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

British Home Office announces new English language testing arrangements for UK Visas, including student visa.

The British Home Office announced on the 20h of February that from 6th of April, only English tests from Trinity College London (TCL) and IELTS will be accepted for UK visa applications that require formal English assessments.
TCL will offer English tests to students in the UK, while IELTS will administer the English language tests outside UK via 100 accredited test centres.
Pearson and City & Guild will continue to offer approved English testing services until 5th of April 2015. English tests taken from Pearson, City & Guild and Cambridge by 5th of April can be used to support visa applications until 5th November 2015.
According to Study Travel Magazine, IELTS currently has 1,000 test centres worldwide bu under the new rules, only around 10% of these will be initially approved.

These new rules begs the question, does IELTS have the capacity and ability to meet the demand for English tests worldwide?
Currently in Nigeria, there are only 7 IELTS test centres in -

A good Education

"A good education can lift you from the most humble circumstaces into a life you never imagined" Michelle Obama

Very true. There are so many successful people who came from very humble backgrounds.
If you are one of the success stories, tell us your story to motivate others in such circumstances.

#Let Girls Learn, President Obama & Michelle's initiative.

President Obama and the First Lady Michelle have revealed their plan to expand their efforts to help adolescent girls worldwide attend and stay in school through the Let Girls Learn initiative. USAID has been working hard for decades to give girls around the world the education they deserve. 

Through Let Girls Learn, USAID will focus on increasing access to quality education,reducing barriers to success and empowering adolescent girls.USAID.

On the Let Girls Learn initiative, President Obama and Michelle said;

President Obama-" We want to make sure that no girl out there is denied her chance to learn"

Michelle Obama -" I want to use my time and platform as First Lady and beyond to make a real impact"

With all the issues they have to take care of in US,  they still have time to work towards providing education for adolescent girls around the world. We down here should take a cue from them.

The secret in Education

Top 50 Universities in Nigeria

According to Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, this is the list of top 50 Universities in Nigeria. 

 

Ranking in Nigeria ( world ranking ) Name of University

1 (1401) Covenant University Ota
2 (1791) Obafemi Awolowo University
3 (2310) University of Ibadan
4 (2597) University of Lagos
5 (2742) University of Ilorin
6 (3424) University of Agriculture Abeokuta
7 (3599) Ahmadu Bello University
8 (3872) Federal University of Technology Akure
9 (4022) Landmark University
10 (4100) University of Nigeria
11 (4462) University of Benin

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. 

*Check the number of students in one class & no of teachers to 
  a class.

*Check if the school has trained counselors to handle 
  emotional issues and offer pastoral care.

Extra smart 19 yr old Nigerian, Saheela Ibraheem meets Obama.

Saheela Ibraheem was amongst the special guests hosted by US President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama on the 26th of February 2015 to mark the "Back History Month".
Saheela is on the list of  World's Top 50 gifted  teenagers.She is studying Neurobiology at Harvard University and will graduate in May 2015.

According to The Leadership, President Obama commended Saheela by saying: “There are a lot of teenagers in the world. Saheela is like one of the 50 smartest ones. That’s pretty smart. And she’s a wonderful young lady. She’s like the State Department and the National Institute of Health all rolled into one. And we are so proud of your accomplishments and all that lies ahead of you. And you reflect our history. Young people like you inspire our future.”  

 

Well done Saheela.