Education

Nadhim Zahawi: I Will Not Stand Back And See Schools Close

Nadhim Zahawi: I will not stand back and see schools close

The new Education Secretary has said he will not “stand back” and allow pupils to miss school as a result of Covid, as he encouraged children to get the vaccine.

Setting out his priorities for the first time in his new role, Nadhim Zahawi said that as a parent he has seen how “damaging” it can be for children to be out of education and the “great strain” it can put on family life.

Mr Zahawi, who was appointed Education Secretary earlier this month after Gavin Williamson was sacked in a Cabinet re-shuffle, said that almost every state school is now open and operating normally.

He cited the latest official attendance figures, which showed that 122,500 pupils were off school last week compared to a peak of more than a million in July when entire “bubbles” were sent home when a child tested positive.

‘We won’t stand back and let attendance fall’
“While the latest attendance figures show more than 91 per cent of children are in school, we must do everything we can to keep as many in face-to-face learning as possible,” he said.

“We can’t and won’t stand back and let attendance fall. The education of our children is simply too important.”

Mr Zahawi’s comments will be seen as a signal that he is willing to stand up to the unions which have repeatedly called for schools to close during the pandemic.

His predecessor was accused of being too soft on teaching unions and failing to get children back to the classroom quickly enough following the first national lockdown, then presiding over the controversial “bubbles” policy which at its height saw over a million pupils forced to stay at home after a classmate tested positive.

Mr Zahawi said that the swift rollout of the Covid jab among adults, which he oversaw in his previous role as vaccines minister, had led to the safe reopening of society and the economy.

“As a result, life has returned to relative normality far sooner than many of us dared to imagine,” he said.

“Now, in my new job as the Prime Minister’s Education Secretary, I’m determined to see the same sense of urgency and vigour we’ve witnessed throughout our vaccination programme as we offer the vaccine to children aged 12 and above.”

Mr Zahawi said that no child is being “forced” to have the vaccine, adding: “It is a personal medical choice for children and parents or carers to discuss and we trust them to do so – and no one should be stigmatised for their decision.”

‘Being vaccinated is personal medical choice’
But, he stressed: “Let’s be clear. Being vaccinated is a good thing, both for you and for those around you.”

The Education Secretary accused anti-vaccine protesters outside schools of behaving in an “outrageous and completely unacceptable” manner.

“Under no circumstances is it ever acceptable to target teachers or the wider school community,” he said.

“As Education Secretary, I want teachers and students to know that I will always stand up for them and tackle any harassment head on, so teachers can do their vital jobs safely and children get the education they deserve – regardless of whatever choice children and their parents make over vaccination.”

The vaccine roll-out in schools began last week after the UK’s chief medical officers said offering a single dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab to around three million pupils would “reduce educational disruption”.

The move came despite the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation deciding not to recommend the mass vaccination of 12 to 15 year olds, as it concluded the jab would provide only a marginal benefit to that cohort, which is at a low risk from the virus.

Education

Delta govt suspends head teacher over extortion of pupils

Determined to stop extortion in schools, the Delta State government has suspended the Head Teacher of New Era Primary School, Okpanam in the Oshimili North local government area of the state.

The headteacher was involved in the illegal collection of N2,000 from pupils for primary six results.

The Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Samuel Mariere who announced the suspension while addressing public primary education stakeholders in Oshimili north at Akwukwu-Igbo, headquarters of the local government council, said the board had warned against such collections as directed by the state Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori.

Mariere said the present administration in the state had made it clear that education at the primary level is free and warned Head Teachers against extortion from parents and wards.

He expressed disappointment that some unrepentant head teachers had refused to desist from illegal collections, noting that the act is one of the reasons why some of them will continue to resist transfer because of the fortune they made over time as heads of schools.

The SUBEB Boss stressed that the state government seriously frowned at any form of extortion in the guise of printing examination question papers and collection of results, saying that public primary education is completely free of charge in Delta state.

Mariere warned Head Teachers who are still in the business of illegal collections in their schools to repent or face dismissal from service when caught.

He called on stakeholders in public primary education to help monitor and supervise teachers in their localities and to report to the board anyone found doing the wrong things, particularly in the areas of poor commitment to work, absenteeism and extortions.

