Education
Agreement reached with ASUU, others, strike ends soon –FG
The Federal Government has expressed optimism that the decisions reached in its three-part meeting with university-based unions would yield fruits next week.
The Head, Press and Public Relations in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Mr Olajide Oshundun, in a statement on Friday, said some agreements had been reached between the government and the unions.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, the Non-Academic Staff Union, and the Association of Academic Technologists are currently on strike.
The unions embarked on strike actions while demanding improved welfare packages, better working conditions and implementation of various labour agreements signed with the Federal Government between 2009 and 2015.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige said, “We had a cordial and fruitful discussion; we looked at the issues dispassionately and reached some agreements, to the satisfaction of everybody in attendance.”
Ngige said the meeting was moved out of the labour ministry because government involved some interested parties in a bid to resolve the dispute with the unions.
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The parties were the Chief of Staff to the President and Chairman of the three-part meeting, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, the Chairman of the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria and co-chair of NIREC, Rev. Sampson Ayokunle.
The negotiation team also had the Ministers of Labour, Finance, Education, ASUU leaders, and other stakeholders.
The Minister of Labour said, “We discussed. Everybody was happy. We reached some agreements, and we hope that by next week those agreements will start maturing.
“The four unions will also go and brief their members so that they can call off the strike.”
The minister said the issues in the 2009 agreement, such as the renegotiation of the condition of service and the wage review could be concluded next week.
In his remarks, Gambari lamented that the perennial problems in the universities had culminated in the mutilation of the nation’s educational calendar.
He urged ASUU to return to the classrooms while negotiations were ongoing, to avoid violence by students who had begun blocking roads and airports in protest of the prolonged strike.
He gave the assurance that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), was determined to put an end to the negative developments in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
“We need predictable and quality education so that the human capital required to move our country forward will be developed consistently,” Gambari said.
Ayokunle, on his part, also appealed to the unions to return to work in the interest of the children and the nation.
The ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, urged the government to give quality attention to education, saying all the problems in the sector could be amicably resolved if the government does the needful soon.
Meanwhile, students of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, under the aegis of the Great Ife Concerned Students in collaboration with the Fund Education Coalition protested against the protracted ASUU strike. They blocked major roads in Osun State, leading to gridlock.
The leader of protesters, Omowumi Abraham, said, “With our education, we are becoming a threat to those in government. They should fund education. In 2020, we were at home because of ASUU strike and coronavirus. There was a surge in the crime rate. They should not toy with our future. They should immediately reopen schools.”
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In a similar vein, students of Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko, on Friday, also took to the streets protesting against the strike.
Speaking during the protest, President of the Students’ Union Government, Kolade Ogunsanmi, said “We, Nigerian students, Adekunle Ajasin University students, are on the street of Akungba to express our displeasure to the Federal Government and in no distant time, the government should answer ASUU so that our universities can reopen.”
The Vice President of the Students’ Union, Kemisola Salami said, “Our education is being truncated; we are tired of sitting at home with no job; we are using this medium to plead with Federal Government to meet with ASUU and end the strike.”
In Imo State, university undergraduates also staged a protest on Friday against the lingering ASUU strike.
The Senate President of the National Association of Imo State Students, Alfred Jacinta, said, “We are giving them seven days to resolve their issues, else we will block all the major roads until our demands are met.
“We are not asking for too much. We are only asking that we should be allowed to complete our academic programmes. It is a time for us to say enough is enough and take our destinies in our hands.”
Meanwhile, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has appealed to the Federal Government and the striking ASUU members to resolve their differences to protect the future of Nigerian students.
Oba Akanbi made the call in a statement by his Press Secretary, Alli Ibraheem, on Friday.
The monarch said, “The security fragility of the nation calls for rigid handling of the educational sector. Failure to do so will unavoidably magnify the tense security challenge in the nation. I extend my appeal to the ASUU to prioritise students’ interest and be soft in their demand from the Federal Government.”
PUNCH
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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