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Showing posts with label Education In Nigeria. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Education In Nigeria. Show all posts

Monday, 15 January 2018

6 Effective Teaching Style Students Love


Do you know that a high percentage of students say the reason they doze off in class, is because of the teacher's inability to engage them?

Are you new to the teaching profession or are just seeking out effective teaching styles ,that you can incorporate into your skill set?


Let's get going!


Teaching is really a very worthwhile profession which every teacher, interviewed, will attest to. However, it takes a lot of effort to get students engaged in a classroom.


In fact, it takes a combination of intelligence and some experience to get a class up and running.


Here's what we mean.


An intelligent teacher is one who is abreast with the norms in the subjects he/she is handling.


He knows the subject very well. But one thing is his loophole. That is his inability to convey his service to the comprehension of the students.

This category of a teacher can perform confidently when called up to defend his field. But engaging the children is the utopian task.


On the other hand, an experienced teacher is one who is very dexterous in his field and engages the student in a way that even the conspicuous dullard is carried along.


He knows the perfect teaching method for each student, applies the different instructional procedures for students to do exceptionally well in his field. This teacher will always produce an excellent student in his society.


If you want to combine intelligence and experience then you need to incorporate these teaching styles as well.


Six Effective Teaching Style Students Love



1.Class Engagement and Flashback



A teacher who really wants to succeed in his academic field should engage students after pleasantries.

This is a simple way to prepare the mind of students before a lecture.


True, a teacher should not be a blatant extrovert, but he should be necessarily jovial.


Get the students to chuckle, make them feel at ease by dropping some conventional comic comments. This will go a long way in preparing their mind as "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.


After engaging the class, you should drift their minds back to the previous lessons, then ask the students some questions about it.


If there is need for revising the topic, based on a question from the students, do not hesitate.


A lively teacher makes a lovely class session.


2. Being Natural



One of the greatest impediments to a teacher is trying to be a copy-cat.

This makes an unguided, artificial impression on the students.


While it is entirely not wrong to copy a few styles from another teacher, it will be totally wrong to try doing things exactly the same way they do.


When you are not natural, the students lose focus and will not focus on what is said, but on how it is being said.


There is more room for comprehension when a teacher speaks confidently with a high level of naturalness.


This means speaking with your identical voice, making guided gestures, giving ample practical examples and so forth.


When you are natural, your lectures will keep on ringing in a students mind during quiz, examination and even years after they're done with school.


Trying to copy inconsequential method of others will only render your lectures null and void. Please be yourself.


3. Working With An Outline



This concept really prepares the students' minds and they anticipate what you are about to instill in them.


Let the students know the different subheads found in the lesson note, just before you start teaching.


This way, they are able to read between lines during the lecture.


You should endeavor to serially follow the lesson, trying as much as possible to resist the urge to read directly from the notebook.


Mastering this style ensures your students stay with you throughout the class.

4.Using Practical Examples & Illustrations


A good teacher uses fitting and practical illustrations and examples to bring a class to life.


This engages your students mentally and makes it easier for them to recall the main points from a lesson.


Do not use ambiguous or unequivocal examples as it will obscure rather than drive home your point.


A good way to always come up with these example is staying abreast with happenings in the society.


By watching news broadcast, reading pertinent newspapers and engaging in a social group chat, a teacher triggers the ability to give practical examples while teaching.


For practical illustrations, the teacher looks for real life situations that applies to the topic in question.


5.Class Interrogation



A good teacher should not fail to interrogate the students after each period session. Failure to do this is tantamount to talking to a rock.


A teacher who usually fails to do this will find out that his lectures will make more impact on a rock than on the students.


A teacher should consider the:


Affective,Cognitive andEvaluation orientation of the students before leaving the class.



Here's a simple breakdown

Affective orientation means how your lectures affect the students.

Did it affect them negatively or positively?


The cognitive orientation which is the mental process of understanding your lectures.

Did the mental expression of the student validate your lectures? Think twice!


Evaluative orientation is simply the way the children assess your teaching. Are their assessment questionable or satisfactory? You can do this by basically asking " did you understand my lecture"?

A unanimous answer gives evidence that you did a great job.


Also, interrogating students after each lecture makes the topic evergreen in their minds and they can defend it even after so many years.


6. Encouraging Students


Encouraging students in between lectures is another effective teaching style that students love.


Take time to appreciate students for almost every good thing they do in class. Responding to questions, asking questions, solving a problem or simply paying rapt attention.


