Catholics urged to fund varsity with N500 contribution

Catholics have been called upon to become part owners of the Veritas University of Nigeria, Abuja (VUNA) by contributing at least N500 each.

Speaking at the N2 billion Fund Raising Dinner for the university at the Sheraton Towers Hotel, Abuja, its Chancellor, Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, said if each Catholic contributed just N500 each, the church would raise about N15 billion for the university.

Outlining the challenges and opportunities of the university project, Onaiyekan noted that all Catholics are stakeholders, contrary to the belief of some that it is the project of the bishops.

He said: "We have had great challenges in ensuring full ownership of our project by all the presumed stakeholders namely the Nigerian Catholics as a whole. We have witnessed divided interests and dissipated energies as dioceses and religious institutes of the same Nigerian Church have embarked also on similar, certainly laudable competing projects."

Noting that the Nigerian Church is big enough to have more than one Catholic University, Archbishop Onaiyekan stressed: "We need to seriously make up our minds on this. One thing is certain; the project of the Catholic University of Nigeria has reached a point of crisis which must be resolved in a positive way. That is what has brought us together here."

With 400 students, the Archbishop said fees they pay can only cover a fraction of the total cost of maintenance. As such, he noted that the internally generated income can be used just for the running expenses, while the university needs regular infusion of funds to the tune of N15 million every month.

Despite difficulties encountered since its inception in 2002, the Archbishop said the programmes of the university are fully accredited.

He praised the members of the Catholic Bishops Conference for keeping the university dream alive by providing the money for the running of the institution and the staff for their sacrifices and perseverance.

Admitting that increasing enrolment to a minimum of 2,000 students would help the university break even, he said to admit such number, adequate structures including hostel accommodation, academic and administrative buildings, furnishing and equipment must be in place, which would require the university to move to its permanent site in Bwari.

Our grouse with revised curriculum, by teachers

•Pupils of Queen’s College Lagos in the computer classroom. Courtesy Google

Teachers agree that the revision of the Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC) was done with the best of intentions, but they are worried by its implementation. ADEGUNLE OLUGBAMILA reports.

What is in a curriculum, some are wont to ask? Plenty, say principals of secondary schools, who rose from a meeting in Lagos last week, seeking a modification of the revised Senior Secondary Education Curriculum (SSEC). They believe that the curriculum cannot be implanted as it is. Reason: the demands of the curriculum cannot be met by the realities on ground. 

While hailing the National Education Research and Development Council (NERDC) for the revised SSEC, the All Nigeria Confideration of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) said as laudable as the revision is, it is fraught with danger. ANCOPSS' National Executive Council (NEC) met in Lagos to examine the issue under the theme: "The New SSEC: Application and Challenges to School Administrator."  

Schools began using the curriculum during the 2010/2011 academic session, with the first set of pupils that passed through nine years of basic education (six years of primary and three years of junior secondary education) introduced by the former President Obasanjo administration on September 30, 1999. 

The aim of the curriculum is to make pupils well-rounded in learning and character, and designed to make secondary school leavers self-reliant upon graduation. The curriculum reduces in the number of subjects offered at each of the basic education levels from 22 to between 11 and 14. It also emphasises experiential learning, and introduction of vocational subjects into primary school curriculum. It is expected that collaboration during schools, the organised private sector, craftsmen and artisans in the local industry, would provide workplace experience for pupils through the much desired traditional education tool of 'learning by doing', and schooling beyond participant-observation. The curriculum has five cross-cutting core subjects, English Studies General Mathematics, Entrepreneurial Trade subject, Computer Studies, and Civic Education. It also has four distinct fields of study as Senior Secondary Education Science, Humanities, Technology and Business with 34 Entrepreneurial Trades to provide required skills for job creation and poverty eradication. 

Some of the trade subjects are: GSM Technology, Book keeping, Clothing and Textile, Woodwork, Building Construction, Auto mechanics, Technical Drawing, Home Management, Food and Nutrition, Typewriting and Shorthand. Others are: Carpentry, Basic Electronics, Applied Electricity, Agricultural Science, Principles of Accounts, and Commerce. 

