JAMB cut off mark drama continues (part 1)

The recent decision by JAMB on July 14th 2015 to reduce the cut off mark for students seeking admission into Nigerian Universities to 180 and 150 for those seeking admission into Polytechnics has generated a lot of reactions and drama.

Some students,parents and tertiary institutions welcomed the new marks because it will allow more students the opportunity to gain admission.

However, one school of thought is of the opinion that low entry mark will further lower the standard of education in Nigeria. They argue that this will cause the quality of education to deteriorate to a level where most graduates from Nigerian Universities will become unattractive to employers.

Some tertiary institutions showed their disagreement with the new cut off mark by setting their own   cut off marks. Shortly after JAMB's decision , University of Lagos announced that their cut off mark is 250 and this led to protests at UNILAG by aggrieved parents opposed to the 250 mark as it will disqualify a lot of prospective students. UNILAG has refused to rescind that decision.   

*Part 2 coming up...,'Does JAMB have the right to force tertiary institutions to admit candidates with 180 score whilst there are loads of candidates with scores ranging from 200 to 300?'  

Study in Leeds Beckett University UK,..Students' favorite University

Study in Leeds Beckett University in Leeds UK.

           Graduating class at Leeds Beckett University Leeds, UK

Food Engineering is an emerging career area/career path. BSc(Hon) Food Engr. 
The Food Industry is in dire need of Food Engineers for improved food operations. 
Acquire necessary skills required for improvement of food production engineering.
Learn how to facilitate, engineer and plan development of food from the farm to the plate.
Why not be part of this multi national industry with high demand for Food Engineers?

Contact F.C.Okafor & Associates, Education Lawyers & Consultants on 07040107876, enquiries@fcoa4edu.com for free application & Study Visa processing. 

*To comment, click on comment, click on 'comment as' arrow in the box, click on your preferred profile  (easiest one is Name/URL, click on it, write your name, if you have no URL, leave it blank), click on    continue, click on enter your comment box and leave your comment, then click on publish. Easy.

No Nigerian University in World's top 1000 Universities list.

The 2015 ranking for top 1,000 universities in the has been published by Centre for World University Rankings and no Nigerian University made the list again.

USA has 55 universities in the top 100 whilst UK has only 7!

African Universities that made the top 1000 list are Universities of Witwatersrand,Cape Town, Pretoria in South Africa. Ain Shams University, Mansoura University & Alexandria University in Egypt and University of Makerere in Uganda. 

The CWUR rates the universities by measuring the quality of education and training of students as well as the prestige of the faculty members and the quality of their research without relying on surveys and data submitted by universities.

CWUR stated that it uses 8 objective and robust indicators to rank the world's top 1000 universities. 

The 8 indicators are 1. Quality of education, 2. Alumni employment, 3. Quality of faculty, 4. Publications, 5. Influence, 6. Citations, 7. Broad impact, 8. Patents.

Let us hope that the promise of the new government to revamp the education sector will yield fruit and result in our seeing at least one Nigerian University in 2016 CWUR top 1000 Universities.

Win Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 Lite, tell me a folk tale(story) & win...

Samsung Galaxy Ace 4 Lite

Morning people, here is another chance for you to win this simple yet powerful phone.
Just tell me an original folk tale (story), three best folk tales will win three one phone each.
Best three will be selected on the 14th of August and the stories will be published on our blog.

How to participate,
1. Comment with your name.
2. Submit your folk tales (stories), not more than 1000 words, to  enquiries@fcoa4edu.com


*To comment, click on comment, click on 'comment as' arrow in the box, click on your preferred profile  (easiest one is Name/URL, click on it, write your name, if you have no URL, leave it blank), click on    continue, click on enter your comment box and leave your comment, then click on publish. Easy.

UK anti immigration rules targeting Students in FE Colleges/Studying in UK (2)

UK Home Office has come up with more harsh rules targeted at foreign students studying in the UK.

The new rules aim at preventing foreign students from attending Publicly funded FE colleges in UK.

From August 2015, students in publicly funded FE Colleges will no longer have the right to work part time, 10 hours a week .