Following this method, no student(s) should be counted off or relegated to the back ground. Every student is a potential success if only admitted.


Also, after each lecture, a teacher should encourage the students to go home and peruse the lecture.This helps them improve their grades rapidly.


They should broaden their horizon by scavenging for rich textbooks or digging up more google resources for students.



Rounding Up


It may take a while for a teacher to incorporate all six effective teaching styles in this post, we therefore recommend that you try incorporating them one by one.


The title for the best teacher exists in the hearts of your students and if you ever want to win that, then get to work.


Also Read - Qualities Your Private Tutor Must Possess

Read More »

Thursday, 4 January 2018

How Examination Insurance Agencies Killed Education In Nigeria

Examination insurance agencies killing education
One of the greatest plagues education in Nigeria is currently having to battle with is examination malpractice.


Examination insurance agencies are at the heart of this ugly menace and have to a large extent taken the sting off the quality of basic education provided in Nigeria.


What are examination insurance agencies?


These are organizations (usually schools) who promise students excellent result in an examination with little or no effort from the student.

They demand huge sums of money in exchange for providing answers to examination questions while the only work students are expected to do is to copy these answers into their examination booklet.

Examination insurance agencies viz 'Miracle Centres' are in every nook and cranny of Nigerian states and are annually manipulating external examinations such as WAEC, Jamb CBT, WASSCE, BECE and even First School Leaving Exams For Primary school students.

Examination insurance agencies employ every form of cheating just to ensure that their clients who they now offer a money back guarantee secure the best results.
Even at the higher institutions of learning in the country, lecturers have gradually turned into examination insurance agents and would give unmerited results to students who pay them either in cash or kind.


How Examination Insurance Agencies Killed Education In Nigeria



1.Promoting Examination Malpractice


While examination bodies are setting high standards for examinations, these agencies make students believe that they can never make excellent results without assistance.


They use advanced technology for all the wrong reasons and provide students with printed or handwritten examination answers even before the exam invigilator or supervisor arrives at the venue for the examination.


2.Extortion of Money


In exchange for excellent results, huge sums of money are extorted from parents and students.

These examination insurance agencies are the primary reason why education is very expensive especially in southeastern Nigeria.

Money collected from parents are used to pay off examination supervisors and make sure malpractice runs smoothly.


3.Promoting Laziness


Only a small number of students would go the hard way - studying when they can pay for the results they desire to have.

It was only a few years ago that students had to spend hours in the library or their personal study table to prepare for exams. This culture is gradually dying off and could become a real memory of the past as these agencies grow from strength to strength.


4. Obscuring The Purpose of Examinations


Examinations are used to get a clearer assessment of a student's knowledge and abilities, a purpose which can never be achieved if students receive assistance while writing.

Excellent results end up in the hands of those who cannot defend it.

Examination results are fast losing its value and represent the reason why certificates attained in Nigeria are written off by employers of labor in other countries.

A Simple Guide To Jamb CBT

5.Hampering The Future of The Next Generation


Quality education in the near future could become farfetched as the number of students with unmerited certificate continues to increase.

About two third of primary school teachers in Kaduna State failed to score up to 75 percent when asked to write examinations meant for primary four students.

The country is producing First Class graduates who cannot impart knowledge to students, no thanks to these agencies.

An unprecedented future clearly awaits the next generation who will find themselves learning at the foot of incompetent teachers and this clearly does not bode well for the country.


What is the way forward?


1.Blacklisting Examination Insurance Agencies


A huge number of these agencies are still accredited examination centers and will continue to thrive if they are not blacklisted.

Jamb In 2017 promptly blacklisted 72 centers for gross examination misconduct and technical deficiencies. Similar effort and time must be invested by other examinations bodies if we are to win the war against examination malpractice in Nigeria.

Strict supervision of exams and heavy sanctions must be placed on defaulters.


2.Rewarding Excellence


Albeit the whack, a number of students are still making excellent results without patronizing these agencies.

Such sincere effort must be rewarded with scholarships awards.

This will promote the culture of studying to pass exams and create an added incentive for students to be at their best academically.


Rounding Up


There is a way to restore educational standards in Nigeria and that is doing away with these examination insurance agencies. 
Read More »

Friday, 29 December 2017

How Irregular Payment Of Teachers Salary Affect Students And Learning

Irregular payment of teachers salary
How much do teachers get paid for their selfless service, that they should be owed salaries?


