TheNewsGuru

Tag: Boarding School

  • FCTA denies school fees increment in public boarding schools

    FCTA denies school fees increment in public boarding schools

    The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) says there is no increment of school fees in public boarding schools in the federal capital.

    Dr Danlami Hayyo, Mandate Secretary, Education Secretariat, FCTA, made the clarification in an interview with NAN, in Abuja on Thursday.

    Recall that some parents had claimed that the FCT Administration increased school fees for students in FCT public boarding schools.

    They claimed that the fee was increased from between N29,000 and N32,000 to N47,000, a development they claimed had forced some parents to withdraw their children from boarding schools to day schools.

    Reacting, Hayyo said, “This is not true; this is not true.

    “The Minister of FCT, Mr Nyesom Wike, had even approved the increase in the feeding allowances for boarding schools due to rising cost of food items.

    “Look at the situation, how much is a bag of rice in the last two years and how much is a bag or rice currently? He asked.”

    The mandate secretary also denied the claim that some parents have withdrawn their children from public boarding schools in the FCT.

    According to him, FCT public boarding schools are positioned to provide quality education at affordable cost and within the means of parents.

    “I don’t think there is someone that will remove his children or his son from public school as a result of the feeding cost; I doubt much.”

    He added that the quality of education in public schools was very encouraging, stressing that the best student in the 2023 West African Examination Council was from a public school.

    He also said that students from public schools won more trophies from debates, quizzes and other academic and sports competitions in 2023 than private schools.

    “In fact, in Abuja, so many parents are removing their children from private schools to public schools because of the quality of education the public schools provide.

    “There is a high number of enrolments in public schools in Abuja currently and we are trying to bridge the infrastructural gap to accommodate more pupils and students,” he said.

    Hayyo said that FCTA has concluded plans to inaugurate the schools recently rehabilitated, while plans are underway for the construction of new ones.

    Recall that the mandate secretary had on Jan. 30 announced Wike’s approval of N30.9 billion for massive public school rehabilitation projects in the federal capital.

  • Leading UK boarding schools return to Abuja

    Leading UK boarding schools return to Abuja

    Plans are underway for eight leading UK boarding schools to return to Abuja with no fewer than 1,500 pupils currently studying at a range of preparatory, senior and sixth form schools across the nation.

    This is contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Sunday by Mr Mark Brooks, organiser of the UK Boarding School Exhibition.

    Brooks disclosed that top Heads and Registrars of the schools would be in Abuja on Monday to meet with parents who are considering UK boarding school opportunities for their children.

    According to him, it will be an opportunity to network with schools in an informal and engaging setting.

    “The event is organised by Mark Brooks Education, in association with the UK’s Department for Business and Trade, who has been visiting Nigeria for the past 15 years.

    “This is an ideal opportunity to meet some of the UK’s top schools all under one roof and ask your questions.

    “A wide range of schools will be in attendance such as co-ed, all-girls, international schools, prep and senior, and Sixth Form Colleges,” Brooks said.

    He listed the schools as Cardiff Sixth Form College, Freemen’s School, Earlscliffe College, Lancing College, LVS Ascot, Marymount International School London, Queen Ethelburga’s and St Clare’s Oxford.

    Brooks said that Earlscliffe College already had around 10 students from Nigeria in the school, adding that students feel both cared for and stretched as its approach to education particularly suits the Nigerian families.

    “Earlscliffe combines academic rigour with a home-from-home environment where staff create a ‘personalised pathway’ to ensure that students have the best chance of reaching their desired university,” he added.

  • Staff, student, four others contract COVID-19 in another Lagos boarding school

    Staff, student, four others contract COVID-19 in another Lagos boarding school

    Lagos State Government says it has confirmed more positive COVID-19 cases in another secondary boarding school in the state.

    The state Commissioner for Health, Prof. Akin Abayomi, disclosed the new infections in a statement on Friday in Lagos.

    Abayomi said that a staff of the school fell ill, received first aid treatment at the school clinic, but later tested positive for COVID-19 at the Lagos State Biobank on Nov. 2.

    He noted that contact tracing revealed that a student and four contacts of the staff member were positive for COVID-19.

    “Most of the infected persons are predominantly asymptomatic, while some have mild symptoms,” Abayomi said

    The commissioner said that the state COVID-19 Incident Command System through the Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) was investigating the incident

    “We would like to assure members of the public and stakeholders of the school that the situation is completely under control.

    “Steps are being taken to contain the spread within the school and reduce exposure to the outside community.

    “All parents are being contacted first through the PTA and a family zoom call is being arranged to further allay their fears,” he said.

    According to him, COVID-19 presents with very mild symptoms in children and teenagers, compared to other age groups.

    Abayomi, however, warned that there was risk of infected children transmitting the disease to adults who they interact with daily, and who might be at higher risk of severe disease and death.

    “Students who test positive are to be isolated in the school premises and, if unwell, will be admitted in one of the accredited isolation centres in Lagos.

    “Students are discouraged from going home to avoid infecting members of their families,” he said.

    According to him, the Ministry of Health and NCDC are working closely with the Ministry of Education through a joint approach to manage the outbreak in the school.

    He said that members of the state EOC, NCDC and their counterparts in the Ministry of Education had been deployed to the school to provide strategic interventions and support.

    Abayomi said that the support include psychosocial, infection prevention control, medical monitoring and risk communication experts to further enlighten affected people.

    “COVID-19 is still very much with us and we must strive to prioritise the safety of all, including students and teachers, by adhering strictly to prevention protocols and guidelines issued by the government to prevent its spread,” he said.

    He advised residents to observe and practice high standard of personal and environmental hygiene by using face masks in public places, hand washing and maintaining physical distance to help prevent the spread of the infection.

    Abayomi advised residents to call the 08000EKOMED or 08000356633 toll free line, if they notice any sign or symptoms of COVID-19, which include fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue or loss of taste or smell.

    Recall that Lagos State had on Oct.16, disclosed that 181 students and staff of a boarding school in Lekki, tested positive to COVID-19 infection.

    The cases were discovered after a 14-year-old SS1 female student fell ill on Oct. 3, was sent home after receiving first aid at the school clinic, and tested positive to COVID-19 on Oct. 6 in one of the accredited private labs in Lagos.

    COVID-19 surveillance and case investigation in the school detected 181 positive cases among students and staff out of the 441 population in the school.

  • Gunnen attack boarding school, abduct 2 staff, 6 female students

    Gunnen attack boarding school, abduct 2 staff, 6 female students

    Gunmen have abducted six female students and two staff of Engravers College, a boarding secondary school near Kaduna.
    The gunmen were reported to have attacked the school located at Kakau Daji village in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State at about 3:10am on Thursday.
    Police spokesman in the state, DSP Yakubu Sabo, who confirmed the incident in a press statement, said for now, the whereabout of the abducted victims was unknown.
    Sabo however said the police had deployed its operatives to the area for possible rescue of the victims and arresting the perpetrators.
    It is an unfortunate incident, the Sabo said, adding that the
    IGP Intelligent Response Team has been contacted for technical support.
    “The Command therefore, is using this opportunity to reiterate its call on all private schools proprietors within the state to liaise with their nearest Police formation and promptly report incidents or suspicious persons around schools to forestall future occurrence of such ugly incident.
    “On this note, the Commissioner of Police Kaduna State Command Ali Janga is assuring the general public that, the Command is doing everything possible to secure the release of all the victims unhurt.”
    He urged anyone with useful information to reach out to relevant security agencies for prompt action.