Students at FE colleges will no longer be able to extend their visa to progress to university unless they are studying in colleges with formal link to universities.
In other words, International students in FE colleges without formal link to universities will have to head home on completion of their 'A'Levels or International Foundation Programmes.

Also, Tier 4 visas for FE study will be reduced from three to two years.
Of course, students can no longer apply for work permit from within UK on completion of their programmes, they must leave the country and apply from their country of residence for work permit.

What we have not been told is the fate of students caught up by these ill conceived rules.

Irish Government closes "Rogue Colleges"

In continuation of it's reforms of the student immigration rules, Irish government has closed over 15 which they claim are not fit for purpose. This led to displacement of over 3,000 international students.
The affected colleges were found wanting in these areas;
1. they admitted mostly international students, 
2. they charged unusually low fees which were clearly inadequate       to provide for the delivery of a high quality education, 
3. the programmes they offered were not accredited by Irish                 awarding bodies and 
4. they operated without adequate learner protection arrangements       and in particular, without any provisions to protect students             financially in the event of school closure.

They were also accused of only seeking to provide "rogue students" access to the Irish job market, using education as a cover.

In view of the above, I advice that students who wish to study in Ireland should check the Irish government's Interim List of 
Eligible Programmes (ILEP) and as we say in Nigeria, 

"Shine your eyes"

Educational Joke."..one dollar"

                             

Teacher: “If you had one dollar and you asked your father for  

                  another, how many dollars would you have?”    

Vincent: “One dollar.”

Teacher: “You don’t know your arithmetic.”

Vincent: “You don’t know my father.”

Educational Joke...."sign down the road"

Teacher: “Why are you late, Joseph?”

Joseph: “Because of a sign down the road.”

Teacher: “What does a sign have to do with you 
               being late?”

Joseph: “The sign said, ‘School Ahead, Go Slow!'”

Senator Ben Bruce's opinions on education

                                          

Education is key. A hungry man is hungry for a day but an uneducated man is hungry forever. Let's subsidize education not fuel #commonsense!

Almost 100% of Nigeria's elite became what they are through free education, yet after climbing up we removed the ladder that got us there!

The facts are clear. When education increases, crime reduces. When it drops, crime increases! Nigeria must invest in education #commonsense

If a nation won't spend her wealth educating her youth, that nation will spend the same wealth fighting insecurity amongst those same youth.

Do you agree?

Determined to be educated.

On the way to school                           

You simply have to admire the determination of these students to be educated against all odds.
Even if it means carrying heavy school desks and chairs to school every day, trekking for an hour or two under the hot sun, being stared at by onlookers, no shaking, they want to be educated.
Wait a minute, no body is taking notice of them, it's like it is normal in that area.

The main problem with this abnormal method of attending school is that by the time the students get to school they are so tired that their ability to assimilate is reduced.
For them to carry their desks and chairs to and from school, means that their parents paid for the items.
It is important that public schools are equipped with basic necessary items like desks and chairs. For this to be happening in this day and age is totally unacceptable.

Ministry of education, take note.

Britain to ban foreign students from working / Studying in UK (1)

The British Home Secretary, Theresa May, claims that UK Colleges are being used as a 'back door to a British work visa'. Therefore, they have churned out more discriminatory rules aimed at frustrating international students who wish to gain some work experience in UK after their studies.
Under the new rules,
>international students will be denied the right to work while in the   UK and will not be able to apply for visa extension when they         complete their course.
>Students must leave UK after completing their course.
>UK graduates who wish to utilise their newly acquired                     qualification to get some work experience, will have to go back to   their home countries and apply for work permit from their!!! 
>Also, if your work visa application is successful, the duration will   be for only two years then you have to pack your bags again and     head home.

It is unethical to deny students who have paid huge sums for their studies , thereby contributing in no small measure to UK economy, the opportunity to gain even six months work experience before leaving the country.
This is the unkindest cut of all.

***Watch this space next week for follow up on this topic.' Do you want to Study only or Study & Work in UK?'.... Some UK Universities offer several courses which come with one year work experience....

Prom, the red carpet event for teenagers.

Prom, the red carpet event for 2015 SSCE graduates is on. 

