Category: Education

The Minister announced this during an interview with Channels TV on Sunday in Abuja.

Mamman noted that the minimum required for admission is 18 years according to the country’s education policy

However, he stated that the federal government has decided to allow students to take the JAMB examination this year as a form of advance notice to parents for the changes that will take effect next year.

“Nothing has changed. It is still 18 years. What we did at the JAMB meeting was to allow this year and for it to serve as a kind of notice for parents that, this year JAMB will admit students below 18 years.  

“But from next year, JAMB will insist anybody going to apply to university in Nigeria meets the required age which is 18.  

“For the avoidance of doubt, this is not a new policy. This is a policy that has been there for a long time. And basically, if you compute the number of years learners are supposed to be in school, the number you end up with is 17 and a half. From daycare to primary school, then secondary school, you will end up with 17 and half. And by the time, the school Is ready for admission, you have the age,” Mamman said. 

Furthermore, the Minister announced that students who have not completed the required minimum number of years in school will be exempted from participating in both the National Examinations Council (NECO) and the West African Examination Council (WAEC) exams.

According to him, a child has to spend a minimum of 17 and a half years in daycare, and primary and secondary school before being allowed to write these exams for university admission.

Mamman also added that this is not about the age of the students, but the number of years spent at each level of education.

“We are not actually coming up with new policies contrary to what some people are saying. We are just reminding people of what is existing. In any case, NECO and WAEC will not be allowing underage children to write their examinations. In other words, if somebody has not spent the required number of years in that particular level of study, will not be allowed either NECO or WAEC.  

“It’s not a matter of age. It’s a matter of the years spent at each level of education,” Mamman added.  

Window of Opportunity for Genius Students  

Responding to a question about exceptionally bright students, the Minister stated that it is possible to create opportunities for such students who demonstrate exceptional intelligence.

He noted that similar practices are being observed in other countries around the world.

However, he emphasized that in Nigeria, the challenge lies in the potential for these opportunities to be exploited by the majority of students seeking admission to higher institutions.

“At the moment, this is what we have. But it’s very legitimate to appeal and look at that window of how do we care for our smart children. And this is a conversation for another day. Other countries do similar things.  

“They have age specifications for each level of education. But again, they look at the possibilities of smart children. A lot of times in Nigeria, what sometimes is a widow eventually becomes a door,” Mamman noted.

However, following a public outcry from parents and students alike, the government withdrew the directive, adding that students seeking admission in 2024 can go ahead and write the exams.

Meanwhile, according to the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, this withdrawal was only a grace period for the students seeking admission in 2024 as he has now announced that the policy will be fully implemented starting next year.

Mamman noted that the directive is not a new policy, but has been the law of Nigeria’s education system from the onset.

The results were made available to candidates on Monday, according to a post by the examination body on X, PACESETTER reports.

The post reads: “The West African Examinations Council is pleased to inform candidates who sat WASSCE for school candidates, 2024 that the result has officially been released today, Monday, August 12, 2024.”

The WAEC boss, who was in the company of the Permanent Secretary, Ogun Ministry of Education, Mrs Mariam Oloko, explained that WAEC was planning to deploy electronic devices to various recognised examination centres across the country for the future conduct of WASSCE.

He said that the deployment of the devices would eliminate the current use of paper registration of candidates and detect all forms of malpractice in the centres.

” We are saying that in the future, we are going to give this provision where schools that have facilities to do computer-based testing will take the examination on the computer where those that are not ready will do the pen and paper.

” We will work in consultation with the Ministry of Education to have a timeline for this. When the time comes we shall roll it out,” he said.

Dangut explained that the assessment was  satisfactory, noting that the schools and the students had prepared well for the examination.

He, however, added that there was need for schools to have bigger laboratories that would cater for the students with sufficient equipment.

According to him, over 1.8 million candidates are writing the examinations across the country.

On her part, Oloko noted that the Gov. Dapo Abiodun-led administration had already commenced the process of online registration of pupils in both public and private schools in the state.

The permanent secretary assured continuous upgrading of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and other facilities in public schools to prepare teachers and students.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the monitoring team visited Abeokuta Grammar School and Baptist Girls College, both in Idi-Aba.

The team also visited Sacred Heart College, Oke Ilewo and Charis College, Oke Ata, both in Abeokuta. (NAN)

This list of the constituted governing councils was released on Saturday by the Federal Ministry of Education.

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who released the statement containing the list, stated that inauguration and retreat of the councils would hold on May 30 and 31, 2024.

