TheNewsGuru

Tag: Primary

  • ‘21,780 teachers failed primary four exams in Kaduna’ says Gov El-Rufai

    The Kaduna State government has disclosed that about 21,780 out of 33,000 teachers failed the primary four exams they set out to test their knowledge and competence.

    This was made known by the state Governor Nasir el-Rufai while announcing recruitment plans when he received a World Bank’s delegation in Kaduna yesterday.

    According to the governor, they are now looking for 25,000 new teachers in other to restore dignity and quality education to the state.

    “We tested our 33,000 primary school teachers, we gave them primary four examinations and required they must get at least 75 percent but I am sad to announce that 66 percent of them failed to get the requirements.

    “The hiring of teachers in the past was politicized and we intend to change that by bringing in young and qualified primary school teachers to restore the dignity of education in the state.’

    He said that teachers would be redeployed across the state to balance the issue of teacher-pupil ratio.

    “We have a challenge with the teacher-pupil ratio in the urban schools; there is concentration of teachers that are not needed. In some local government areas, it’s a teacher-pupil ratio of 1-9 while in some places it’s 1-100,” he said.

    The governor also that in a bid to improve the education sector, the school directors decided to enroll their children in public schools starting from this academic session.

    The World Bank representative, Dr. Kunle Adekola, also expressed appreciation to the state for stepping up to improve quality education in the state.

    “This state has demonstrated and supported us to achieve our goals,” he said.

    According to him, the Bank would invest N30 million in Rigasa Primary School, which has a population of about 22,000 pupils, as part of its support for the state.

  • Osun by- election: Adeleke dumps APC for PDP ahead of primary

    Osun by- election: Adeleke dumps APC for PDP ahead of primary

    Baring any last minute change of plan, the All Progressives Congress, APC, aspirant in the Osun-West senatorial district, Chief Ademola Adeleke, may have defected to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to contest the July 8 senatorial by-election.

    A chieftain of the PDP, who pleaded anonymity, said this in a telephone interview with The Punch on Tuesday.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Ademola, younger brother to late Senator Isiaka Adeleke who died in April is posed to succeed his brother as the Senator representing Osun West.

    The PDP chieftain said Adeleke would contest on the platform of the opposition party.

    He said, “We have been talking to our leaders and members on this. We want to win this election and we know that he is popular. Adeleke will contest on the platform of the PDP.

    “The APC has decided to clear Mudashiru Hussain despite his disqualification and the Adeleke group is aware that the APC primary would be manipulated to favour Hussain.”

    One of the supporters of Adeleke, who pleaded anonymity also confirmed Ademola’s defection to the opposition party.

    He, however, said the camp was waiting for the PDP to break the news.

    The Chairman of the PDP in Osun State, Soji Adagunodo also confirmed the defection of Adeleke to the PDP via a text message.

    The Secretary, Adeleke Support Group, Alhaji Saheed Afolabi, who is a chieftain of the APC, said Adeleke had picked the PDP nomination form to contest the primary expected to hold on Wednesday.

    He said, “Otunba Ademola Adeleke has picked the PDP nomination form. You will see him at the PDP primary election tomorrow. He is only going for affirmation because the PDP has talked to their aspirants and they have all agreed that Ademola Adeleke should be given the ticket.”

    “The APC Screening Committee disqualified Senator Mudashiru Hussain, the Appeal Committee disqualified him but the NWC, after an intervention by some powerful persons, manipulated the whole thing and overturned it. We know what they mean but we are also ready for them.

    “The entire people of the Osun-West senatorial district are solidly behind Ademola Adeleke. They cannot stop him and he is going to win this election. Our appeal to INEC and the acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, is that they should not allow the desperate APC leaders in Osun State to use them to rig the election.”

    However, Adeleke and his media aide could not be reached to validate the defection.

  • We’ll adopt native languages to teach Mathematics, science from elementary classes – FG

    We’ll adopt native languages to teach Mathematics, science from elementary classes – FG

    To address falling decline in performances of students in Mathematics and science based subjects, the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonaya Onu has said his ministry will push for the adoption of teaching these subjects in indigenous languages so as to facilitate interest and better understanding of the subjects.

    TheNewsGuru.com reports that Onu stated this while addressing pupils of Ekulu Primary School in Enugu, where he had gone to present computer sets and other science kits donated by his ministry.

    He explained that teaching the subjects in the various indigenous languages spoken in Nigeria will help popularize the subject and also encourage better performances even from primary schools.

    In his words: “The Ministry of Science and Technology is worried over the low interest in mathematics and the science subjects, so, we are working on plans to teach mathematics and sciences in indigenous languages in primary schools.

    “These pupils grow up with their indigenous languages at home before they start going to school, where they are now taught in foreign languages. So, we have observed that there is a challenge to understand the foreign languages first before they could even start understanding what they are being taught.

    “We believe that this plan will help our students to understand mathematics and the science subjects, and also promote the application of science and technology for national development.”

    He added that some countries that were making advancement in science and technology, such as India, adopted a similar strategy by teaching mathematics and the science subjects in indigenous languages at the primary school level.

    Speaking further, Onu said: “No nation can become great without science and technology. If Nigeria is to be great, then, Nigerians must embrace science and technology.

    “You can’t produce anything without science and technology. We are exporting our jobs by importing everything we need, and that is why our graduates are no longer able to get jobs after their studies.

    “For us to build the country of our dreams, for us to make Nigeria a truly great nation, a nation that is able to feed and house its citizens, a nation with a stable currency, we must embrace science and technology.

    “It is my duty as the minister of science and technology to make Nigerians to understand this.”