Beautiful Miss Oge Obed on prom night.There are mixed feelings on the appropriateness of Nigerian secondary schools allowing

their graduates to attend proms. Parents's views are divided on this issue.Some parents are of the opinion that prom is a western culture which is of no benefit to our teenagers, rather it exposes them to early attention from the opposite sex with attendant consequences.

Other parents do not have any problems with proms.The later group of parents see prom as a 'rite of passage' for their beloved teenagers for which they can spend any amount. 

This is what Mrs Tessy Agbai whose 16 year old daughter just graduated from one of the top secondary schools in Lagos. 

" I believe that students who have completed 6 years educational journey deserve to be celebrated. Prom is nothing but a high school banquet where teenagers get their first grown up experience.It provides us parents the opportunity to celebrate the end of our children's childhood and beginning of their adult life. My precious daughter had the most amazing prom night and she will treasure that for life". 

See more prom pictures after the cut.

Graduating class of 2015

Congratulations to all graduating class of 2015.
As you progress to next level, tertiary education, be mindful of how you utilise the new found freedom. Freedom to manage your time by your self is a big responsibility considering the amount of  free information available to you via the internet.
Do not allow this newly acquired freedom to make you lose focus, rather, apply your time responsibly.
Choose your careers, set your goals and work diligently towards achieving them and you will surely succeed. 
Aim to be a point of positive reference in order to make a positive difference. Others have done it and so shall you all.
I will be thrilled to post blogs on your success so keep me updated.
Here's wishing you all the best.

***Remember to send in your essay and stand a chance to win a Samsung phone. (check our archive / older posts)

Prom time Nigeria!!!

                                        

It is Prom season in Nigeria! Yes, it's a western culture so what? We copied it and it has come to stay so let's get used to it and no moaning!!!

It is time for fresh SSCE graduates to dress up in beautifully designed gowns, creatively crafted jewelries, platform & stiletto shoes, jewel encrusted clutch bags and of - course, with the young men in smart suits, hit the Ball Room for their Prom. 

This can be a trying time for parents , for they are obligated to provide the appropriate prom dress, suit and accessories. It is anxiety galore. In addition, the "correct" dress must be accompanied by exotic hair do, artificial nails and fake long eye lashes. 
It gets better, these energetic teenagers also have to attend After Prom Parties!

What is Prom? The word is short for promenade, which means formal introductory parading of guests at a party. It is an American teenage culture which dates back to the 1940s whereby co-ed high school teenage graduates dress up to the nines and attend Balls / Banquets.

It is not clear when this teenage culture crept into Nigeria but it is here big time.

Watch this space for prom prom pictures and updates from several Nigerian colleges.    
Meanwhile see some hot prom pictures after the cut.

Screen Addiction in kids, is it a medical condition?

Screen addiction

It's no secret that kids are some of the most technologically proficient people around, but is the potential addiction to entertainment media enough to be considered a clinical disorder? China says "yes" and has established media-free rehabilitation centers for children who have become hooked on video games.

While screen time with high-quality educational programs and imaginative, hobby-related content has been said to actually be beneficial for children in a lot of ways, "live action" games with a lot of simulation are being looked at closely, as they can alter a child's development and perspective.

As the hours spent with electronic media increase, the amount of time left over for human interaction dwindles considerably. It has turned into a full-on addiction for others, becoming a substitute for personal interactions during every free moment possible.

Kids need time to daydream, deal with anxieties, process their thoughts and share them with parents, who can provide reassurance."

Edu Joke "...same dog"

Teacher: “This essay on your dog is, word for word, 

               the same as your brother’s.”

Student: "Yes, sir, it is the same dog.”

Extorting from students is obtaining under duress

Students of most Nigerian public universities complain bitterly about the constant extortion of huge sums of money from lecturers for normal services which the students are entitled to free.
Some students from a university in Imo state complained that some lecturers ask them to pay 
to select project topic, for approval of their project topic, for supervision of their project and of course, handouts.
The students lament that they do not mind paying for handouts which has become a 'norm' in Nigerian higher institutions, but they do mind the other payments which range from =N=10,000 to =N=25,000 depending on how greedy the lecturer is for each 'service'.  

