JAMB to Extend Registration for Direct Entry

 

By Mojeed Alabi - Premium Times

The source said the extension would be by one week, but if the crisis persists, the examination body may consider a further extension to accommodate every legitimate willing applicant.

Beginning from Monday, 15 May, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) may have concluded plans to extend the registration for candidates seeking direct entry admission to universities nationwide.

The deadline for registration had earlier been fixed for Saturday, 13 May. Still, the rowdiness consistently experienced within the past week at the Lagos office of the examination body informed the latest decision.

The new development was confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday evening by a highly placed JAMB official who does not want to be named for lacking the authority to give the information.

But the source confirmed that the management of the examination body had at the weekend deliberated on the challenges being faced at its offices, especially in Lagos, and decided to extend the deadline to "ensure that every qualified and willing applicant is duly registered."

However, the Head of Public Affairs and Protocol for the examination agency, Fabian Benjamin, neither confirmed nor denied the information.

But Mr Benjamin said he was sure that every candidate willing to register for the direct entry application would be allowed to do so.

Registration challenges

JAMB recently barred privately-owned computer-based test centres from participating in the registration for direct entry applicants and instructed applicants to approach any of its offices nationwide for registration.

The centralisation of the process, according to the examination body, was aimed at curbing the use of fake A-level documents for registration.

JAMB said it had been inundated with complaints of fraud allegedly by applicants, citing the case of Bayero University, Kano (BUK), which it noted expelled about 140 students for presenting fake A-level results.

JAMB said the centralisation of the application process is, therefore, to guide against such fraudulent practices and to set a template for private CBT centres' participation in subsequent years.

But this decision has left many applicants stranded with the examination body's office in Lagos recording rowdiness, especially within the last one week.

Disturbing images of applicants sleeping on floors at the Ikoyi office of JAMB in Lagos had consistently surfaced on the internet, forcing the leadership of NANS to visit the scene and demand immediate resolution.

But JAMB has blamed the applicants for adopting a last-minute rush, saying for the first few weeks of the registration period, it recorded low patronage.

Speaking earlier on the development, JAMB's spokesperson, Mr Benjamin, told PREMIUM TIMES: "When we started the registration, the offices were nearly empty, and candidates were not coming. Don't forget; the DE registration is not a high-tech registration; we usually have just about 100,000 and sometimes 200,000 candidates registering for the whole year.

So, you can imagine where these people are coming from at this particular point in time. But as a responsible organisation, we will do everything possible, especially for candidates who have purchased the PIN to register."

Deadline extension

Speaking with this newspaper on the decision to extend the deadline for DE registration once again, the JAMB official confirmed that the management took the decision at the weekend.

The source, however, noted that the examination body is reluctant to announce the extension so that candidates would not go "and relax again, and then wait for the last minute rush."

"So I can confidently confirm that any candidate that visits JAMB offices from Monday will be attended to, though it ought to have closed on Saturday. But this may not be announced publicly," the source added.

The source said the extension would be by one week, but if the crisis persists, the examination body may consider a further extension to accommodate every legitimate willing applicant.

"But we cannot foresee a situation that would warrant another extension after this. This is based on the calculation of the annual DE registration figures and what has been recorded so far this year," the source added.

JAMB keeps mum

When PREMIUM TIMES called the JAMB spokesperson, he said he could not comment on the lingering issue. Still, he insisted that "as a responsible organisation that values its integrity and the dignity of every single student, the best decision would be taken."

He said: "I have no doubt that every willing applicant who may have vended PIN would be allowed to register for the DE. The difficulty is just part of the measures to address the malpractice identified with the process of registration and we can assure Nigerians that JAMB is too responsible to willingly subject applicants to the unnecessary challenges currently being witnessed."

He said the examination body is already achieving the desired result, saying it is embarrassing that candidates screened for admission are later found to have used fake results by the universities.

Acceptable A-level results

JAMB had at different times listed acceptable A-level results for this year's DE registration, warning candidates against fraudulent practices.

The listed A-level results include a university diploma, Ordinary National Diploma (OND), National Diploma (ND), Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE), Higher National Diploma (HND) and a university degree.

Others are Interim Joint Matriculation Board (IJMB), Joint Universities Preliminary Examination Board (JUPED), NABTEB Advanced National Business Certificate, NABTEB Advanced National Technical Certificate, NABTEB GCE-A' Level (2015 - 2021), Higher Islamic Studies Certificate by NBAIS, International Baccalaureate and the National Registered Nurse/ Midwife certificates.