Teachers fear that the demands of the curriculum do not reflect the situation in most states.

A delegate from Taraba, who pleaded not to be named, said apart from inadequate facilities, the state lacks teachers especially in core subjects.

He said: "There is lack of personnel in most of the schools in Taraba. "In most schools, we don't have teachers in English and Maths. We only make do with corps members posted to serve in the state, but there is no continuity since they usually come and go. Yet our students are expected to write the same external exams with their counterparts in other states that have permanent teachers."

He said they improvise by "going out to private schools where we pay the teachers some kind of part-time money to teach the pupils. But it's not helping much; what we need are permanent teachers.

"I put the blame on (state) government. In those days, teachers of English and Maths are paid certain subject allowances which ginger would-be teachers to go into those fields. But now, the state has scrapped it, and so people no longer wish to go for those tasking subjects again. They prefer subjects that are comfortable." 

A teacher in a public school in Lagos said to implement the new curriculum, some teachers now teach trade subjects related to their subject areas.  

She said: "We have started implementing.  What they did in my school was to go into teachers records to check their background.  For instance, Social Studies teachers can teach Civic Education; an Economics teacher can teach Commerce; while Home Economics teacher can teach Home Management, food and nutrition.   This new curriculum is going to give problems.  The combination is even weird that we keep going back to check it for clarity." 

Principal of FESTAC Senior College in Lagos, Mr Abayomi Adegunle said the school only picked five of the 34 entrepreneurial trade subjects.

He said: "We use teachers with relative subjects for the vocational subjects. For instance, My Commerce teacher now combines it with Insurance; Account teacher takes Book Keeping; while Civic Education is handled by the Government teacher. We also sent the Physics teacher for a successful training in Computer and he will now combine an additional 12 periods to the 12 he already has for Physics."

Mr Kareem Olanrewaju of Rockville College in Ojo, Lagos, said the curriculum is being implemented skeletally.

"We hope to commence its full implementation when the children resume in the new session. For now, we have collapsed some of those vocational subjects under Creative Arts. For instance, the Intro Tech. teacher now combines welding and carpentry, and electronics and all that. We are only managing the resources at our disposal," he said.

ANCOPSS chair for Kaduna State Kassim Inuha Zom told The Nation that the association organised a sensitisation workshop for about 250 teachers on the new curriculum.  The training, he said would be ineffective without the tools teachers need to work, especially those in rural areas.

He said: "The scenario is an eyesore here. There are inadequate computers in the schools, and ICT (Information and Communication Technology), according to the new curriculum, should be a compulsory subject. The situation is a bit better in Zaria because we still have few computers in some schools. But outside Zaria and in the hinterlands, the situation is so bad."

Another challenge of the curriculum is the stipulation that artisans be invited to provide practical training in various trades.  Zom thinks this may be problematic because many of such unskilled workers are not literate.

"The new system also stipulates that we buy machines and employ artisans; people that we don't have on ground to teach the children. The problem is that how do we do these things. I personally forsee a problem in future because the artisans are generally not educated people and our children will be writing exams created for educated people. Teachers are willing to adapt to the new curriculum but these are the constraints," he said.

Former ANCOPSS National President Chief Adeniyi Falade said there must be a system in place to support the involvement of artisans in the school system.  

"What are the efforts made in that regard to bring in artisans?  It is not school administrators that should bring in the teachers.  It has to be regulated, it has to be formalised.  At least in every state, there is a board for technical education.  They should be responsible for coming up with the modalities of how the artisans will be brought into the schools," he said.

Falade is worried that if things continue this way it will be difficult to examine pupils in the subjects when they sit for the Senior School Certificate Examination in 2014.

He said: "Like other policies before this curriculum, implementation has always been our problem giving the impression that our leaders are not interested in providing quality education.

