African parliaments have been challenged to use their responsibility in passing national budgets to ensure more resources are channelled towards funding education. This was said by parliamentarians attending a workshop on education at the ongoing third session of the Sixth Pan African Parliament here yesterday.

The workshop was held in line with the AU's theme for 2024: "Educate an African fit for the 21st century. Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality and relevant learning in Africa."

In his remarks, PAP president Chief Fortune Charumbira acknowledged the improvements in funding education by lower middle-income countries. "National budgets now account for 88 percent of school meals financing, up from 55 percent in 2013.

CASIO Middle East and Africa FZE, the regional subsidiary of CASIO Computer Co., Ltd., the leading education technology company, has announced the launch of an exclusive edition calculator, fx-9910NG PLUS 2nd Edition, specifically designed for Nigeria.

The innovative calculator which was unveiled today at an event at the Black Diamond Hotel in Lagos, combines basic calculation with advanced functionalities, including differential calculation, integrations, complex numbers, matrix and vector calculations, and many others.

“Following the successful training program for 1,200 teachers on the usage of calculators with Inquiry-Based Learning, we are thrilled to deepen our footprint in Nigeria by introducing the fx-9910NG PLUS 2nd Edition calculator,” said Mr. Takashi Seimiya, the Managing Director of CASIO Middle East and Africa FZE.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr Jamiu Alli-Balogun, has said the use of technology will significantly enhance teaching and learning. He added that technology would foster innovation and problem-solving in the Nigerian classroom, saying this aligned with the ministry’s vision to revolutionise education in Nigeria.

During an interview with our correspondent, Alli-Balogun stated, “Our classrooms must be equipped with the tools and resources necessary to prepare our students for success in the 21st century.” Alli-Balogun also emphasised the state’s commitment to technological inclusion by training and empowering teachers with necessary skills and tools.

“Education leadership is the foremost variable to be considered before any change can take place; willingness is the first thing. We prioritized training our teachers because we can’t isolate ourselves from global practices. We introduced EkoExcel and other facilities where learners can learn effectively and teachers can teach more effectively.”

Teesas is an African-focused EdTech firm currently operating in Nigeria and Kenya that is delivering curriculum-aligned educational content via web/mobile applications and technology-enabled learning centres to develop the total child. Teesas Education has said developing leadership skills in children positively impacts their transformation.

As such, Teesas brought together owners of leading schools, top school managers, and stakeholders in Nigeria’s education sector to discuss leadership development in children with a focus on the transformative theme, the ‘Leader in Me’ program.

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Teesas Education, Mr Osayi Izedonmwen, introduced the Teesas Leader in Me program which the company delivers in partnership with FranklinCovey Education. The event included a panel discussion themed, Implementing Socio-Emotional Leadership Development in Schools Using Leader in Me.

MTN Nigeria has said it will revolutionise education in Nigeria through the implementation of digital learning initiatives. As such, it brought together different stakeholders in the education sector to discuss and foster collaborative idea generation to enhance digital learning for pupils.

Speaking at engagement, founder of Passnownow.com and lead consultant of #MTNFGDonED, Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, described education as the cornerstone of national development. She stressed the necessity for concerted efforts among stakeholders to create value and find solutions to educational challenges.

“With our mobile phones, we want to completely revolutionise how we deliver learning in a seamless way to the Nigerian child. MTN wants to work in the digital space to co-create and transform its approach to delivering education,” she stated.

Ethiopia is finalizing preparations to apply a blended learning approach in TVET institutions by combining conventional learning with online education shortly, the Ministry of Labor and Skills (MoLS) announced. Capacity building for modernizing Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) pedagogy in Ethiopia (MOPEDE) project final dissemination workshop was held yesterday.

On the occasion, MoLS State Minister Teshale Berecha (PhD) said that the TVET system has been highly disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak and other problems. “We have great aspirations to build resilient TVET institutions in Ethiopia that can respond to any kind of manmade and natural disasters,” he said.