TRCN Signs MOU With S-African Organisation to Upskill in-Service Teachers in Nigeria

 By Joseph Erunke

The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, TRCN, yesterday, signed a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with a South African-based educational organisation, Instill Education, to upskill in-service teachers in Nigeria.

Registrar of TRCN, Prof. Josiah Ajiboye, who signed the document in Abuja in company of his management team, said a pilot phase of implementation of the MoU would soon commence with a capacity building for eight weeks.

Ajiboye said the MoU has three major components- pre-service teachers, integrating pre-service with in-service teachers and their capacity building programmes, while expressing confidence that the involvement of Instill Education would bridge the gap between pre-service and in-service teachers.

"With regards to our teachers, if you look at what we have said here today, three major components actually were identified: the pre-service teachers, even integrating pre-service with the in-service. We have looked at pre-service teachers, the in-service teachers and their training programmes and we have been able to see that there is a gap."

He lamented that a large number of teachers employed in private schools in Nigeria today were not qualified, in the first instance, to be called teachers, adding that a survey carried out by the council showed that over 90 per cent of the teachers in private schools in the South West were not qualified and not registerable with the TRCN.

"So, these people are not registerable with TRCN because they don't possess the requisite qualification that will allow us to register them. There's a big gap there. Instill Education maybe looking in the future on how to fill that gap. Like they are doing in South Africa, but the major component of this MOU is about the in-service teachers. How do we go about capacitating these in-service teachers, upskilling them?

"And that's what Instill Education is coming with. They are coming up with their expertise and technology to help us to do this kind of capacitation for our teachers. We've been talking over time, about mandatory continuing professional development for teachers, where teachers are going to take certain capacity development programmes and they will get points and this will count towards the renewal of their licence as well as their promotion," he added.

- Source, Vanguard

Teachers can Teach anywhere in the World

Professor Josiah Ajiboye is the Registrar/Chief Executive of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), a teacher's regulatory body in Nigeria. Teachers mobility, presumably called 'brain-drain' in many quarters is generating heated concern among the public as many Nigerian teachers are migrating to the UK, USA and some other countries in droves. This could lead to shortage of professionals in the teaching profession. in response to this view, professor Josiah Ajiboye disagrees with this view and that said that it is not "Brain-drain" but rather, "teaching Mobility." He averred that teachers are free to teach anywhere. He also discuss other issues relating to the teaching profession in Nigeria, what the TRCN is doing to regulate the teaching profession, develop quality teachers and the current trends in the profession among others things. The professor of social studies shares his experiences on this. Below are excerpts of the interview with the Editor, School Connect Magazine, 

Olugbenga Adebiyi John.

How do we stem the tide of brain-drain especially among our teachers migrating to the UK and other countries in search of greener pastures? We don't talk about brain drain; we actually look at it as brain sharing. We talk about global teacher mobility. Teachers, like other professionals, should be free to work in any part of the world. When we were in secondary schools, we were taught by Ghanaian and Indian teachers. Now it is the turn of Nigerian teachers to also go out there and help develop the education system of other countries. So, it is not brain drain at all, it is about global teacher mobility.

The teaching profession is at its brinks as many young people are not choosing the teaching as a career. What could be responsible for this and how can we make the teaching profession more attractive? When you say the teaching profession is at its brink, I don't understand. Brink of collapse? Brink of what? With the efforts that have been put in by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN), especially since 2016, you will agree with me there has been a lot programs to revitalize the teaching profession in Nigeria and to make it more attractive to young people. Specifically in 2020 at the World Teachers Day celebration on October 5th, the Honourable Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu announced a lot of mouth-watering incentives for the Nigeria teachers as approved by the President and Commander-In-Chief, Mohammadu Buhari. The incentives were premised on two things: one, how do we attract brains to the teaching profession in Nigeria and, two, how do we retain experienced teachers on the job. Prominent among those incentives is bursary awards and scholarships for education students in our tertiary institutions and elongation of retirement age for serving teachers. These incentives have had significant positive effects on enrollment for education programs and boosting the morale of the teachers and would-be teachers.

In your previous interview you revealed that more than 650 teachers have migrated abroad this January alone. What could this portend for the teaching profession in Nigeria and for the TRCN as a professional body? I have mentioned the fact that teacher migration is part of global strategy to address the challenge of insufficient teaching force in some parts of the world. Yes, Nigeria is not spare in this global phenomenon, but our teachers are global teachers, they are not just prepared for Nigeria environment only.

