Oritamefa Baptist school pupil emerges quiz winner

A pupil of the Oritamefa Baptist Model Secondary School, Oluwasayo Babalola, has emerged the winner of the second Joseph Ayo Babalola University National
Quiz for senior secondary school pupils.

The first and second runners-up went to Olayide Ibrahim of the Straitgate College Ishara Remo, Ogun State and Ifeoluwa Oyelami of the St. Anthony’s High School, Ilesa, Osun State respectively.

For coming tops, Babalola received a scholarship to study at the university and N50, 000. His school also received some library materials and a desktop computer.

Ibrahim also received 50 per cent discount on tuition in the university and N40, 000, while Oyelami got 25 per cent discount on fees and N30, 000.

Schools also got desktop computers among other items.

According to the organisers, no fewer than 80 secondary schools from across the country participated in the quiz.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Sola Fajana, said the competition was to promote healthy competition and academic excellence among pupils.

Courtesy: www.punchng.com

"Girls Should pursue career in ICT" says FG

Federal Government has begun collaboration with Huawei, an information and communication technology solutions provider, to train 1,000 girls in ICT.

The measure is to empower female pupils with basic ICT skills with a view to improving their employment chances.

The initiative, tagged “Huawei 1,000 MCT/Girls ICT Training programme,” is the brainchild of the Federal Ministry of Communication Technology.

The Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, represented by the Technical Assistant (Research), in the ministry, Olufunke Baruwa, made this known at the inauguration of the ICT Club of the Pyramid of Excellence Schools in Abuja.

Johnson said the programme would help to reduce the imbalance in ICT adoption between men and women in the country.

She added, “The ICT sector is emerging as the fastest growing sector in Nigeria, recording a 30 per cent year- on-year growth with the potential to significantly
contribute to increasing the social welfare of men and women in the future.

“Towards this end, the Federal Government is committed to changing the perception of young people to ICT and encouraging positive interest and engagement in their academics as well as to pursue future careers in ICT.”

The minister explained that the government, in its determination to encourage Nigerian pupils to develop an early interest in ICT, established the ICT club.

According to her, the initiative is an early intervention project to demystify ICTs and project technology as a viable career option that can empower and impact positively on the future of our youngsters.

She further stressed, “The aim of the club is to remove the barriers that discourage students from embracing ICTs through quizzes, ICT games, application
development, animation, website development, blogging, graphics design, computer programming, assembling and dissembling computers and creating short films.

Periodically mentors will be invited to give inspiring talks and participate in various ICT related activities that will interest the students.”

The minister said her ministry being a key partner in the Growing Women and Girls Initiative was empowering women and girls through specific technology initiatives.

Johnson said, “To help overcome digital divide in Nigeria, the Ministry of l Communication Technology has committed itself to setting up various projects such as The SmartWoman Nigeria Project, MCT/Huawei 1000
ICT Girls Training, and The Digital Girls Club.

“Among these projects, the Digital Girls Club which is an extra-curriculum activity has been designed for secondary schools girls across the country.

This curriculum enables the girls to focus on hands-on and practical learning thereby providing opportunities for
practical knowledge.

It also encourages girls to work in teams to build and create technology thus providing learning in a fun and engaging way.”

She explained that the SmartWoman Project of the government was a mobile service conceived to support the advancement, development and education of women via the ICT platforms.

She added, “This disparity in adoption of ICT by women and girls globally reveal a big gulf between women and men in the adoption of ICTs that needs to be bridged.

It is our hope that the effective implementation of these initiatives in schools across the country will go a long way in removing the barriers that discourage girls from embracing careers in ICTs.”

According to Johnson, her ministry will ensure that the Nigerian child has greater chances and opportunities in the ICT sector because of the immense contributions it can bring to their lives.

Courtesy: www.punchng.com

Isn't this essential?

An essential thing that should be present in any educational institution is a LIBRARY..... It basically consist of Books, the Personnel, the Building and the users.

What is so essential about it
We get information there anytime we need them

It allows for inquiry method of learning -where individuals learn all by themselves, when curious about something
It encourages accidental learning and enlarges the horizon of the learner
Allows for further research, questions, solutions
It boost the problem-solving instincts of our wards
It helps to foster intuitive thinking in the classroom


What does it take to have a library:

A spacious, well ventilated, well positioned and quiet room
A role of  nice and durable shelves arranged as letter 'U' or letter 'E' with spacious walkways
A librarian to oversee the library
Library organogram showing authority chain
Library assistant to check on library users if they are not breaking the library rules and regulations
Front desk personnel to keep records of everyone that come to use the library
Someone to always return used books to their rightful place neatly on the shelves
We need a neatly demarcated tables and individual chairs to encourage privacy in the library
Library rules and regulations, and air fresher
A photocopy machine to make copies of pages of books that the students needs information from
An air-conditoner, constant power supply
Another sections with computers and Internet service to access E-books, online books
A printer to also print some needed pages
Books, Encyclopedias, World books, World Record books, magazines in the library - for both the students/wards and the teachers
Teachers copy of textbooks  should be kept there, books on understanding an age range(toddlers, teenagers, pre-teens, etc)
One need to use a number code or letter code to code the way books are arranged on the books shelves
Have a plan to buy at least 2/5 books every 3months to update the library

While i was in school i loved the Library much than my classroom, i spent about 40% of my school hours in the library. I have been late to the classroom severally because i was in the library, i have missed classes because i was in the library.

Whenever i go into the library i am very curious, but when am leaving the library am more confident, my mind works faster,up my head is up because i now understand better.

The library was my hostel room in my school days, i wasn't leaving in the hostel, so when my friends where leaving the lecture premises for the hostel, i will also say am going to "my hostel" with a wink, with them knowing am going  the Library till its evening, before i leave for home.

I love Libraries! Am sure there are students/ wards in your school that their heart yearns for a school library and they don't have one......

Schools, learning does not only takes place in the classrooms only!