Well, that has often been the case in Nigeria at both the basic and higher institutions of learning and is one of these problems killing education in the country.

Failure to remunerate teachers would adversely affect students and learning

Consider the following scenes

First Scenario

The teacher comes into the class with smiles dangling on her face. The students frantically stand up to greet her. After the pleasantries, the teacher replies with extras. She picks up a board pen and approaches the writing board. She dispenses her service cheerfully to the comprehension of the students. Subsequently, she interrogates the students and they all answer very correctly. She gives them a comprehensive note. She leaves the class with satisfaction.

Second Scenario

The teacher comes into the class with a disgruntled face. She gives a monotonous sigh as she stares at the students. The students hesitantly stand to greet her. For the past three months, she has become a shadow of herself and has degraded from her excellent teaching ability.
She gives another monotonous sigh as she picks up a board pen and trudges her way to the writing board. She outlines some points and gives a paltry explanation. She finally drops the pen, oblivious of the confused faces of the students. She announces her to leave and leaves amidst dying exit complement from the distraught students.

Hence, let's compare these two scenarios and fish out their likely differences.

The teacher in the first scenario has been receiving her salary regularly without renege.
What is the effect? An efficient service is carried out and it is obvious in the students' reaction.



In the second scenario, it is obvious the teacher has not been paid for the past three months or more, and what is the aftermath? The teacher has obviously stopped rolling the ball in her teaching.

The school is a primary institution in the society where our future leaders (youths) are molded to become better tools in the society. But this concept may never be actualized when the staff remuneration is a left much to be desired. There are many negative aftermaths of irregular payment of salaries on students and learning.


How Irregular Payment Of Teachers Salary Affects Students and Learning


1. Pernicious Relapse in Learning by Students


The teachers are a rational set of human beings, and their mental, physical and emotional effort geared toward restructuring the children to excellence is determined by their well-being. A teacher who is not regularly remunerated will find no joy in teaching.
When the teacher remembers her financial obligations-which are the reasons why she needs the salary. It will also becloud her mind of teaching that she can be imposing her grievances on the students.
Ask any teacher, and they'll explain how it feels when you are owed salary in arrears. 

Experiences have also shown that a hitherto well-behaved student in learning had regressed as a result of the teacher's relapse.
For best results, learning should be a continuous process and will suffer a huge setback if teachers are not always in class.

Truthfully, learning will be an insatiable concept in a school known for irregular remuneration of teachers.


2. Unqualified Personnel


Irregular payment of salary scares away potential teachers from a school, precisely qualified ones.

Before sending in an application for employment, one of the first inquiries teachers make is concerning the remuneration of teachers already employed by the school.
If the response is not encouraging, they rip off any intentions of sending in an application.


A teacher's success both financially and otherwise cannot be underemphasized because they are the greatest potters. Everybody who wants to be a teacher needs to earn a livelihood since it is not only considered as a career but as an occupation. So any potential teacher will consider the remunerative method of teachers before embarking on applying to a school.

Also, schools that are fond of owing teacher salaries will end up employing unqualified personnel in a bid to maintain their crazy payment system.


3. The Fall Of Great Schools


Teachers always make irregular payment of salary an object of discussion whenever they are with their fellow teachers. Hence, the image of the school which is the object of discussion is marred, and the self-esteem is lost.

Even parents and guardian withdraw their children from the supposed school when they learn that as their identifying concept. Why? That is because they know the success of a learning institution solely lies on the teachers.

Rehabilitated public schools and newly established ones will still fail if proper attention is not given to the payment of teachers salary.


4. Incessant Strike Actions


This has generally become a feature of education at all levels in Nigeria.
Primary and secondary school government teachers embark on a strike to protest unpaid salaries while the ASUU (the All-State Union Of Universities) was a highlight in 2017.

No doubt, strike actions disrupt learning and doesn't bode well for all involved parties.

The students would generally use this period to pursue non-educational goals and may get back to school with little interest in what goes on in the classroom or lecture hall.


Rounding up on how irregular payment of salary affect students and learning 


The aftermaths of irregular remuneration of teachers are so destabilizing.

The government, school proprietors, and education boards should be efficient in remunerating their staff.
Granted, they fail in this because of the reneging habits of parents and guardians in payments of school fees. But above waters, they should try to make sure they apply all workable strategies in remunerating their teachers.
This will ensure the success of the school, the excellence of the students and an ideal learning condition for everyone.

What's more?
Education in Nigeria can finally reach new heights.