Come on! Is it not bad enough that these students have minimum learning resources available to them?
Is it not bad enough that they have to learn in most cases in environment not conducive for learning? 
What about the current harsh economic situation which we all are trying to cope with?

Representing Nigeria well. Nigerian emerges best First Class in Law at Cambridge University UK.

Celebrating Nigerian students in diaspora who                         represent the Nigeria well.                           
                              
24 year old Nigerian student, Oluwatobi Olasunkanmi has won the Cambridge University, UK William Charnley Prize for the best First Class in Law

The proud father, who is a former minister of youth development, 

Senator Akinlabi Olasunkami said, “Sincerely speaking, my joy is 

not only because he is my son but because he has represented 

Nigeria well by bringing a laurel which has manifested in the best 

First Class Prize in Law.”  

Yes o, it is always pleasant to see our young students doing well out there despite the usually undeserved bad names heaped on Nigerians.
Well done Oluwatobi, more grease to your elbows!!!  

Edu Joke "...give us back our teacher"

                                              
                                                           
While visiting a country school, the chairman of the 

Board Of Education became provoked at the noise 

the unruly students were making in the next room.


Angrily, he opened the door and grabbed one of the 

taller boys who seemed to be doing most of the 

talking. He dragged the boy to the next room and 

stood him in the corner.


A few minutes later, a small boy stuck his head in 

the room and pleaded, 

“Please, sir, may we have our teacher back?” Lol                                       

Study Skill (2) What is your learning style?

Many students do not know or use the best learning style(s) suitable for them and their grades suffer for that. 
Each student has a learning style whether or not they are conscious of it. 
To ascertain which learning style(s) most suitable for you, assessment of the effectiveness of your current learning methods is required.
Once you identify the learning style(s) most suitable and effective for you, it will enable you maximize your study period and improve your grades.

The main learning styles are:

Self study: refers to learners who prefer to study alone. They only reach out for assistance when they encounter problems.  

Group learners: refers to those who like learning in company of other learners and exchanging ideas. This style of learning is also known as social learning.

The other styles of learning include;
Hands on or kinesthetic learners which refers to those who learn by undertaking physical activities with their hands.

Auditory learning style refers to those who learn by listening to speeches, lectures, recorded materials.

Choosing a secondary school for your child.

Choosing a secondary school for your child.

What informs your decision when choosing a secondary school for your child?

T o help you choose the best school for your child, take the following into consideration;

*Look for schools that truly aim to educate the whole child by  
 offering a balanced intellectual, moral, social and physical 
 curriculum. 

*Check quality of the teachers. Are they qualified to teach the 
  subjects they teach?

*Confirm that the school organizes continuous teacher    
  training programmes for their teachers.The evolving  
  nature of education demands that teachers are continuously 
  trained.

*Find out if their learning facilities are up to date and 
  functional. 

Bullying, does your school have a policy? (1)

A child being bullied at school.

Bullying can best be described as repeated aggressive use of power to harm, intimidate, embarrass or control some one.
Bullying can be physical, social or verbal. It is number one non-academic issue in most schools yet a good number of school authorities choose to ignore it or pretend that they are not aware of it.

Bullying is a real menace which can have drastic effect on bullied students, these include;
1. children whoa are bullied will not reach their full potential in school
2.They will not reach their potential in the community.
3. They can kill themselves.
4. They can develop inferiority complex which may last throughout their life time.
5. They develop bullying tendencies at home and bully their siblings.
6. Death. In some extreme cases, the bullied commit suicide.

 It is our opinion that all schools should have policy on bullying and professional training on prevention and handling of bullying should be given to counselors.

Win Samsung Galaxy S7392. 2015 SS3 / WAEC / NECO GRADUATES only

Congratulations to SS3 students who just concluded their exams.
You are about to embark on a new journey...education on a higher level.
Do not be afraid, do not limit your self , remain focused and most importantly, believe in your self and you will be amazed what you can achieve.

To win this Samsung Galaxy Trend Lite S7392, write a 1000 words essay on your secondary school years.
Tell us the high and low points, your best and worst teacher and any life skills you learnt.
Send your essay to Enquiries@fcoa4edu.com

Best essay will be selected on the 27th of July 2015.

