and polytechnics converted to universities.

Source – The Nation.

A Junior Secondary School Student of Odomola Secondary School, Miss Marvellous Barinaadaa, and her parents got more than they expected on Tuesday, when the girl was sent home by the school principal for allegedly wrapping her books with the poster of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Mr Peter Obi.

Her mother, who took to social media to lament the situation, appealed to Nigerians to come to the family’s rescue, saying the girl was apolitical and just 10 years old.

Part of the message sighted by our correspondent read: “This is to inform you all, that my daughter, Marvelous Barinaadaa, was exited from Odomola Secondary School today 14th March 2023, by the principal, just because my daughter used Peter Obi’s poster paper to wrap her notebook for school.

“And this girl is just ten years old.

“She didn’t know anything about politics, but she was sent away from school without informing the parents because they say we support Peter Obi and Labour Party.

“Please, is this act by the principal good? See what the school principal wrote in that letter. And after we will say we are one Nigeria.”

She also alleged that the family had suffered a lot because of their perceived support for Obi.

‘Not true’

However, the President of Odomola Secondary School Old Students Association, OSSOSA, Epe, Apagun Saka Shola, stated that the JSS2 student was sent home for allegedly causing nuisance and distraction through the distribution of posters of Obi in the classroom.

He noted that the move by the principal was to curtail the nuisance being caused by the student in sharing the posters with other students.

His words: “I have been able to reach the principal. The issue circulating is far from the truth.

“There is a directive to stop all forms of campaign in the classroom. As some political parties use the students to campaign in class.

“The principal did not expel or suspend the student. She sent her home for causing havoc and disturbance in the class during recess by chatting and sharing LP posters to her mates.

“Again, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education is on the issue,” OSSOSA President said.

However, calls and text message sent to the contact purported to be that of the principal were neither acknowledged nor responded to at the time of filling this report.

(Vanguard)

 

The mother of the 12-year-old student of Chrisland Schools, Whitney, who died on February 9, 2023, during the school’s inter-house sports at Agege Stadium, Lagos, Mrs Blessing Adeniran, has cried out for receiving threats and trolls online.

An autopsy was conducted on Whitney at the Lagos State University teaching hospital ( Lasuth) on March 1st 2023, which showed that she died as a result of asphyxia and electrocution.
She was buried Thursday, March 2, 2023 in Lagos.

Whitney Adeniran mum.

According to her, “a fellow parent, , told me that it was an accident that could happen anywhere and asked if I wanted money from the school.

She wrote to me, “May God console your family, but my question is, do you want the school to pay or for the school to be permanently closed?

“Then, consider other children in the school who have paid their fees. Are they supposed to be thrown out of school? We feel your pain, but we are not clear with your revenge. This could have happened anywhere.

“Others said I should allow their children to sit for their examinations. I have been bullied and trolled.”

Mrs Adeniran went on to say,
“I spent 16 hours during labour when I had my child. I collapsed, suffered and she couldn’t stay to enjoy all we are working for. They took my daughter away when she should have been with me. My child was already cooking, wearing my shoes. She fried two cartons of turkey during our December party. My daughter was responsible. I travelled for days and left her to take care of her siblings. She was the head girl when she was in Primary school,” she lamented.