She said, “The inauguration and retreat for the Governing Councils will take place on Thursday, May 30 and Friday, May 31, 2024, at the National Universities Commission, 26 Aguiyi Ironsi Street, Maitama, Abuja. Both events will commence at 9:00am daily.”

The list contained names of technocrats, politicians and traditional rulers for 50 universities, 37 polytechnics, and 24 colleges of education.

A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega and a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Yusuf Alli; former Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Peter Okebukola, and labour activist, Issa Aremu, are among the individuals appointed to lead the councils of various academic institutions.

Some others who made the list were Comrade Fidelis Edeh and Prof. Chinweuba Owoh who will chair the governing councils of Federal University of Agriculture, Umudike and Alex Ekwueme University, Ebonyi State, respectively.

The former INEC Chairman will serve as the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto (UDUS), Messrs Olanipekun, Alli, Okebukola and Aremu will chair the councils for the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Rivers State, and Federal College of Education (Technical), Keana, Nasarawa State.

Others on the list include a former Governor of Bauchi State, Isa Yuguda, who will chair the governing council of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN); Joy Emordi, a former Senator, who will chair the council of Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, Imo State, and a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yayale Ahmed, who will ead the council of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Kaduna State.

The immediate-past Executive Secretary of NUC, Adamu Rasheed, who resigned from office a few months into his second term in office, was also named to chair the governing council of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.

This is coming few days after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) threatened to strike nationwide over the non-constitution of governing councils for universities months after they were dissolved.

In June, the National Universities Commission (NUC) dissolved the governing councils of all federal universities after a directive from President Bola Tinubu.

But months after the move, ASUU insists that the dissolution is “illegal”, claiming that the move has “paved the way for all manner of illegalities in the Nigerian University System”.

“ASUU shall do all within its powers to ensure that the dignity of the academia is fully restored in line with practices obtainable in forward-looking climes,” ASUU’s president Emmanuel Osodeke said in a Tuesday press conference.

“So, Nigerians should hold the Federal and State Governments responsible if the matter of Governing Councils is allowed to snowball into an avoidable industrial crisis.”

Pacesetter/Channels TV

 “The digitalization process which involves migration from the manual recruitment of Supervisors and Assistant Supervisors to Online system, would ensure that supervisors Nomination form, Appointment Letters and Supervisors e-photo Albums are generated On-line.

“Also, routine swapping of Supervisors and Assistant Supervisors during the Examination would be done Online,” he said

He said Interested qualified Teachers with NCE, Degree Certificate, Master Degrees, PhD and Professors are eligible to apply as Supervisors and Assistant Supervisors for BECE or SSCE Internal or External.

It would be recalled that before the digitalization system, the recruitment of Supervisors and Assistant Supervisors was done manually by the Council.

VON

The state’s Commissioner for Education, Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, a professor, announced this in a statement on Monday in Awka, the state capital.

Ms Chuma-Udeh said the adoption would enable schoolchildren to have adequate rest and interactions with their parents daily

“The adoption is in line with Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s desire for school children to have adequate rest and interaction with their parents before commencement of the next day’s activities.

“All school heads in the state are to adhere to this directive and ensure closure of all daily academic activities at 2.30 p.m.,” she said.

According to the official, the new closing time will enable schoolchildren to be at home by 3.00 p.m.

(NAN)

Share this:

JAC of SSANU and NASU had for about a month called the attention of the government to its exclusion from the payment of the withheld salaries, which it commenced payment for the Academic Staff Union of Universities in February.

Their salaries were withheld when the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari invoked a ‘No Work, No Pay policy’ against ASUU, SSANU, NAATS who embarked on a strike that lasted eight months, four months, and five-and-half months respectively in 2022.

NAATS also joined and began its three-day warning strike on Wednesday.

Speaking on Sunday during a Zoom meeting with journalists, the National President, JAC of SSANU and NASU, Mr Mohammed Ibrahim, explained that all the unions would resume on Monday.

He, however, lamented that the government had yet to respond to the unions’ demands.

Ibrahim said the FG had not paid the non-teaching staff, adding that it would meet with the National Executive Council to decide the next line of action.

He said in a statement on Sunday, “Consequently, you are hereby informed that the seven-day warning strike shall end at midnight of Sunday, March 24, 2024, and normal work will resume on Monday, March 25, 2024.”

Punch

The decision was part of the resolution of the joint action committee of the two unions, after a meeting which held in Akure at the weekend.

According to the SSANU president, Mohammed Ibrahim, who read the communiqué of the meeting to journalists in Abuja on Monday, the decision to embark on the warning strike was taken as a last resort since several protest letters and other communications with the Federal Government did not result in the payment of the withheld salaries.