Also, leave a comment and stand a chance of winning =N=6,000 worth of recharge cards (=N=2,000 for three commenters, 1st, 10th and 20th commenters)

Good luck!

Child's Right to Education

Education is a right of the child.
Under the Child's Right Law parents and guardians are required to ensure that their children and wards are educated
It is compulsory for parents and guardians to enroll their children and wards for free primary education provided by the government.
The question is, if parents are complying with the compulsory primary education stipulated in the Child's Rights Law, why is there a huge number of children of school age roaming the streets during school hours, either selling wares or loafing around?

Who is responsible for monitoring and compliance? 
Education is the right of the child...allow the child to learn.

Edu Joke "..man talking to God"

A man talking to God:

Man: “God, how long is a million years?”
God: “To me, it’s a minute.”
Man: “God, how much is a million dollars?”
God: “To me it’s a penny.
Man: “God, may I have a penny?”
God: "Wait a minute"

Bino & Fino Nigerian Cartoon Update. Now showing on South African Airways Flights.

Bino & Fino, one of the first indigenous Nigerian cartoons is now showing in-flight on South African Airways flight, Lagos to South Africa.
Bino & Fino is a unique children's Educational cartoon which is gradually breaking through. It is educational, entertaining and fun. It is learning about African and Nigerian culture especially, in a fun filled way.

Bino & Fino has found its way into American primary schools!!! Watch this space for update.

Motivational Edu Quote

Very true.If a teacher does not have the passion to impart knowledge, students will not learn much.

JAMB's first Computer Based Test (CBT)

The first Computer Based Tests organised by Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for entrance into Nigeria's Universities and Polytechnics and Colleges of Education just came to an end. Prior to this, JAMB tests have been taken by the Pencil and Paper method.
This is a welcome development despite the alleged challenges experienced by some candidates.
Some of the challenges experienced by some candidates include
1. Delays caused by server failures, slow internet speed and power failure.
2. Change of venue without adequate notification
3. Change of exam date without adequate notification.
4. Verification of candidates started late.

However, the overall assessment of the maiden outing of JAMB's CBT is that it went well.Irespective of the challenges, JAMB deserves a pat on the back for moving with the time by introducing the CBT.In this computer age, it is important to keep abreast with our peers otherwise our students will be left behind.

Education Blog: 4edublog commences blogging

F.C.Okafor's Educational Blog,  4edublog.blogspot.com was officially launched on 1st of March 2015.

Our aim is that as you frequent our blog, you will consistently access useful educational information, participate in discussions of topical educational issues and take part in our monthly Price Winning Essay Competitions. ( PWEC )

To celebrate our birthday,01-03-15, we will give out;
1. one Android Tablet to the most active commentator,
2. One Nokia Asha 501 to the second most active commentator on Tuesday 31st of March.

We welcome you to our blog and encourage you to visit our blog frequently for interesting educational issues.



 

EDU JOKE "...divide 14 cubes.."

“Divide fourteen sugar cubes into three cups of coffee so that   
  each cup has an odd number of sugar cubes in it.”
“That’s easy: one, one, and twelve.”
“But twelve isn’t odd!”
“It’s an odd number of cubes to put in a cup of coffee…”

From African Higher Education Summit in Dakar

Highlights from African Higher Education Summit in Dakar Senegal-

There is need for transformative change in education - Dr Sall

Investment in knowledge is the best.

We need to have firm commitment on online teaching - Prof Diagne

 Governance & the rule of law cannot be left to the government alone - KofiAnnan

 We must direct our teaching system towards STEM - Prof Diagne

 Europe has shown us that u can have high education standards for free #Germany

No one is born a good citizen, education installs this in them - KofiAnnan

Quality Affordable Education for ALL.

This is President Obama's latest project aimed at providing affordable quality higher education for every student in the United States of America.
Obama does not make empty promises, neither does he talk cheap talk, thus, this Student Aid Bill of Rights will be passed in the a short while and students will start benefiting from it.

We in Nigeria also believe that every student deserves quality affordable higher education, but then, who will champion that cause and when? We need visionary leaders in the education sector who can revamp the sector, it is very possible. Our leaders please take note.

