By Marie-Therese Nanlong
Over 100 students in two public schools in Jos South local government area of Plateau State have benefited from direct support for activities aimed at improving examination outcomes and improve transition to the world of skill-work in business, vocational and technical education.
The students from Government Science and Technical College, Kuru and Government Secondary School, Kanadap who are billed to participate in the September/October, 2020 National Business and Technical Examinations Board, NABTEB are to be supported in areas which would ensure they excel in the examination.
Speaking while issuing a cheque of N250,000.00 each to the two schools, Dr. Musa Umar of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS who disclosed the gesture is the idea of the development Research and Projects Centre, dRPC in collaboration with NIPSS and Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC to support technical and vocational education is also aimed at mitigating the negative impacts of COVID-19 on school system.
He noted the fund provided by Open Society Foundations is specifically to support “After school hours coaching, airtime for online coaching or for students to access recommended websites, purchase of past questions papers and answers, textbooks, purchase of COVID-19 protection materials such as hand sanitizers, tables and chairs to ensure physical distancing in classes among others.”
He warned that the gesture is not to support any activity associated with exam malpractices but seeks to assist schools with follow-up support to mentor school leavers in areas of business, vocation and technical education as Nigerians are eagerly looking forward to see “a Nigeria where we will not import everything, a Nigeria where we can produce our cars, television, all that we need and also export them.”
Umar added that the Nigeria of such dreams lies in the hands of the younger generations hence the need to support them to help achieve the feat.
Responding, the Principal of Government Science and Technical College, Nantim Larson and his counterpart in Government Secondary School, Kanadap, Martin Mancha appreciated the donors for the support and promised to use the fund for the intended purposes.
Earlier, the Area Director Jos South from the Ministry of Education, Mary Dongmuk expressed delight that the two schools are from her area and promised to monitor the use of the fund to achieve its aims so that other schools would in the future also get access and improve the standard of education and add value to the benefiting students.
