.Inaugurates Imo Academia and Enlightenment Forum
By Okey Alozie
Dr Mrs Adaugo. T. Nwanebo, the Executive Secretary Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB) has recorded another giant stride in the education sector of Imo State.
The SEMB Boss last week at the Nigeria Union of Teachers State Secretary located along Owerri -Portharcourt road inaugurated a Special group known as Imo Academia and Enlightenment Forum to improve the quality of Education at Secondary School level and to ensure that learners acquire relevant skills and knowledge that will enable them become successful in life.
Dr Nwanebo urged members of the group to put in their best and make sure that aims and objective of group is released.
She maintained that Imo State must recover its past glory in education, adding that all hands must be on deck to keep the ball rolling.
Dr Nwanebo who was poetic and dramatic during the inauguration used the opportunity to thank Governor Hope Uzodinma for given her the chance to serve as the Executive Secretary of Imo Secondary Education Management Board (SEMB).
She also praised the Governor for fixing Imo roads as well as rehabilitating Imo Schools and payment of salaries. She therefore promised that Imo teachers, students, principals and members of Imo Academia and Enlightenment Forum will surely reciprocate to his good gesture towards the Education sector by given him maximum support needed to succeed in office as well as vote for his continuation in office.
Imo Academia and Enlightenment Forum (IAEF) is an Educational Advocacy group, made up of professionals in the Education sector in Imo State. The group organized a one-day brainstorming meeting and the official inauguration of the Forum at National Union of Teachers House, Owerri, Imo State on Friday 12 th May, 2023. The meeting focused on charting a pathway to facilitate improvement of quality education, especially at the Public Secondary Schools level and to prepare the students for a rapidly evolving global and technological world. It was attended by 152 participants drawn from the Academia, Secondary School Educators, Government Officials, Stakeholders and visitors from across the State.
The meeting was chaired by Dr. Mrs. Adaugo T. Nwanebo, who is the founder, initiator and facilitator of the Forum. Speakers at the meeting included: Hon. Ikechukwu Umeh, Former Commissioner for Technology Development, for Power, Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition, and currently the State Organizing Secretary of Imo APC; Prince Ezeala Ferdinand Akano, Special Adviser to the Governor of Imo State on Secondary Education Management Board; Prof. I.N.S. Dozie, Vice Chancellor, Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University, Ogboko (represented by his Executive Assistant, Barr. Obinna Igwe); Hon. MacDonald Ebere, Ph. D, State Chairman of Imo APC (represented by his Chief of Staff, Hon. Chris Ekpe); Prof. Emeka Tony Nwosu of the Faculty of Humanities, Imo State University, Owerri; Zonal Directors of Secondary Schools; Principals and Teachers of Secondary Schools in Imo State. The meeting deliberated on the issues germane to the development of Education, including the challenges being faced by the Public Secondary School Education system; support to the government of Imo State, headed by the Governor, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma; improving on the capacity of the teachers, embracing Digital innovations to enhance teaching and learning; the active engagement and participation of good-spirited Imo citizens / Communities towards Educational Development; and many more.
After the Keynote address was delivered by Dr. Mrs. Adaugo T. Nwanebo, the Special Adviser to the Governor of Imo State on Secondary Education Management Board, Prince Ezeala Ferdinand Akano, officially inaugurated the Imo Academia and Enlightenment Forum.
Arising from the speeches and contributions of participants, the following observations were made:
Recognized challenges facing Imo State Public Secondary School System such as, acute shortage of teaching and non-teaching staff, poor remuneration of teachers, infrastructural deficit, inadequate funding, erratic power supply, insecurity and many more, as hampering educational development;
Noted the use of teachers in disciplines outside their areas of competence due to insufficient competent and committed teachers and poor conditions of service, leading to low quality education;
Nonchalant attitude of Parents / Guardians towards their children / wards’ education negatively affect the attitude of students towards learning and their overall academic attainment;
Poor reading culture, illegal use of cell phones for non-academic purposes and other vices by students are hindering teaching and learning in schools;
Automatic promotion of all students at the end of summative examinations has impacted negatively of the quality of students in the State;
The crave for Special (miracle) Centers for External examinations are being encouraged by parents who want their children to excel at all cost. Students are no longer willing to learn or listen to the teachers.