Prime Minister of UK to create 500 new schools.

David Cameron says he wants to create 500 more free schools in the next parliament.

The Prime Minister will suggest at a speech in London later today that the controversial programme has been a great success, amid criticism from teachers' unions and the Labour Party.
"If you vote Conservative, you will see the continuation of the free schools programme at the rate you’ve seen in the last three years," he will say.

Nigeria can do with more free schools at both primary and secondary schools. The overcrowded classrooms in Nigerian is a case in point.

#UpForSchool Petition

Dear Friends,

I just signed the campaign: Stand #UpForSchool - part of the #UpForSchool petition, because I know that education changes lives.

All over the world, children are missing out on the learning that would help protect them from poverty and give them the best chance of building the life they want for themselves.

It would mean the world to me if you could also add your name and stand #UpForSchool with me.

Every name that is added builds momentum around the campaign and makes it more likely for us to make the right to a basic education a reality for every child globally.

In 2015, we’ve got an opportunity to make sure that all children have the chance to get the education they need to thrive. If we succeed, we’ll soon live in a world where everyone can learn to read, write and master the skills most of us rely on every day.

Will you join me in making a message no government, politician or leader can ignore?

http://www.upforschool.org/petitions/stand-upforschool-2

After you've signed the petition please also take a moment to share it with others. It's super easy – all you need to do is forward this email.

Thank you!

Felicia

BUHARI'S PLEDGE ON EDUCATION

APC presidential candidate has pledged to provide on the job re-training opportunities for existing teachers at both basic and secondary levels, while providing the right incentives to keep teachers in the classrooms, and attract bright young men and women to take up career in teaching.

This is a noble pledge. However, it will be more believable if he can give an insight into how he intends to achieve these feats, like they say,-talk is cheap.
We all are very worried about the deplorable state of education in the country especially at basic and secondary levels. Thus such drastic revamping of the Education sector will be very welcome if and when it commences.

New Rules for Students intending to migrate to Canada

Canada introduced a new process called Express Entry this January for international students who graduate from Canadian Universities and Colleges wishing to remain permanently in Canada.
The rules are more stringent and make it more difficult for students to scale through the scrutiny and assessment.

Under the new programme, international students who have graduated from a Canadian institution are placed in a “pool” with other groups of skilled workers and prospective immigrants. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) then uses a standardised scoring scheme (the “Comprehensive Ranking System”) to determine which applicants to the pool will receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residency. Those who receive an ITA may then go on to complete the application process via one of several previously established immigration programmes.

63 million Nigerians are illiterate ?

2+2 ? em em em 5 ?

The Chairman of National Commission for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education (NMEC) Dr Esther Uduehi at International Literacy Day in Abuja stated that over 63 million Nigerians are illiterate.
She listed the main causes of illiteracy in Nigeria to include hunger, disease, maternal death, poverty, child mortality and

STUDY SKILL 1

Your memory tends to retain information more if you review a topic immediately after class or lecture and summarize key points whilst it is still fresh in your memory.

Top 50 Universities in Africa

From Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, this is their ranking for African Universities ;

TOP 50 AFRICAN UNIVERSITIES

ranking	World Rank	University	Det.	Country	Presence Rank*	Impact Rank*	Openness Rank*	Excellence Rank*
1	328	University of Cape Town			1039	568	352	267
2	462	Stellenbosch University			757	1120	214	454
3	474	Cairo University			760	449	1236	633
4	494	University of Pretoria			404	1247	162	608
5	563	University of the Witwatersrand			1383	1334	356	414
6	830	University of Kwazulu Natal			2013	1534	1349	559
7	855	University of Nairobi			330	2579	29	1400
8	1022	University of the Western Cape			1144	1827	990	1236
9	1050	American University in Cairo			1182	974	1149	2207
10	1074	University of South Africa			379	2131	465	1918
11	1167	Mansoura University			1423	1674	2878	1047
12	1178	University of Johannesburg			2544	3059	413	1004
13	1213	Makerere University			2177	3293	714	880
14	1341	Rhodes University			1622	1858	3122	1313