According to him, the government has been working to modernize the TVET training system. In the 21st century, the face-to-face learning method alone fails to meet a TVET goal that’s why the government is introducing the blended learning approach, critically important for the TVET system for integrating the conventional learning system with virtual options.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said governors are establishing state universities they cannot fund. The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Emmanuel Osodeke stated this in an interview on Channels Television on Thursday.

According to the ASUU President, most governors duplicate universities in their states to get a piece of the pie from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). He said, “Any governor today establishing a university is eyeing TETFund as a source of funding.”

Osodeke said though TETFund is supposed to be an intervention fund for public universities, politicians and civil servants have been using the fund as a cash cow to be milked dry through shady procurement processes and contract fraud.

The Lagos State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) in collaboration with Nurture House Consulting, recently inducted 1000 newly recruited teachers into the Post Primary School across the State.

Declaring the induction programme, themed: “Empowering Educators for Outstanding Learner Performance” opened, the Chairman, Lagos State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM), Mrs. Victoria Mopelola Peregrino congratulated the inductees on their appointment into the Teaching Service of Lagos State.

According to the Chairman, “The induction is to provide you the opportunity to be integrated and equipped with requisite skills that will not only take you through your new career paths but will, more importantly, turn you into resourceful individuals, who will, in the years ahead, contribute meaningfully to the progress of education in the State”.

Stanbic IBTC Insurance, a subsidiary of Stanbic IBTC Holdings says its newly launched education endowment plan is to make children education funding easy for parents and guardians and also to prevent school dropouts in the country.

The Chief Executive of the company, Mr Akinjide Orimolade, stated this at a recent media interactive forum in Lagos where the product was officially unveiled to the public. According to him, the education endowment plan empowers parents and guardians to secure the academic future of their children and wards.

He explained that the company officially launched the product to raise awareness about the importance of investing in education across levels as a means for many to escape ignorance and poverty.

The Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) has unveiled a reviewed professional standard for school leadership in basic and secondary education, to improve the quality of education in the country.

Tahir Mamman, the minister of education, said the standards serve as a comprehensive framework designed to support and enhance the effectiveness of school leadership, providing a clear pathway for professional growth and institutional success.

The minister said the professional standards for school leadership were anchored on key principles that reflect the core values, including integrity and ethical leadership, instructional leadership, inclusive leadership, collaborative, innovative and visionary leadership.

Each year, the AU adopts a theme to highlight a particular problem the continent faces and work together towards a solution. The theme for the year 2024 is ‘Education Fit for the 21st Century: Building resilient education systems for increased access to inclusive, lifelong, quality and relevant learning in Africa’.

The education theme underscores the importance of education for the continent, especially as a catalyst for growth and socioeconomic transformation. The theme also aligns well with the aspirations of African Agenda 2063, and one of the core pillars of Access Bank’s social responsibility.

In furtherance of its commitment to education, Access Bank has recently made a very significant investment in African education, empowering over 90,000 children across 20 states in Nigeria and five other African countries with financial literacy skills, comprehensive training, and promoting early savings habits, demonstrating its commitment to financial inclusion and securing a brighter future for the next generation.

“Education must never be a target. This comprehensive study underscores the urgent need for action to safeguard students and teachers in conflict zones.” ~ECW Executive Director Yasmine Sherif
On average, eight attacks on education or cases of military use of schools were recorded daily around the world in 2022 and 2023.

In conflicts around the world – from Afghanistan to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the State of Palestine to Ukraine and Burkina Faso – schools have increasingly become targets rather than safe havens. This is the alarming trend revealed in the timely ‘Education Under Attack 2024’ report, launched today by the Global Coalition to Protect Education from Attack (GCPEA).

In 2022-2023, GCPEA identified around 6,000 reported attacks on education and cases of military use of schools and universities. With more than 10,000 students and educators killed, injured, abducted, arrested or otherwise harmed during these attacks, one thing is clear: urgent action is needed to protect children and education.