State’s education department says Rhode Island will improve the way students are taught to participate in the political process in order to resolve a federal lawsuit over whether public school students have a constitutional right to a civics education.

The department said both sides in the suit have come to an agreement on how to strengthen Rhode Island’s civics education.

The plaintiffs’ lead counsel, Michael Rebell, had been planning to ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case— Friday was the deadline to do so.

Rebell said they are hopeful that civics education will be greatly strengthened in Rhode Island and it will serve as a model for other states.

Lawyers for Rhode Island public school students and parents sued the governor and education officials in federal court in 2018 arguing that the state was not preparing young people to fully participate in civic life and asked the federal court to confirm the constitutional right of all public school students to a civics education.

U.S. District Judge William Smith in Providence dismissed the lawsuit, ruling that while it is clearly desirable, and even essential, for citizens to understand their civic responsibilities, it is not something the U.S. Constitution contemplates or mandates.

But he warned of a “democracy in peril” and commended the students for bringing the case, which he said “highlights a deep flaw in our national education priorities and policies.”

The plaintiffs asked the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston to reverse that ruling. They argued that a judicial declaration of a constitutional right to an adequate civics education was urgently needed, in light of the events of January 6, 2021 at the U.S. Capitol.

The defendants told the appellate court that binding legal precedent has established there is no fundamental right to education under the Constitution.

The court upheld Smith’s ruling in January.

Rebell said then that only the Supreme Court can resolve the ambiguities in the case law regarding students’ rights to civic education and they would make their case there, on behalf of all public school students.

Rhode Island’s education department now plans to establish a civics education task force that will include some of the student plaintiffs and their counsel, to advise the state on how to better prepare students to be involved, capable citizens in a democratic and civil society.

As part of the agreement, the plaintiffs will not petition the Supreme Court.

Governor Dan McKee signed legislation last year to require public school students to demonstrate proficiency, as defined by districts, in civics education and do at least one civics project, starting in 2022-23.

The board of executive directors of the World Bank has approved US$44 million for Guyana Strengthening Human Capital through Education Project.

The project will focus on expanding access to quality education at the secondary level, as well as improving technical and vocational training (TVET) to meet the needs of the labor market.

The funding aims to prepare Guyanese citizens to excel in emerging sectors of the economy including climate-resilient agriculture, low-carbon technology, and digital development.

According to World Bank Resident Representative for Guyana and Suriname, Diletta Doretti, Guyana is investing heavily in its citizens, with education and vocational training playing a key role as the country is at a key juncture of its growth.

Doretti said the project complements other education initiatives that the World Bank is supporting, as the government is working to ensure that more people can acquire the needed skills to benefit from the ongoing economic transformation.

Activities under the project are expected to benefit at least 60,744 students and 2,128 teachers and principals at the secondary level.

At the TVET level, a minimum of 600 students and 140 secondary and post-secondary TVET trainers will benefit from professional development activities.

The project will support the piloting and national rollout of a new curriculum for grades 7-9, which emphasizes environmental stewardship and climate change, integrated into social studies and science for grades 7 and 9. The project will also finance textbooks for grades 7-11 to support the rollout of the new curriculum and the urgent need for learning recovery following the pandemic.

Increased support for teachers and principals which includes training teachers on the new curriculum and how to teach students with different needs – including students with disabilities, is also envisioned under the project.

Other interventions include the coaching and mentoring of teachers to support continuous professional development and the development and implementation of an instructional leadership and managerial program for principals.

In light of the learning losses caused by the pandemic lockdown measures, project activities will include establishing an early warning system to help teachers and principals identify and support students at risk of dropping out.

General secondary schools will also be built or rehabilitated to improve the learning environment for students, as well as improving infrastructure and access to education for all students.

The project will also support technical and vocational training, which will include transferrable skills to equip students for a changing labor force, including digital competency skills.

It will strengthen the enabling environment for TVET and improve the quality and relevance of training options.

The project includes encouraging apprenticeship, a digital platform providing information on training opportunities, and the preparation of a new TVET policy that will set the direction for the sector’s medium- to long-term development.

Liberian President George Weah brought joy to many when he announced at the 31st Graduation ceremony of African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E) Zion University, that he will pay the graduation fee for all 356 graduates.

Each of the 356 graduates was to pay US$450 which means the President will have to pay US$160,200 in fulfillment of his promise.

While giving the keynote address at AME Zion University 31st Convocation program, the Liberian President told graduates to work hard, adding that success will not come to the graduates if they rest on what they have achieved.

According to the President, after adequate preparation, success will only come to those who are dedicated and disciplined enough to do the work.

After the President’s speech, a faculty of the institution announced that a significant portion of the graduates were still owing graduation fees.

The President then sent a message to the faculty giving the announcement, that he will pay all 356 graduates’ graduation fees.

President Weah, according to record, has been the first President to pay all graduation for under-graduate level. The move by the President comes after he paid for all students from the University of Liberia graduate school.

In March 2022, President Weah paid the amount of $55,800 to the University of Liberia authorities through the president of the class to cover all the expenses for 124 students who graduated from various disciplines.

Also, at the event, President Weah was honored for what the university terms as his outstanding contributions, and achievements to humanity and society.

Tertiary Education Trust Fund, (TETFund), has approved the setting up of a research secretariat for enhanced partnership between the government, private sector and academic institutions in the country.

