Education
Abuja primary school teachers declare strike over salary arrears
Primary school teachers in Kuje Area Council, Abuja, have embarked on an indefinite strike over an alleged failure by the council to clear a backlog of salaries owed them and other welfare package.
The Chairman of the Kuje branch of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, Mr Audu Lucky, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday and obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kuje on Tuesday.
Lucky said that the teachers in Kuje were no longer ready to be taken for granted until their demands were met by the Executive Chairman of Kuje Area Council, Mr Abdullahi Sabo.
He said, ”The union observed with dismay the non compliance by the Council Chairman to address the backlog of the Local Education Authority (LEA) teachers’ outstanding entitlements.”
Lucky added that the union had sent a letter to Sabo, with a reference number, NUT/169/5/138, dated 3/1/2023, while a letter of ultimatum dated 2/12/2022, was also sent to him.
He said, “In view of the above, the union leadership is calling on all LEA Primary schools teachers in Kuje Area council to proceed on an indefinite strike action with effect from Monday, 9th Jan, 2023, until further notice.
“LEA Kuje primary school teachers are hereby directed to comply with this directive, please.”
Lucky listed the demands to include: The payment of salaries to 2018 recruited teachers whose salaries were abruptly stopped by the council Chairman in September 2022; submission of the agreed template of payment of LEA teacher’s arrears to the JAAC Secretariat and continuation of the payment to Concerned teachers; payment of salary to 2022 reabsorbed teachers, who have been working through January to December 2022 without salary.”
According to Lucky, based on these demands, the branch and state organs of the union requested to meet with the Council Chairman but he refused to meet with them.
He affirmed that the union had directed all primary schools teachers in the area to stay away from their duty posts while parents were advised to keep their children and wards safe at home.
All efforts by NAN to get the comments of Sabo proved abortive as he did not return various telephone calls made to his line, just as he did not reply two SMS messages sent to him.
However, the Chairman of the FCT Universal Education Board, Dr Alhassan Sule said the board was doing everything humanly possible to amicably resolve the crisis.
Sule said, “And I was telling the chairman that he should not allow only his local government to experience such an unfortunate situation.
”We are on top of the situation and we will soon convene a meeting between the union, the Area Council and the board with a view to finding plausible solutions to the problem.
“Education is very crucial as it is the foundation of every development and the FCT is not handling it with kid gloves.
“Education is the foundation of everything in life. Keeping these children at home is very dangerous.”
Education
12-year-old Nigerian girl Eniola Shokunbi invents air filter to reduce spread of diseases in US schools
12-year-old Nigerian girl Eniola Shokunbi invents air filter to reduce spread of diseases in US schools
A 12-year-old Nigerian from Connecticut, USA, Eniola Shokunbi, has designed an air filter to reduce spread of air borne diseases in the US schools.
The design aims at creating low-cost air filters for classrooms.
The Connecticut State Bond Commission has approved $11.5 million in funding for the design.
Eniola in her fifth grade at Commodore MacDonough STEM Academy of Middletown, they were tasked with creating a solution to enhance safety in schools during potential future pandemics.
Therefore, to combat airborne viruses like COVID-19, she developed a simple but effective air filter system.
Design
Shokunbi’s air filter design showcases both innovation and cost-effectiveness. The unit is constructed using a simple combination of components: a box fan, four furnace filters, duct tape, and cardboard.
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This ingenious assembly results in a remarkably low production cost of approximately $60 per unit. This makes it a highly affordable alternative to commercial air purifiers.
Eniola Shokunbi said, “The air goes through all the sides, and it comes out of the top. So it filters in and out.”
With support from scientists at the University of Connecticut, UConn, Eniola’s design underwent rigorous testing.
The Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, confirmed that the device effectively eliminates over 99% of airborne viruses, showcasing its potential to significantly improve classroom safety.
The recent approval by the State Bond Commission allocates $11.5 million for the implementation of these air filters across Connecticut schools.
This funding is part of UConn’s SAFE-CT: Supplemental Air Filtration for Education Program, which aims to ensure that every public school classroom has access to these vital air purification systems.
Eniola’s vision extends beyond Connecticut; she aspires to see her air filters implemented in classrooms nationwide.
“A lot of people don’t realize that the only thing standing between them and getting sick is science,” Eniola Shokunbi said.
Also, she emphasized the importance of investing in scientific solutions for children’s health.
12-year-old Nigerian girl Eniola Shokunbi invents air filter to reduce spread of diseases in US schools
Education
Minister wants FG to revive Jonathan’s Almajiri system of education
Minister wants FG to revive Jonathan’s Almajiri system of education
Alausa made the call when the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund led by its Chairman, Sen. Muntari Dandutse, visited the ministry for an oversight function.
Alausa, who was newly posted to the ministry, decried the high rate of out-of-school children, saying that with enough fund allocation, the menace would be tackled.
“We have up to 20 million out-of-school children.
“I met with the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School, who said that the 20 million was even under-quoted.
“It is about 40 million to 50 million. This is a danger that can consume everybody. We have to make these schools work.
“Former President Goodluck Jonathan built about 137 Almajiri schools during his tenure, but today, it is sad that only a few of these schools are operational,” he said.
Alausa said that there was a lot of infrastructural decay in the schools, adding that with the Almajiri Commission established by an act of Parliament, the ministry would empower the children.
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He, however, called for more funding to achieve the desired goal of ensuring that out-of-school children were taken off the streets.
The minister further said that the ministry would find a way of keeping children in school by making the Home Grown Feeding Programme viable and sustainable.
“We will design the nutrition, we will ensure that the children get good nutrition which will translate into better brain development, and enable us to develop human capital,” he said.
He also said that the nation was churning out graduates that were not employable.
“We have to refocus, and the way we are refocusing is that going forward, we will focus on Science Technology, Engineering, Mathematics and Medical Sciences (STEMM).
“Today, we have hospitals built, infrastructure is there and funded, but we do not have medical personnel to run them.
“We will also focus on technical, and vocational education. We will encourage 80 per cent practical training and 20 per cent theory,” she said.
The Chairman of the Committee, Sen. Muntari Dandutse, said that the Senate would collaborate with the ministry to make education a priority in the country.
Dandutse also called on the minister to give attention to the issues of security and power supply to higher institutions.
“Most of the allocation to the universities is going to the payment of electricity bills. We need to work together to ensure that they have an uninterrupted power supply,” he said.
Minister wants FG to revive Jonathan’s Almajiri system of education
NAN
Education
FG reverses 18-year admission entry for varsities, sets new priorities
FG reverses 18-year admission entry for varsities, sets new priorities
In a significant policy shift, Nigeria’s newly appointed Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has announced the abolition of the 18-year admission benchmark for tertiary institutions across the country.
During his inaugural press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, he also indicated plans to review the nation’s education policy.
Despite these changes, Alausa reaffirmed that there will be no reversal of the Federal Government’s recent decision to invalidate over 22,700 degree certificates obtained by Nigerians from certain “fake” universities in neighboring Togo and the Benin Republic.
This move aims to uphold the integrity of the nation’s education system.
Emphasizing the need for practical education, Alausa noted that the current system cannot continue producing graduates without corresponding job opportunities, which has contributed to Nigeria’s rising unemployment rates.
To address this, he announced plans for the federal government to partner with private sector operators to provide training and development opportunities for students, unlocking their potential for future employment.
Additionally, Alausa expressed a commitment to empowering universities of agriculture to adopt commercial farming practices as a strategic approach to combat food insecurity in the country.
FG reverses 18-year admission entry for varsities, sets new priorities
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