The statement added: “If nothing is done by the Federal Government to positively address this situation and respond to our previous letters to them, the members of the two unions may be forced to meet soon to take all lawful and stringent decisions on the matter”.

The fresh development comes on the heels of the unions accusing FG of treating their members with “disdain”.

President Bola Tinubu had directed the payment of withheld salaries for university workers owing to their strike of 2022.

However, SSANU, NASU, and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) said they were yet to get salaries for the said period and had issued a one-week ultimatum about two weeks ago.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, the SSANU chief alleged abandonment of the unions by the FG.

“We have to speak like this because we have been clearly shown that we do not matter in the system. But we all know that there is no university that can function without the non-teaching staff because we are majorly populated by professionals. We own the engine of the administration of every university. They are treating this segment of staff with some disdain. It does not speak good of the system,” he said during the show.

SSANU and NASU said they have done everything within their powers to prevail on their members to maintain industrial peace and tranquility.

“While we appreciate the Federal Government for paying our academic counterpart, we also deem it necessary that our members are also paid,” the statement said, adding that the unions could no longer guarantee industrial harmony on the campuses should the government fail to pay them.

Channels TV

This year’s intervention witnessed a boost as compared to last year where over N320 billion was disbursed.

This was disclosed by the Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, on Friday, during the Fund’s Strategic planning meeting with heads of beneficiary institutions in Abuja.

Echono said from the total, 90.75 per cent is budgeted for direct disbursement and 8.94 per cent for some designated special projects while a stabilisation 2.27 per cent is allowed to enable the Fund respond to emerging issues.

He said each iniversity will get, for the 2024 intervention cycle, the total sum of N1,906,944,930.00, each Polytechnic N1,165,355,235.00 while each College of Education shall get N1,398,426,282.00.

Recall that the 2023 intervention cycle saw each university receiving N1,154,732,133.00; Polytechnic – N699,344,867.00, while each College of Education got N800,862,602.

Echono said the approach is inclusive of the difference between actual collections and the projections made for November and December 2023 collections as requested and approved by the President.

He said, “Based on this approval: each university shall get, for the Year 2024 intervention cycle, the total sum of N1,906,944,930.00. This comprises N1,656,944,930.00 as annual direct disbursement and N250 million as zonal intervention.

“Similarly, each polytechnic shall get N1,165,355,235.00 comprising N1,015,355,235.00 as annual direct disbursement and N150 million as zonal intervention, while each College of Education shall get N1,398,426,282.00 comprising N1,248,426,282.00 as annual direct disbursement and N150 million as zonal intervention.

“It is pertinent to note that this represents a very significant increase above our last year’s intervention and indeed every other year, since inception.

“This remarkable success is due to sustained efforts at expanding and increasing the efficiency of collection of the Education Tax, and the gracious concurrence of Mr. President for an increase in the tax from 2.5 per cent to 3.0 per cent in the year 2023.”

Echono further said the meeting was also an avenue to receive feedback and evaluate the performance of their intervention lines, while calling on all heads of institutions to ensure the smooth, timely, judicious, and effective implementation and utilization of the year 2024 intervention allocation, to make the much-needed impact in our respective tertiary institutions.

“I also wish to advise that in addition to the broad based budget and project monitoring committee stated in your letter of allocation, you should consult widely with the community in the implementation of your TETFund projects,” he said.

He urged heads of institutions to ensure timely payments to contractors and vendors to enable the proper completion of projects and mitigate the incidence of contractor writing letters of complaints to the Fund.

While expressing gratitude to the President for his commitment to the development of education in his Renewed Hope agenda and to Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman (SAN), for his leadership, Echono said the approved new intervention lines in the Annual Direct Disbursement include the establishment of Career Centers/Unit, in all categories of beneficiary institutions as well as the Institution Based Skills development for polytechnics.

For the Special Direct Disbursements, he said TETFUND had increased the allocation for the Special High Impact Programme (SHIP), and the number of benefitting institutions had also been increased to two per geopolitical zone per category giving a total of 36 beneficiary institutions.

Other areas of Special Direct Disbursement, he said are provision for hostels using the Public/Private Partnership arrangement, innovation hubs, disaster recovery, security infrastructure, completion of abandoned projects and many others.

“In our bid to resolve the problems arising from the increase in exchange rates to our scholars, we have made provisions in the Year 2024 intervention to address the shortfall therein,” he noted.

Speaking, the acting Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Education, Zubairu Abdullahi, said there is a new hope and commitment from the President that everyone must key into.

He urged stakeholders to redouble efforts to achieve President Tinubu’s renewed hope agenda.

Daily Trust