Winner of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Economics Sciences, Prof. Michael Kremer has applauded the teaching methodology underpinning Edo Basic Education Sector Transformation (EdoBest).

Kremer, an American development economist and professor in Economics and Public Policy at the University of Chicago, U.S.A., says EdoBest delivered impressive learning outcomes.

He made the declaration in his report after his ground-breaking study into the EdoBest methodology developed by NewGlobe, an education technical partner.

A copy of the report was made available on Tuesday in Benin.

The don stated that the learning gains in the technology-based innovative teaching and learning technique, were among the “largest ever measured in international education’’.

He stated also that the education methodology that started in Kenya before Nigeria, found that primary and middle school pupils gained almost an additional year of learning (0.89) under the integrated methodology.

This, he added, implied that beneficiaries learned in two years what their peers learned in nearly three.

“The impact is among the greatest of any rigorously studied intervention in emerging markets.

“For Early Childhood Development pupils, the gains were even times bigger.
“Those pupils gained almost an additional year-and-half of learning (1.48); learning in two years what their peers in other schools learned in three-and-a-half years,’’ he stated.

The findings, which were published by the University of Chicago, reported that a pupil in Primary One (approximately 7 years old) was three times more likely to be able to read when taught using the method.

“Assuming similar impacts over the course of a student’s primary schooling, those in NewGlobe supported schools would receive 53 per cent more education over the course of their early childhood and primary school career,’’ Kremer said in the report.

The NewGlobe’s methodology was adopted in Edo primary school system in 2018, gaining support of the World Bank because of the impressive outcomes.

Gov. Godwin Obaseki extended the education reform to Junior Secondary Schools in 2021, including the schools in the hard-to-reach areas, popularly referred to as progressive schools.

The integrated approach to teaching and learning is now being embraced by Kwara under the name KwaraLEARN, and Lagos, EkoEXCEL.

The Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has commenced a-three-day workshop to develop the capacity of African students at the Pan African University Life and Earth Science Institute  (PAULESI).

The workshop co-hosted by FIFA,  PAULESI and University of Ibadan was  held at the PAULESI permanent site in Ibadan on Tuesday.

The Head of Development Program Africa FIFA member Association Division, Solomon Mudege said the workshop was putting in place the MoU that was signed with African Union, FIFA and Confederation of African Football (CAF) focusing on education, anti corruption and stadium safety.

“So we decided to get on PAULESI which happens to be the academic arm of the African Union especially the Pan African University, in this campus where they do sports management.

“We decided to work together to do something for the students to build up their capacity and we are honoured to be here because the students are from different parts of the world; such as Egypt, Nigeria, Somalia, Sudan, and so on and based in this institution.

“So we felt that the impact of what we are  doing  will be speaking to the African continent and playing our part in training future sports administrators in Africa,” he said.

Mudege stated that the purpose of the workshop was to build up the knowledge and allow the students to interact with some of the people who are involved in football development on the African continent.

In her address, the Director PAULESI, Prof. Titilayo Akinlabi said the MoU was signed to encourage sports on the African continent.

“We literally keyed into the implementation of part of what is in the MoU which touches on human capital development of people in the field sports on the African continent.

“And because PAULESI has the MSc Sport programme in Sports management and policy development wherein we take in students on annual basis for the programme so  we are working in collaboration with FIFA to host the workshop.

“This is to bring on board what FIFA stands for and synergies on how we  can bring in more activities on the African continent,” she said.

Also, a Professor of Sports Psychology, UI  and Coordinator Sports Management and Policy Development PAULESI, Olufemi Adegbesan said the impact would be in terms of future collaboration.

This he said will be in terms of development of football academy on this campus, opportunities of internship with FIFA for students of PAULESI as well as scientific collaboration on research among others.

The workshop includes training on Sports  psychology, sociology, sports culture, anti-coruption among others with facilitators from FIFA and CAF.

Teachers in Nigeria’s colleges of education have declared a four-week warning strike over alleged failure of the federal government to resolve some of its pending demands with it.

Among the issues are alleged failure of the federal government to constitute its own team and commence renegotiation of FGN-COEASU 2010 Agreement “in spite of all entreaties of the union; Non-release of N15billion approved out of the N456,599,691,914.18Billion revitalization fund recommended for both Federal and State Colleges of Education contrary to repeated promises of the government and the non –implementation of 2014 Needs assessment report in colleges of education.”

Others are,”Non –payment of outstanding promotion arrears from 2016 to date;non – payment of responsibility allowance to Librarian in colleges of education;Non -implementation of the consequential effect of the implementation of CONTISS15 on Lower Cadre(a.k.a. Migration) since 2018;poor funding of colleges of education and poor conditions across state-owned colleges of education especially in Ogun, Kwara, Abia, Kogi, Kaduna, Zamfara, Yobe, Oyo, Benue, Edo and Ebonyi states;federal government’s recalcitrant insistence on IPPIS against more reliable alternative of UTAS that captured the peculiarity of tertiary institutions and the refusal of the federal government to mainstream demonstration school staff in the payroll of the colleges.”