Executive Secretary of TETFund, Sonny Echono, who revealed this in Abuja, said the initiative would foster economic and social development in a knowledge-based economy.

While receiving a delegation from the Nigeria Economic Summit Gorup (NESG) led by its Chief Executive Officer, Laoye Jaiyeola, the Executive Secretary said that the Research Secretariat would be domiciled in NESG.

Echono noted that the move was part of the synergy-building efforts by the National Universities Commission (NUC) and TETFund under its policy of the triple helix approach to research which is anchored on the government,  academia and industry partnership.

The TETFund boss further stated that the partnership was meant to ensure that Nigerian institutions become more relevant to the society, national development aspiration,  the needs of industry, solving problems, and generally improving the lifestyles and standard of living of Nigerians.

He described NESG as the policy arm or coordinating group for the Nigerian private sector, stressing that the partnership with NESG is imperative to drive the concept of employability for graduates, improve curriculum delivery in institutions, make graduates of institutions more relevant to the workplace and the work opportunities of tomorrow.

The TETFund boss also urged NESG to provide a work plan and specific timeline as well as the requirements, deliverables and targets to commence the implementation of the policy direction and objectives.

Meanwhile, the CEO of NESG, Laoye Jaiyeola, recalled that talks about the partnership began in 2018, stressing that all the issues that necessitated the partnership were still germane and relevant.

While calling for the setting up of the secretariat, he said it would not only be a platform for NESG, but also for the private and public sectors and civil society organisations as well as for everyone to  be able to sit together and look at issues as they relate to the country.

The Federal Government has threatened to withdraw licences of Universities, Colleges of Education, Polytechnics and other tertiary institutions operating below prescribed standards by law.

This comes as the Senior Staff Union in Colleges of Education, Nigeria (SSUCOEN), called on the Federal Government to ensure the immediate release of the N15 billion revitalization fund approved for Colleges arising from the NEED Assessment exercise.

Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, gave the warning in Abuja when he met with a delegation from SSUCOEN, led by the President of SSUCOEN, Comrade Danladi Ali Msheliza,
over lingering and “disturbing” issues affecting members of the Colleges of Education sector.

He was responding to a comment by the SSUCOEN President about the poor state of some state-owned Colleges of Education across the country and that if it was not for Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) intervention, most of the Colleges would have been moribund.

He vowed to withdraw licences of the tertiary institutions that were substandard and found to have deviated from the mandates for which licences were issued to them.

The Minister promised that necessary steps would be taken to ensure the release of the N15 billion revitalisation fund to Colleges, just as he disagreed with the SSUCOEN President on the assertion that Colleges of Education were being segregated.

While responding on the issue of the ban of Staff Demonstration Schools, Adamu said the government would look into it, based on the explanation that the Colleges of Education Staff Demonstration Schools are a requirement for graduating students.

He also pledged that all the issues raised would be given due consideration and expeditious response.

The SSUCOEN President had earlier called on the Federal Government to ensure the immediate release of the N15 billion revitalization fund approved for Colleges arising from the NEED Assessment exercise.

He also demanded the resumption of the stalled renegotiation of the 2010 FGN/SSUCOEN Agreement.

He accused the Federal Government of segregating against Colleges of Education, while noting that the Government had commenced renegotiation of agreements reached with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), leaving out Colleges of Education.

Msheliza, however, commended the Federal Government for payment of arrears of Minimum wages for Colleges of Education Staff, affirming all members of the Union have received their payment.

He called on the Minister of Education to intervene in ensuring the restoration and mainstreaming of the staff of Demonstration Schools in Colleges of Education, saying the Federal Government had erroneously stopped funding the schools because they were referred to as private schools.

Msheliza argued that the Colleges of Education Staff Demonstration Schools are a requirement for graduating students of primary Education studies (PES) and Early Childhood care education (ECCE).

He also called for the reconstitution of the Governing Councils of Colleges of Education while also pushing for quick passage of the Colleges of Education Amendment Act, which is said to have passed through 3rd reading in the National Assembly.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has allegedly rejected a popular radio host’s intervention to end the ongoing strike.

ASUU has been on strike since February and all efforts to make lecturers return to the classrooms have not yielded results.

On Saturday morning, host of the radio programme, Ahmad Isah, popularly known as Ordinary President, invited ASUU president, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, and his team, to explain to Nigerians the perennial problems and state why the union is still on strike.

Isah also said he had set up a special intervention bank account domiciled in TAJ Bank to raise funds for the union, with a view to ending the strike.

Apparently to convince ASUU to buy into the idea of the intervention, Isah publicly showed the N50 million cash donated by Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State.

Immediately the money was displayed, ASUU President frowned at the development, saying they should not be associated with such.

At that point, Isah threatened to discontinue the intervention and many Nigerians who phoned in during the programme described ASUU as ”insensitive”.

The striking lecturers’ demands include, funding of the revitalisation of public universities, Earned Academic Allowances, University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) and promotion arrears.

Others are the renegotiation of 2009 ASUU-FG Agreement and the inconsistency in Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System.

In an interview last month, Osedeke told local media that none of these demands had been met by the Federal Government.

The ASUU president also cited government’s refusal to accept UTAS which he said had been tested and passed with a scored 99.3 per cent.

Osedeke urged the Federal Government to do the needful in order for students to return to school.