 In our quest to meet up with the labour demands and to compete globally in terms of graduates churned out from the university, there is the need to overhaul the curriculum. What do you think could be added to our current curriculum so as to meet these demands especially making our graduates have entrepreneurial skills/mindset and not be jobseekers?  A lot of efforts are going on in the area of reengineering our education curricular from basic to tertiary levels in Nigeria to meet the 21st century challenges and the global world of work. For basic education, the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) has done a lot in terms of review of old curricular and development of new ones. In fact, the National Universities Commission has just released a new curricular, moving from BMAS to Core Curriculum Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS), all in the efforts to rejuvenate the curricular. Curriculum review and change is a dynamic thing, and all relevant institutions in education are not resting on their oars.

I stumbled across a report in which someone said that he did analysis of the winners of the Spelling Bee competition which has been giving birth to the one-day governor and found out that most of the winner of this competition are from the eastern part of the country and not from the werst. In your own view what could you say could be responsible for this? Is it an indication that the westerners are not at the forefront of knowledge any longer? Maybe you will spare me from that controversy. I have not been following up with the Spelling Bees competition. But I can only encourage all the States in the Federation to invest more in the education of our children. If truly we agree that they are the future leaders, we need to scale up investment in education in Nigeria. Other countries are investing a larger percentage of their GDP and annual budgets to Education, significantly more than what we do around here. Also, investment in teacher education and professional development in highly imperative to have quality education.       

 What is the TRCN doing to meet the United Nations agenda of the goal 4. According to the UN, by the year 2030, all girls and boys must have access to complete, free equitable and quality education. In what way can we align with this goal to make it realisable in Nigeria? The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria as a teaching regulatory body is particularly working in tandem with the Federal Ministry of Education and its agencies and all the States Ministry of Education, Teaching Service Commissions and SUBEBs to ensure that Nigeria has quality teachers to deliver an inclusive education system. We produced the professional standards for teaching in Nigeria, a new career path policy for Nigeria teachers, professional qualifying examination, and certification and licencing of professional teachers. SDG 4.3 is all about quality teachers and this has been the major preoccupation of the TRCN.

How is the TRCN ensuring that teachers are meeting up with the professional and ethical standards in the profession and making teaching impactful as it is the demand of the profession? Given its mandate, the TRCN is primarily concerned with quality teachers through its regulatory activities as mentioned above. And the efforts of TRCN has attracted global accolades, including the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certificate in October 2022. Furthermore, TRCN is a member of the International Forum for Teaching Regulatory Authorities (IFTRA) and presently the Registrar of TRCN is the sitting President of the Africa Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA), that is to show you that TRCN is a global player in teacher regulatory affairs.

Thanks so much. Could we tell us about yourself? My name is Professor Josiah Olusegun Ajiboye. I am the Executive Director of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) - a body saddled with the onerous task of regulating the teaching profession. Besides, we are also involves in certifying the teachers. As a regulatory body, we ensure ethics, standards and effectiveness of the teaching profession. I was appointed the Registrar/Chief Executive of this body by President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari on 1st August, 2016 where I am currently serving tjhe nation towards uplifting the teaching profession in Nigeria. I am married to Dr. (Mrs.,) R.O Ajiboye and we are blessed with children.   

I obtained my BEd, MEd and PhD from the University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. I was a professor of Social and Civics/Environmental Education at the University of Ibadan, where I have also served as the HOD/Department of Teachers Education, Faculty of Education.

I have played active role as a member of the Social Studies of Nigeria (SOSAN), and the Secretary, Social Studies Association of Nigeria (Western Zone) from  1999-2011. Besides, I was member of the senate of the University of  Ibadan from 1988-2004. I was appointed again as a member from 2011-2016.

Besides, I was a member of the governing council of the Osun State College of Education, Ilesa between year 2000 and year 2004 and again in year 2010 and 2015. I am the Deputy President of the Federation of Teaching Regulatory Authorities (AFTRA).

I also took active role in ASUU as the helmsman of the University of Ibadan branch from November 24th to January 22nd, 2016. At present, I am the Zonal Coordinator of the UI Ibadan Zone till date.

Why adding Tech Skills to Talent Is Needed to Navigate the Future

It's no longer unusual for young people and students to refer to themselves as "tech bros" or "tech sis."

Young people need to understand why these terms are popular and how important it is to have a voice in a technologically advanced society, even though these terms may seem like the best thing since civilization. 

Today, technology transforms enterprises’ products/services and moves them from the backroom of an organisation into the hands of customers and society. This has contributed to making products/services increasingly customised for the customer, as society shifts steadily towards a service economy.

Over the past 10 years, as technology develops, many phenomena emerge that, when put together, have radically changed the capacity of businesses to create customer-centric services and products. 