He appealed to the local government councils in the state to pay the 10% total emoluments of teachers and local education authority staff as required by the UBEC law to run the day-to-day activities of the schools while thanking Obi Azuka of Akwukwu-Igbo kingdom for his support on reforms in public primary education.

Chairman, Oshimili North, Innocent Esewezie, represented by the Head of Personnel Management, Mrs Stella Ofunne, welcomed the ongoing reforms and pledged the council’s support to revamp public primary schools.

Education Secretary, Oshimili North, Elder Austin Odogwu, said his office would enforce discipline in schools to ensure quality service delivery, even as he thanked the state government for the recent recruitment of teaching and non-teaching staff.

Education

Students Loan: NELFUND receives another N2m refund

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, has announced the receipt of two million Naira, through a bank draft from a former beneficiary of student loan, Adegboyega Awomolo, SAN.

This is contained in a statement by Monalisa Dike, from the Corporate Communications Department of the fund on Friday in Abuja.

Dike said that Awomolo benefitted from the loan during his undergraduate studies at the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University) between 1975 and 1977.

According to her, the senior lawyer demonstrated his unwavering commitment to the nation by repaying the loan in full.

“The loan, which at the time amounted to a total of N1,000 for two sessions, was instrumental in helping him complete his law degree.

“Despite several previous attempts, over the years, to refund the loan, Awomolo was unable to fulfill the repayment until now.

“In his letter to the Managing Director of NELFUND, Mr Akintunde Sawyerr, Awomolo expressed his gratitude to the Nigerian government for the opportunity that the student loan provided him,” she said.

She further said that Awomolo acknowledged the transparency and accountability that NELFUND had demonstrated in its current management of student loans.

Dike reiterated that Awomolo’s repayment came as a testament to the lasting impact of President Bola Tinubu’s initiative and the ongoing relevance of NELFUND in supporting Nigerian students.

She, however, said that the funds would be used to fund the education of students who need the loan now.

Education

No plan to stop under 18 students from writing WASSCE, NECO – Minister

The Minister of State for Education, Dr Yusuf Sununu has clarified that the Federal Ministry of Education has not stopped students who are not up to 18 years old from writing the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO) exams.

Sununu said this while fielding questions from journalists at an event to mark the 2024 International Literacy Day (ILD) on Friday.

According to him, public misconception and misinterpretation of what was said by the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, was highly disappointing.

He said that the minister was actually speaking on the 18 years entry age into the tertiary institutions as was practiced in the 6:3:3:4 system of education.

“We have agreed that we are going to consider it as a work-in-progress. The National Assembly is working and we are also working.

“It was shocking to say that a university in this country gave admission to children at ages 10, 11 and 12 years. This is totally wrong.

“We are not saying that there are no exceptions, we know we can have talented students that have the IQ of an adult even at age 6 and 7, but these are very few.

“There must be a rule, and the ministry is looking at developing a guideline on how to identify a talented child, so that parents don’t say we are blocking their children’s chances.

“Nobody said no child will write WAEC, NECO or any other examination unless at age 18. This is a misconception and misrepresentation of what we have said,” he said.

Speaking on the International Literacy Day, Sununu underscored the critical role of literacy in fostering mutual understanding, peace and socio-economic development.

He reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to addressing literacy challenges through the Education for Renewed Hope roadmap (2024-2027).

He highlighted youth and adult literacy as key components, while emphasising the importance of using learners’ mother tongues as a medium of instruction.

“We must focus on the role of a learner’s first language in becoming literate, which will foster mutual understanding and peace,” he added.

He also emphasised the need for well-trained educators who should be equipped to teach in local languages, as well as the development of follow-up reading materials in these languages.

On his part, the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-formal Education (NMEC), Prof. Simon Akpama, reaffirmed the Commission’s dedication to integrating multilingual education into schools’ literacy programmes.

“In an increasingly interconnected world, multilingual education is not just a necessity, it is a tool for fostering peace and cultural respect,” he said.

Meanwhile, UNESCO’s Country Representative, Mr Diallo Abdourahamane, re-echoed that literacy remained a fundamental human right, hence the need to create a just, peaceful and sustainable society.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ILD which is celebrated annually on Sept. 8, is aimed at highlighting the importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies.

The theme for this year’s celebration is “Promoting Multilingual Education: Literacy for Mutual Understanding and Peace.”
(NAN)