Read More »

Friday, 22 December 2017

UBEC To Spend ₦2.4b In Rehabilitation Of Public Schools

Maybe there's still a light down the tunnel for the constantly dwindling public system of education in Nigeria
as the sum of ₦2,460,300,000 has been disbursed towards the rehabilitation of public schools throughout the country in 2018.

Albeit, the cold hands of corruption catching up with the said sum, it will provide funds to rehabilitate depleted school facilities across the country especially in Southeastern Nigeria.


UBEC's executive secretary Dr Hamid Bobboyi had on Wednesday revealed that the sum of ₦11.4b had been released to state Universal Basic Education(UBE) boards within the country and private providers of centres for children with special needs since 2005 .

At a meeting of UBEC officials with SUBEB desk officers and private providers of special education for the 2016 intervention fund in Abuja,  Mr Bobboyi revealed that these funds are specifically and specially to be dedicated towards facilitating the provision of basic education to every young child in the country.

“In order to achieve its objectives , the UBEC management set aside two per cent of the Consolidated Revenue Fund being FGN - UBE Intervention Fund to support states in the education of children with special needs . The fund was meant for disbursement to all the 36 states and the FCT through their various universal basic education boards .

“ The commission has since then been supporting both the public and private providers in that regard with a view to ensuring equity and inclusiveness in basic education . 
For instance ,we have from 2005 to date disbursed over N 11. 46bn to both SUBEBs and the private providers that led to the construction of over 1,565 classrooms , 11, 
324 sets of various furniture, 401,038 instructional materials and 6,942 equipment .


A public classroom in Nigeria
(A public school classroom in Nigeria) 


“Over 250,000 schools are being provided with funds annually to implement various categories of projects ranging from classroom construction ,renovation , furniture, purchase/procurement of equipment , learning and instructional material.”


Poor funding has been one of the numerous problems killing education in Nigeria but UBEC just got one over it.

What are your thoughts about this development?

Use the comments section.

Read More »

Tuesday, 12 December 2017

Meet The Youngest Abia State Governor - Miss Joy Ezechikamnayo

Abia State First Female Governor

On 11th December 2017, Abia State had it's youngest governor - 14 year old Miss  Joy Ezechikamnayo
who triumphed at a one week essay writing competition involving students from different regions in the state.

Governor Joy Ezechikamnayo was sworn in to serve as the first Abia State One Day Governor and had to manage state affairs for 24 hours with Governor Okezie Ikpeazu temporarily out of office.

Joy Ezechikamnayo has become the first Abia State One Day Governor, First Female Governor and First Teenage Governor In Nigeria.



Governor Joy Ezechikamnayo is a native of Ngodo Isuochi in Umunneochi Local Government Area Abia State and won the essay writing competition representing Intellectual Giants Christian School, Umuahia.
She is an SS3 student and senior prefect of the school.

The 20 top performers in the essay competition were assigned official duties as follows:
1st position-Governor
2nd position – Deputy Governor
3rd position – SSG
17 others are Commissioners

Best Pictures

Youngest Abia State Governor 


Abia State Youngest Governor
(Governor Joy at Her Swear In Ceremony)

(Youngest Abia State Governor With Her Entourage) 

Governor Joy Ezechikamnayo Inspects Road Construction
(Governor Joy Ezechikamnayo Inspects Road Construction )

It will be recalled that two students of the same school -Intellectual Giants Christian Academy , Aba Campus also claimed first and second places for the Junior Secondary School Category at the 2017 Edition of Innovative Future Essay Writing Competition.

With an increase in the number of such student oriented programmes, the problems killing education in Nigeria can be eradicated.

Hail Abia's Youngest Teenage Female Governor! 
Read More »

Monday, 11 December 2017

Five Problems Killing Education In Nigeria + Solutions


5 Problems Killing Education In Nigeria
Education in Nigeria has never really reached peak conditions nor fully satisfied its purpose since inception.


Nigeria's Minister of education Mr. Alhaji Adamu in a recent interview noted that Nigeria has about 65 million to 75 million illiterates which is a huge figure considering the entire country's population is hovering over 160 million people.

A line on Wikipedia sums up Nigeria's education system,

'a unified set of educational policies has not yet been successfully implemented. Regional differences in quality, curriculum and funding characterize the education system in Nigeria.


What are the problems killing education in Nigeria?


This post discusses five of them and prescribes possible solutions which must be implemented in order to fulfill the purpose of education in Nigeria.