The teachers, operating under the aegis of Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union,COEASU,said the resolution to proceed on immediate strike was reached at the National Executive Council,NEC meeting held at Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, Delta State on Friday, 10th June, 2022.

COEASU’s position declaring the strike was contained in a communique signed by its president,Dr. Smart Olugbeko and General Secretary, Dr. Ahmed Lawan Bazza, following its National Executive Council,NEC,held at Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, Delta State on Friday, 10th June, 2022.

The group said its NEC “received with utter disappointment the continued inaction of government on the lingering issues in spite of the union’s lengthy perseverance and uncommon disposition towards alternative dispute resolution.”

Expressing disappointment over the government’s action, COEASU, said at the meeting, “It was considered more worrisome that the FG has failed to reciprocate the patience of COEASU which was underpinned by concern for the plight of the students and the system since December 5th 2018, when the last strike action was suspended.”

“After extensive deliberations and dispassionate assessment of the series of engagements of National Officers’ Council with Government officials and critical stakeholders, NOC, while appreciating these efforts and promising disposition of relevant authorities including the Honourable Minister of Education, resolved that only desired results through tangible action by Government would have been enough to prevent industrial action as the union’s ultimatum lapsed on Monday, 6th June, 2022,”the communique read.

At the Asaba meeting, COEASU said it’s NEC “unanimously resolved that the total strike action suspended by the union in December 2018 be resumed immediately for four weeks in the first instance.

“NEC shall reconvene after the four weeks strike action to re-assess the level of government’s commitment on the issues for appropriate decision on way forward thenceforth,”it said.

Other resolutions at the meeting were that every chapter congress across the federation should convene on Tuesday, 14th June, 2022 to adequately inform the Congress on the commencement of the strike action due the festering issues and the status of inaction leading to the industrial action;Leadership of the union at all levels (National, Zonal and Chapter) should embark on emphatic media campaign towards seamless public awareness on the issues leading to the strike action and that the strike action shall be total and all members of the academic staff in all Colleges of Education (both Federal and State) must withdraw from all statutory duties without exemption.

Also, there were resolutions that all state-owned colleges already on industrial action to press home local demands should impress on their respective Managements that the local strike shall continue in the unexpected event that their local issues remain unresolved by the end of the nation wide strike and that vice presidents/zonal coordinators shall monitor the compliance of chapters in their respective zones while defaulting chapters shall be prevented from enjoying the gains of the struggle and earn themselves other sanctions as NEC shall deem applicable based on normal union regulations pertaining to collective

A Norwich university of the Arts climbed 30 places and into the top 60 universities in the UK Complete University Guide for 2023 reaching 54th place after placing at 84 last year.

Meanwhile, the University of East Anglia (UEA) fell five places from 22nd in the 2022 guide to 27th in 2023.

The table, devised by educational guidance company, IDP Connect, aims to help students make the right decision when choosing a university, by ranking establishments on entry standards, student satisfaction, research quality and graduate prospects among other categories.

CEO of IDP Connect, Simon Emmett, said with more prospective students actively researching their options each year, the 2023 Complete University Guide league tables will serve as an important guide.

He expressed belief that these rankings help the students make the right decisions as they consider their next steps into higher education.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has inaugurated anti-corruption clubs in 68 public and private secondary schools in Osun state to stem the tide of corrupt practices in the country.

Addressing journalists during the inauguration at Ataoja School of Science Hall, Osogbo on Tuesday, Chairman of the anti-graft Commission, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye, SAN, said the step will afford the commission to actively engage youths in tackling corruption.

Represented by Osun State Resident Anti-corruption Commissioner, BabaAlaro Shu’aib, Owasanoye, said the commission in its bid to eliminate the social vices has, between 2003 and 2022 inaugurated the anti-corruption clubs in over 2000 schools across the federation.

“It is a great pleasure to address this important occasion of the official inauguration of anti-corruption clubs in 68 Secondary Schools in Osun State. To the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), formation of anti-corruption clubs in Secondary Schools is a very important strategy in the fight against corruption. It gives the Commission the opportunity to engage the youths actively in the fight against corruption by inculcating in them sound moral values so that they can grow up with zero tolerance for corruption.

“Between 2003 and now, ICPC has launched over 2000 anti-corruption clubs in both public and private Secondary Schools across the 36 States of the Federation and Abuja.
The overall objective of forming anti-corruption clubs among Secondary School students is to inculcate positive values in them at their formative age (catch them young). It is expected that as they grow up and assume positions of responsibility, these youths would have imbibed zero tolerance for corruption and other social vices”.

Also, speaking at the programme which was organised in collaboration with the State Ministry of Education and State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Osun state’s Commissioner for Education, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ademola Adelani, said corruption denies student access to quality education, healthcare, hence, the stressed the importance of the club in helping catch the students’ young in a bid to eradicate corruption in the country.

“The clubs activities should not only be restricted to schools, it should also extend to their various communities and homes so the message can spread faster”, he said