"For the traditional subjects like English, Physics Chemistry and Biology, the teachers are not there.  You now have teachers under the trade section - fisheries, hair dressing, how do you get the teachers for it?  A year has already gone and these children are supposed to write exam based on the curriculum in 2014.  My school is a typical public secondary school.  The problems we are grappling with - lack of funds; we don't have teachers in the right quality or quantity, the children are not ready to learn and parents are not really parenting."

Except there is urgent intervention in Bayelsa overcrowded classrooms and dilapidated facilities will hamper implementation of the curriculum, according to the state's ANCOPSS secretary, Francis Obong.  He said education has suffered such devastating blow in the past that the administration of Governor Seriake Dickson has declared a state of emergency in the sector.

Hear him: "A new government has just come on board, and we want to give it the benefit of the doubt because it has declared a state of emergency in education. Before the new government, we had the challenges of infrastructure and dilapidated houses.

"For instance, in DGSS Akemfa, a school where I presently serve as the principal, the population is about 800 pupils; but we have just six blocks of classrooms. Each classroom houses between 120 and 150 as against the 30-35 pupils recommended per class. How do you think the new curriculum will work? Aside, manpower is not there, and there is no incentive for teachers. So, we are not even talking about computers now. Dilapidated structures need to be given a facelift and teachers' welfare package improved before we start talking about ICT."

In Rivers State, where the government has done well in rehabilitating and equipping schools, ANCOPSS President (Southsouth) Dr Augusta Fubara said teachers still need to be encouraged.

"In all fairness, the government of Rivers State is trying to meet the challenge of the curriculum.  But we are still telling them (government) to do more. Teachers are ready to work if government encourages us with provision of tools and conducive atmosphere," he said.

ANCOPSS is seeking inclusion in the drafting of the curriculum in future and increased sensitisation and capacity building to help teachers implement the curriculum. But NERDC Executive Secretary Prof Godswill Obioma said the agency cannot be faulted as it prepared the curriculum three years ahead of its implementation and informed the states and other relevant stakeholders.

He said: "The SSS curriculum which started last year was approved by the National Council for Education (NCE) in December 2008. The idea behind its advance approval was to enable state governments put in facilities and structures ahead of its implementation. So let the principals channel their grievances to their respective state governments." 

On the claim of non-inclusion of ANCOPSS in the drafting of the curriculum, Obioma said qualified professionals were involved.

"The SSS curriculum was drafted by experienced secondary school teachers both public and private and university lecturers. We don't invite unions or institutions but qualified personnel nominated by their state governments. We have all the names and addresses of those invited in the drafting," he said.

Critical to the implementation of the curriculum, especially the ICT subject is the availability of electricity to power the computers.

To correct this, National ANCOPSS President, Hajia Fatima Abdulrahman has appealed to the Federal Government and other stakeholders to intervene as inadequate power supply would make it difficult to   implement the ICT and other vocations that may require electricity to function appropriately.

"We know the challenges of power. We hope government does something especially in schools in the hinterland. We are equally calling on non-governmental organisations and well-meaning individuals to assist us in this cause", she said.

UNIUYO to install CT scan machine

The University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, has said that it will install a computerised tomography scanning machine before the end of September.

With the installation of the CT or CAT (computerised axial tomography) scanning machine, the hospital will no longer rely on the provision of its computerised tomography and magnetic resonance imaging from other university teaching hospitals, which are in Enugu, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.

The Chief Medical Director of the hospital, Prof. Etete Peters, who revealed this during his 50th birthday anniversary in Uyo on Sunday, stated that the UUTH is positioned towards the 21st century challenges.

He explained that the hospital had attained 500-bed capacity against the 250-bed capacity that he met on assumption of duties as the CMD of the UUTH.

He said, “We are going to install an ultramodern scanning machine before the end of September. We will no longer refer patients for CT scan in Enugu, Port Harcourt or Calabar.

