By Anu Smith
The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Nigeria, seeks collaboration with parents, guardians and religious leaders to address the rising social vices and combat all forms of malpractice.
The National President, of NAPPS, Chief Abayomi Otubela stated this in Ibadan on Wednesday at the NAPPS International Conference and Exhibition, (NICE), Oyo 2022.
The conference has the theme: “Revamping Africa Education for Sustainable Development: Private Education Perspective”.
He noted the importance of collaboration among stakeholders to groom young ones with high-level moral standards.
“Reading enriches our curriculum in nurturing future leaders, we will strongly advocate the rejigging of the curriculum for the inclusion of Leadership education in our educational curricula right from the primary school level.
“Also, students in primary and secondary schools should be introduced to conducting research into solutions to problems in their environment.
“This will enhance their ability to think critically to become problem solvers. We feel this will be a wise step which can augur well in building leaders who are ready to take up future responsibilities,” Otubela said.
The national president stated that the security situation in the world in the last few years has become worrisome and in particular, regarding the rising insecurity in the country.
“We implore both the state and federal governments to increase security around schools to stem the tide of kidnappings within the school environment.
“While we, as a responsive association, have continued to engage stakeholders in security matters to fortify security around schools, relevant stakeholders must come together to fashion out how to combat the security challenges bedevilling schools including both public and privately owned.
“Continuous training on the job must be prioritised for teachers in public and private schools in the face of advancing technology to boost their morale and also enhance job performance,” Otubela said.
In his address, Commissioner for Education, Mr Rahman Abduraheem who was represented by Mr Delani Binuyo, Permanent Secretary and Inspector General of Education noted the efforts of the state government in repositioning the education sector.
“Teaching profession should not be seen as the last resort to take care of joblessness.
“However, it gladdens my heart that as proprietors, you have volunteered your time and resources towards improving the lives of others and preparing them for useful living within society and higher education.
“The choice of theme “Revamping Africa Education for Sustainable Development: Private Education Perspective” which is in line with the focus of UNESCO, Education for Sustainable Development is UNESCO’s education sector response to the urgent and dramatic challenges the planet faces,” he said.