Lower rate of admissions of the male child into Secondary Schools and consequently, translating into the higher institutions;
University Lecturers are uncomfortable with the quality of students being churned out of Secondary Schools. Secondary schools are not adequately preparing students for higher education, many students struggle to keep up with the demands found therein;
Inadequate Community ownership and contributions to education have hindered the development of education in Imo State, as government alone cannot fund education. The need for a synergy between and among the Government, the Teachers, the Academia, State Education Boards, Parents, Communities and Stakeholders cannot be overemphasized. Emphases were laid on alternative sources of funding;
Paucity of funds for human capital development enhancement for effective teachers’ performance;
Most students are not motivated to advance their education to higher institutions, mainly because of the get – rich quick syndrome in the society.
Most parents and public officials do not send their children to Public Schools because they have no faith in the Public Secondary School System;
Low digital literacy among students and teachers in the school system.
Problems with data of admission records of students, where parents move their wards from one school to another without recourse to the authorities. The students are admitted into one school and register for examinations in another, for the purpose of examination malpractice;
The need to bring education closer to the government. Readiness of government to embark on comprehensive assessment tours of the Public Secondary Schools, across the six Educational Zones in Imo State.
Participants at the meeting recommended the following:
That adequate funding / increase of budgetary allocations for Public Secondary School Education is vital for educational development of the State. It would provide State – of – the – art learning facilities and equipment and create a conducive environment for learning;
That the government lifts the embargo on employment and approves the recruitment of qualified and certified teachers in all subject areas; followed by the establishment of an active professional substitute teachers pool to fill in gaps promptly in the school system, created by natural causes and otherwise;
Re-establish Parents-Teachers Association (PTA) in schools, to create avenues for engendering drastic attitudinal change / counseling in both parents and students, in order to achieve optimal educational development of all Imo indigenes;
Implement stiff punishments for illegal use of cell phones, cultism, examination malpractice and other vices within the school premises;
Adopt stricter measures with respect to automatic promotions of all students. Students who fail promotion examinations should be mandated to repeat the class.
Abolish all special examination centers and prosecute parents who aid or abet the practice.
Organize re-orientation programs for parents and stakeholders in the State to encourage them to send and keep their male wards in School; and establish the policy that every Imo child must have at least, a secondary school education.
Ensure that students who pass through the secondary schools acquire solid foundation of morals, knowledge, skills and competence required for higher education and lifelong learning. And University Lecturers will be invited to various schools to educate the teachers on the prerequisite for admissions, to guide the teachers to align teaching and learning and in mentoring the students;
Encourage parents / guardians, local and international donor agencies, NGOs, Old Students’ Associations, Community / town unions and other stakeholders to work in synergy with the State Government to promote funding of Imo State Public Secondary School Education.
There should be continuous training and professional development of teachers to keep them at the cutting edge of technology and changing mode of pedagogy, in line with 21st century skills and current trends. This creates room for more effective practice, motivation for continuous improvement and opportunities for professional growth as an essential ingredient for development of education;
Schools, in conjunction with the School Management Board should organize excursions for students to various higher institutions in the State to aspire for greater heights;
That Public Officials should be mandated to send their children to Public Secondary Schools.
That Principals and teachers should embrace the proposed internet Data subsidy and E-Notebooks for all students, to enable them have access to data and enhance their teaching capabilities and learning output.
The State Government should deploy appropriate strategies for intervention in improving the capacity of teachers and students in digital literacy. That the forum serves as a vehicle for the adoption of digital innovations of technology-driven pedagogy in the education system;
The School Management Board should make concerted efforts to collect data on Public Secondary Schools; number of students, Teachers’ details, students’ details and other information to be digitalized with E-data portal. This would adversely affect the trend of special (miracle) centers;
Quarterly comprehensive assessment tours of the Public Secondary Schools by government across the six Educational Zones in Imo State.
The Forum craves for State Inauguration by His Excellency, Dist. Senator Hope Uzodimma and to serve the purpose of being the Advocacy watchdog, research and policy brainbox towards the development of education in Imo State.
The Forum endorses and adopts the Governor of Imo State, His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma for election for a second term in office as Governor of Imo State.
The Forum adopts His Excellency, Senator Hope Uzodinma, Governor of Imo State as Grand Patron and plays a more active role in advising the government on the key priority areas that require urgent attention in secondary school education.