“We have the CT scan machine and other magnetic equipment available. We have been able to increase the bed capacity to 500 patients now. Our staff strength has been doubled. We have over 2,000 employees in the hospital.”

Prior to his birthday celebration, Peters and his colleagues organised free medical treatment for 500 patients, operated 20 patients, conducted eye and laboratory tests, and donated free eye glasses to people of Ikot Ekpo.

“There are people with different forms of ailments. I think the only thing we can do is to organise a free medical treatment which would cut across surgical operations, eye and laboratory tests, medical care and distribution of eye glasses to people.

“This is something that gladdens my heart. I know these people have been with the same ailments for a very long, but because of one reason or the other, which is mainly poverty, they cannot access hospital treatment,” he said.

He advised youths to stay away from violence and instead use their energy and talents to engage in things that are rewarding.

US varsity offers scholarships to Nigerians

The International Student Counsellor, South Baylo University, California, United States of America, Dr. Mervyn Fishback, has said that one out of five Nigerians who offer to study for a Master’s of Science in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine in the institution will be given scholarship.

Fishback, who said this while addressing prospective students of the institution in Lagos on Saturday, added that Nigeria had a lot to gain from acupuncture and oriental medicine as the programme remained a viable alternative to orthodox medicine.

According to him, the scholarship will cover tuition for the three-year programme.

But he said that the modalities for selecting beneficiaries had not been decided.

“Even if you don’t get the scholarship, funding the MSc programme is affordable compared to what is obtainable in other universities. The tuition is not huge and you earn some money from the university work-study programme,” Fishback said.

Speaking on admission requirement for the programme, Fishback said mature candidates without first degrees could be admitted.

“After the M.Sc programme students can work for one year on their student’s visas and afterwards enroll for a doctorate in the field,” he said.

He added that apart from giving out scholarship to Nigerians, the US university would also establish an acupuncture clinic in Lagos and a school to train specialists in the field.

Fishback said the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the University, Dr David Park, is interested in establishing a school in Nigeria because of Nigerians’ insatiable thirst for education.

On what the university role was in helping foreign students to obtain visa, Fishback said obtaining a student visa should not be a problem if the applicant was honest.

“Getting a visa is not as difficult as people think, given the number of Nigerians studying in the country. With 7,100 students, Nigeria accounts for the highest number of African students in the U.S – more than Ghana (4,000), Kenya (2,500) and Tanzania (about 1,000).

“However, the challenge is that an applicant must be open, transparent and truthful. Even if the truth is unpalatable, it is better the visa applicant tells it than tell a lie. If you are truthful, you will get a visa,” he said.

He added that an applicant would be given a visa once he could establish that he had been admitted, submitted genuine transcripts, shown evidence of ability to finance his or her education, convinced the visa officials that they would return home and passed security checks.

“Do not tell lies.  Once you tell a lie, you will not get into the US.  They will not ask you questions they do not already have answers to.  If your sister went to the U.S. and did not return and they ask you do you have a relative in the U.S. and you say no, you will not get it,” he said.

Veritas varsity plans academic programme expansion

THE management of Veritas University, Obehie, Abia State, said it had put measures in place to introduce four new courses to its academic programmes as soon as it moved to its permanent site in Abuja next year.
The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. David Ker, disclosed this while briefing newsmen at the institution’s temporary site in Obehie, Ukwa West Local Government Area of the state.
Ker stated that the need to introduce more courses became necessary due to the full accreditation granted to nine courses that were on offer at the institution.
He said the new programmes would be in the colleges of medicine, veterinary medicine, engineering and information and communication technology.
According to the VC, the new courses will begin during the 2013/2014 academic session.
He recalled that university had presented the nine courses to the National Universities Commission when the agency visited the institution in March, adding that the NUC granted full accreditation to the nine programmes it presented.
According to him, the accredited nine programmes are accounting; applied microbiology; economics; english and literary studies; history and international relations, industrial chemistry; marketing and advertising; political science and diplomacy and physics with electronics.
Describing NUC’s accreditation of the university as a confidence boosting certificate, Ker explained that nobody would doubt the competence of the university if it embraced new programmes.
He stated that the management of the institution was determined to place the university among the best 10 universities in the country.
On tuition fees, Ker said the current fee regime in the university was N350,000 including accommodation.
He added that the university, also known as VUNA, was established in response to the need to provide high quality tertiary education in line with the tradition of the Catholic Church.