The ability for innovation and small-scale improvement to happen more quickly has also increased, which is the most significant development. 

Technology has completely changed how businesses operate by allowing smaller businesses to compete on an equal footing with larger ones. To gain an advantage in the economic marketplace, small businesses use a variety of technologies, including everything from servers to mobile devices. 

Enhanced communication techniques

Businesses have been able to enhance their communication processes with the aid of business tech. Improved customer communication is made possible by tools like emails, short message services, websites and apps, for instance. Companies can saturate the economic market with their message by utilising a variety of Information Technology Communication methods. Through these electronic communication channels, businesses may also get more customer feedback.

Increased productivity

The days of businesses relying solely on manual labour to complete tasks and deliver goods. Artificial intelligence is used today to efficiently and quickly complete tasks. quickly and timely. 

Small businesses are now able to increase their employees' productivity through the use of technology. Computer programs and business software usually allow employees to process more information than manual methods. Business owners can use technology to streamline operations and cut down on the need for labour. This enables small businesses to save money on both labour and benefit expenses.

Even though learning tech skills is important, certain tech skills are more in demand than others in the twenty-first century. These are;

Artificial Intelligence

Around the world, various industries and sectors find great value in artificial intelligence.  In contrast to the natural intelligence exhibited by humans and animals, artificial intelligence is demonstrated by machines. 

Data Science

If you studied the sciences for your undergraduate degree, data science is a tech skill you might want to take into consideration. A student majoring in mathematics at a university would be more advantageous. 

Try data science if a tech skill you already possess isn't providing you with the opportunities you desire. Data scientists are people with data science expertise. 

Python

Python is a dynamically semantic, high-level, interpreted programming language. 

It is a type of computer programming language that is employed to create software and websites.

JavaScript

JavaScript is another highly sought-after technology skill that you shouldn't lose.  JavaScript is a scripting language used for web development and applications that allows you to dynamically update content, manage multimedia, and animate images. 

JavaScript is a core technology of the World Wide Web (www), HTML and CSS. 

Analytics

The term "analytics" refers to a methodical computation analysis of data or statistics that are used for analyzing, communicating, and describing significant and pertinent patterns in data. 

However, Google Analytics is a web analytics service that the company provides that aids in monitoring and reporting website traffic. 

DevOps

Software development and IT operations are combined in the DevOps set of practices. The capacity of an organization to create apps and services quickly is increased by a combination of culturally ingrained philosophies, practices, and tools. 

Computer Programming

The process of carrying out a specific computation through the design and construction of an executable computer program is known as computer programming. 

Writing instructions that are carried out by computers through codes is referred to as computer programming. 

Computer Security/Cyber Security

Computer security, also referred to as cyber security, is the safeguarding of data and computer systems against loss and unauthorized access. 

Cybersecurity is another name for the process of defending computer networks against data leaks, software, hardware, and electronic data damage. 

C++

Danish computer scientist Bjarne Stroustrup developed the general-purpose programming language C++. C++ is essentially a computer programming language extension. 

Cloud Computing

The last skill on our list of the most in-demand tech skills is cloud computing, but it is by no means the least important. 

The on-demand availability of computer system resources, in particular data storage and computing power, without the user's direct active management is known as cloud computing.

These skills must be used to increase productivity growth, promote greater inclusion, and make sure that the workforce is flexible enough to compete in future markets. 

n order for investments in technology and innovation to pay off, the ideal policy environment should be established as well as special attention being paid to STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) skills. 

The increasing importance of technology, climate change, demographic shifts, urbanization, and the globalization of value chains are just a few of the major global trends that are changing the nature of work and skill requirements. One needs a broad range of tech skills to succeed in the job market of the twenty-first century

Last line

The ability to access, manage, understand, integrate, communicate, evaluate, and create information in a safe and appropriate manner is referred to as having digital skills, which are cross-cutting and draw on all of the aforementioned skills

Tech skills can aid in structural change and economic growth by increasing employability and labour productivity as well as helping nations become more competitive. Investment in a skilled workforce has the potential to begin a positive feedback loop in which productive growth and foreign direct investment are made possible by quality labour, which in turn encourages the current workforce to work harder and better jobs while also attracting more public and private investment into the education and training system. The productivity and employability of the present and future workforce are subsequently increased as a result.

Through brief tech courses and training, which can last anywhere from six months to two years, young people, including women, can gain the tech skills necessary to compete for better-paying employment. Additional work must be done to include local businesses in order to ensure that the content and delivery of these programs meet the demands of the labour market.