Problem 1

Poor Funding


Education in Nigeria has always taken second fiddle in the national budget and receives the least attention by the government in power.

Incessant strike action by different bodies of education over unpaid salaries has been an unending feature of the education system in Nigeria and has since shown no signs of stopping.

Teachers especially in South Eastern Nigeria, are owed salaries for centuries and are forced to teach students in a dilapidated school facility.
Education is not less expensive in south-east Nigeria.

This generally kills the education system as both teachers and students may never taste the real value of education.

Solution

The future of the teeming youth population in Nigeria would be adversely affected if this trend continues, hence, the government and concerned bodies must place on education, the same value attached to the production of crude oil in Nigeria.

Funds should be injected into providing the best learning conditions comprising of the best facilities and prompt payment of salaries to teachers. This would ensure maximum productivity from them which would be hugely beneficial to students.


Problem 2

Rapid Rise In Rate Of Examination Malpractice


Examination malpractice in Nigeria has been on the upward curve in recent years and is one of the problems killing education in Nigeria.

It has practically become a norm for teachers to assist students in writing their external exams in exchange for huge sums of money.


Examination insurance organizations operate in every nook and cranny of the country and offer students the opportunity of making excellent results with very little effort.

Also, the best results in some tertiary institutions are awarded to the highest bidder, not the students who have merited the result.

Solution

JAMB's recent efforts in the war against malpractice which resulted in the blacklisting of 72 centers for technical deficiencies and malpractice illustrates what must be done to wipe out examination malpractice in Nigeria.

These examination insurance organizations must be halted. Students must understand that the only way to pass an examination is efficient study.


Problem 3

Failure To Incorporate New Learning Technologies In Nigeria.


With the global shift to digital, the need has arisen for the implementation of these stress-free processes and products in the Nigerian educational system, but this has rarely ever happened.

School proprietors, teachers, and lecturers who have very little knowledge of these techniques are less likely to adopt them.

Books in an electronic format can conveniently get to any part of the world and are usually more affordable. Video lessons also serve up a great learning experience for students who are in this modern era, more inclined to a computer or mobile screen than a chalkboard.


Solution

Training programmes must be organized to acquaint students, teachers, and lecturers on ways to incorporate new learning technologies which foster a fast-paced and responsive learning experience.

This would also to a large extent, reduce computer illiteracy rate in Nigeria.

If these changes are not swiftly implemented as other high profile countries have, then a time would arrive when knowledge gotten from Nigeria cannot complete a simple project in another part of the world.


Problem 4

A Lack Of Employment Opportunities


The unemployment rate in Nigeria has reached an all-time high and is showing no signs of a decline soon.

Rapid industrialization has been uneven across the various states of the country, leaving only a very few job vacancies for the teeming population of graduates


More so, godfathers secure these jobs for their godsons with or without merit. This nationwide epidemic has kept millions of credible and competent individuals outside the working class in place of mediocrists.

Solution

The government needs to build more industries which in turn provides job opportunities for Nigerian graduates.

Students are also encouraged to study courses which have an entrepreneurial advantage. This is to enable them to build their own businesses and subsequently employ others who are ready to join the labor force.
Startup loans are also to be made available to such visionary individuals by the government.

A war against procurement of jobs for unqualified graduates will also ensure that only qualified people get the job.


Problem 5


Poor Educational Awards & Scholarship Programmes


While the government has hesitated to maximally invest in the educational sector, individuals and organizations with exorbitant wealth have failed in structuring unbiased scholarship programmes for talented students.

These funds are instead channeled into other ministries which may never have an impact on the life of the young Nigerian.

Shell Petroleum Development Company, Innovative Future, and the Nigerian Stock Exchange are the most notable organizers of scholarship exams while other micro organizations who may have such visions struggle to get sponsorship deals.

In other cases, however, malpractice readily swings these scholarship Awards in favor of students who never merited it.

Solution

A motivation for education organized in form of scholarship award programmes by organizations will help rekindle the desire to study in students and reinforce their belief that education is still the key.


Also, Read - How To Study And Understand All School Subjects In A Few Weeks

Rounding Up On The Problems Killing Education In Nigeria


Education is the key but is not opening a lot of doors at the moment.

Education in Nigeria can finally achieve its major purpose of producing young intellectuals and big influencers at the world's stage if these challenges are successfully defeated.

Who will kick off the campaign?

It all begins with you!

Share your thoughts in the comments section on what must be done to fight these problems killing education in Nigeria.

Read More »