First Lady Undergoes Surgery in Germany

First Lady, Mrs Patience Jonathan, who was flown out for medical treatment over a week ago, has undergone surgery in a German hospital for ruptured appendicitis, sources told THISDAY Monday.

The hospital, the source said, performed the surgery on her last week and she is now recuperating.

Although the presidency said she travelled abroad to rest, sources privy to her trip, said she was flown to the German hospital where she was diagnosed of ruptured appendicitis, necessitating the surgery.

Mrs. Jonathan was said to have been accompanied on the trip by a medical personnel from the Presidential Villa, and a few of her aides.

THISDAY gathered that the decision to fly her abroad followed her deteriorating health condition in Abuja, after she was initially treated for “food poisoning.”

It was learnt that Mrs. Jonathan, shortly after returning from a trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), took ill, prompting the invitation of the First Family’s medical personnel to attend to her.

She was said to have been treated for food poisoning for four days, “but her condition kept worsening by the day,” the source said.

By the fifth day, President Goodluck Jonathan was said to have yielded to the suggestion that she be flown abroad for “thorough treatment.”

It was not certain if the inability of the president’s doctors to treat her was because of faulty diagnosis or insufficient facilities.

According to the source, “the trip was therefore hurriedly, but discretely arranged, after a German hospital, suspected to be Horst Schmidt Klinik in Wiesbaden, Germany, had been contacted”. 

By last weekend, she was said to have regained “full consciousness” on her sick bed and was willing to return home.

THISDAY checks, however, revealed that the hospital authorities are insisting on her full recovery before discharging her.

“They say she has to be completely stable before she can be discharged, because they are still observing her, although the worst seems to be over now,” the source said.

When contacted, Special Adviser to the president on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, said he was unaware of the first lady’s condition.

Similar efforts made to reach the first lady’s spokesman, Mr. Ayo Osinlu, were unsuccessful as he did not pick calls to his phone nor respond to text messages sent to him.

But an online forum had quoted him as saying the president’s wife travelled abroad for a “moment’s rest”.

10,000 sat for LASPOTECH post-UTME

Ikorodu (Lagos State) – Authorities of the Lagos State Polytechnic, Ikorodu, said on Wednesday that no fewer than 10,000 candidates sat for the institution’s 2012 post-Unified Tertiary Institutions Matriculation Examinations.

The spokesman for the institution, Mr Olanrewaju Kuye, in Ikorodu said that the turnout of candidates for the post-UTME, which was conducted in July, was unprecedented.

He announced that the results of the examination would be released on Sept. 10.

“More than 10, 000 candidates sat for the post-UTME in July for admissions into ND 1.

“The admissions will be based on candidates’ overall average performance.

“The cut-off point is yet to be determined and it will be subject to the average performance of the candidates that sat for the exam.

“We have to consider the number of the students that passed before we can have cut-off scores for admissions,’’ Kuye said.

Kuye, who said the institution had yet to decide the number of new students to be admitted, noted that the number of those who applied overshot the number that would be admitted.

The public relations officer said the institution would offer science and technical students 70 per cent quota while 30 per cent would be given to students who applied for management courses.

“The institution does not want more than 40 students in a class for management courses and 100 students for sciences/technical courses.

“We have to strictly adhere to the procedure and polices outlined by the National Board for Technical Education and the Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board.

“However, because the law of the regulatory bodies favours the sciences, we have requested that all candidates for management courses must have five credits at one sitting.

“This law only favours the sciences and if we do not do this, we cannot accommodate all the students at a go, ’’ Kuye added. (NAN)