Governance, funding, and quality control issues have a negative impact on the efficacy of tech skills programs. Access to these programs by adults and children from disadvantaged backgrounds may be limited as a result of the consequent excessively high prices, but they can do it with tenacity and zeal. 

Stakeholders hold retreat on Inclusive Education

The importance of inclusive education has been taken to the front burner even as The British Council through her School Connect programme recently brought education stakeholders together from across the country to deliberate on this issue at the Radison Blu Hotel, Victoria Island in December 2022.

The two-day retreat was attended by teacher, school heads, education administrators, policy makers, directors from the state/federal ministry of education, NGOs and other education stakeholders to discuss way forward on inclusive education.

The programme features: paper presentation by facilitators, panel discussion, experience sharing, question & answer, networking session and strategic meeting, while communique was issued at the end of the programme.  

While fielding questions from participants, Dr. Umoh Essien, an advocate of special education from Uyo state said there is need to take the inclusive education beyond rhetoric as the inclusive education has already been passed into law, but it has not been in practiced. He also said that for any child with special need, there should be special teacher and assistants in place to make such child learn. He lamented that in most cases, this is not so in Nigeria as even the facilities and special needs experts are not in place to make this function as it is in developed countries where he has had opportunity to teach.

Emmanuel Yakusak, another participant who was also a presenter at the programme said the challenge in making inclusive education work has to do with advocacy. He said with more awareness, more children will be able to access quality education.

Gbemiga Bankole, an award-winning teacher from Alimosho Grammar School commended the British Council for outing up such an impactful programme as it brings together key players on the topic of discourse.

"Be Focused" - Sanwo-Olu tells Students as School Resumes

                    

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has charged students in the state to be focused, strive for excellence, exhibit creativity and continue to maximize the digital learning opportunity provided in the state.

This message was conveyed by Mrs. Folasasde Adefisayo to students across the state as school resumes for the year 2023.

Adefisayo said that the Sanwo-Olu’s administration has provided 1,047 new classrooms, rehabilitated over 197 classrooms, provided over 181,365 pieces of school furniture, commissioned a new technology-driven modular school at vet land Model Junior High School and the launch of the Eko Excel digital learning hub among others.    

The permanent secretary of the state, Mr. Abolaji Abayomi during a monitoring exercise at Ikeja Senior Grammar School, conveyed a new year greeting to pupils of the school and charged teachers to be committed saying, it takes a concerted effort to improve the standard of education in the state.

A major highlight of the monitoring exercise was the interactive moments where the permanent secretary did some counseling with students including students of special needs units while encouraging the teachers not to rest on their oars.

The monitoring exercise was conducted in about thirty schools around: Surulere, Gbagada, Somolu, Ojodu, Kosofe, Alimosho, Igbogbo, Ikorodu, Badagry and some other areas of the state. The aim of the exercise is to motivate both teachers and students.

Antigua Becomes the only African University

 Antigua Becomes the Only African University

Dow’s Hill, Piccadilly, Antigua – The University of Health Sciences Antigua (UHSA) has agreed to offer a 50 percent tuition scholarship and financing for African medical students as part of a partnership with 8B Education Investments. This partnership is designed to help African students displaced by the war in Ukraine to continue their medical education at UHSA.

The funding for 8B Africa comes from partnerships with a variety of lenders and institutions unified in their commitment to enable African innovators to receive a world-class education. During The Clinton Global Initiative, 8B announced 111.6 million in total funding. A portion of this funding will also be used for medical education financing.     

“As the only African-owned medical colleges in our region, it is imperative that we give back and provide the access these students need,” said Adedayo Akande, President of UHSA. “The war in Ukraine is heartbreaking, and only when speaking with these displaced students do you really understand what they are experiencing.”

To be a practicing physician, medical universities must provide students with the necessary clerkships, specific classes, and more. Because of UHSA’s curriculum and international partnerships, students who pursue medicine through their program will be eligible to become licensed to practice medicine in not only the US and Canada but also their home countries–an opportunity that may not have been available depending on the school they previously attended. 

To learn more about this program or apply for UHSA’s scholarship, visit https://www.uhsa.ag/admissions/financial-aid/. They are currently accepting applications for the upcoming January 16th, 2023 term. You can also learn more about the University of Health Sciences Antigua by visiting https://www.uhsa.ag/.

University of Health Sciences Antigua is an international medical school offering an elite education to aspiring physicians. Offering first and second-year students an extensive curriculum that includes research into psychedelic medicine for mental health. UHSA also has several international partnerships that have created pipelines for students to complete clerkships in both the US and Canada.

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