South East Governor’s Forum Media Director, other educationists orientate students on great future
Director Media and Communication, South East Governors’ Forum, Chief Mike Ike Udah has advocated for a functional education that is result and employment oriented in this 21st Century.
Udah was worried that rather than a situation graduates would be churned out without job opportunities and cannot either start up anything, education that is skill oriented should be promoted.
Udah was Chairman of Anambra state 2018/2019 state wide ceremonial flag-off of Joint Orientation by Post Primary Schools Service Commission , (PPSSC) and Anambra state Universal Basic Education Board (ASUBEB) for Jss 1, SS 1 and other transferred students of Public Secondary Schools in Anambra State, Otuocha Education zone held at Father Joseph Memorial Secondary, School, Aguleri.
The Governors forum South-East Director media said: ‘’Without prejudice to the wonderful performance of our students and teachers, one would urge our education handlers to do more now to mitigate the current worldwide challenges of unemployment, crime, etc.
‘’The trend in the developed world is to orientate students towards skills acquisition – vocational education. This makes people to be self-employed. Canada emphasizes this and many other developed countries do same.
‘’Having said the foregoing, may I urge discussants and speakers at this event to focus on what orientation, guidance and counseling tips they can give the students and teachers alike with a view to making our education more functional, employment – oriented and hence more result-oriented.
Udah informed that in the developed world that students tilt towards acquiring skills in vocational education rather than rote learning of books, this he said gives them opportunity of being self-employed.
His remarks in brief: ‘’I am delighted to be here to preside over affairs in an event which is very dear to my heart. It is important because it involves our younger ones –the students – who will take over from us when we will have been too old and incapacitated. It is exciting because it is about education without which humans will remain mere animals. I am happy to be at my alma mater, an institution where I obtained my secondary school education from 1973 to 1978. I have invited some of my fellow old boys to join us in charting an attractive course for our younger ones. This is one of the core functions of the Father Joseph Memorial Secondary School, Aguleri Old Boys’ Association.
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‘’Here, we want to orientate our students (transferred students) “towards the direction in which our education is aimed or aiming at”? Of course, “orientation” has many connotations, including familiarizing a visitor or a new entrant (into a school for instance) with the unique aims and objectives of the school as well as its facilities, challenges and competitive features.
Udah noted that ‘’Every student or every person for that matter, needs proper orientation–exposure to different facets of life, divergent environments, guidance and counseling to enable him/her to choose a career that is best for him/her and for his/her society. Anyone who is not properly guided, orientated or counseled simply misfires in his/her choice of a career. Former US Secretary of State, Jim Baker stated that “proper preparation prevents poor performance”. Orientation is that preparation in this context!’’
The Media Director concluded: ‘’Different individuals have different potentials. Some can better solve mathematical puzzles than they can cope with English Language issues. Such people can be orientated, counselled or guided to study Mathematics, Engineering and allied disciplines in the Science faculty while those with flair for English Language, Government, History and Literature, for instance, should be orientated towards such careers as Law, Education, Management etc.
In her Keynote address, the Secretary PPSSC Awka, Mrs Josephine Onuorah reminded the admitted and transferred students that the orientation was to acquaint them of their new environment with the school rules and regulation, effective study habit and values reorientation to make them better students throughout their stay in the college.
Mrs Onuorah said that PPSSC and ASUDEB as managers of schools insist on adequately punishing students found indulging in any academic or social misconduct such as disobedience to school authorities, exam malpractice, stealing, absenteeism and truancy.
She had said: ‘’Equally of note are such acts like bullying fellow students, attacking teachers or Principals , drug abuse and belonging to cultism or secret society which are expressly banned in schools and any student caught faces expulsion and prosecution.
In their goodwill messages, the Director of Education, PPSS Otuocha zone, Mrs Victoria Unegbu and that of ASUDEB, Mrs Chinwe Alameze enjoined the students to make adequate use of their Libraries, football field , classrooms among others to develop themselves and as well try to be obedient , hardworking and respectful while shunning cultism, bad company, lesbianism and other social vices.
The Directors were grateful to the Catholic Archbishop of Onitsha , Most Rev Dr Valerian Maduka Okeke as well as Manager/Principal of the Fr Joseph Memorial High School, Aguleri, Fr Izuchukwu Okoye mong others for using the school for the orientation. She thanked Secretary PPSSC Awka and that of ASUBEB Awka, Mrs Josephine Onuorah and Mrs Vivian Anyadubelu for approving the hosting right for Otuocha zone, even as she commended the zonal Counsellor, Mrs Maureen Okafor for making it worthwhile.
Others who spoke included the Principal of Capital City, Secondary School Awka, Mrs Adibe Adaora N who spoke on Good study habits, while Rev Fr Anthony Izuchukwu, Manager/Principal of Fr Joseph Memorial Secondary School Aguleri presented a welcome address.
Others who spoke were Mr Anierobi Emmanuel O, Principal of Justice Chinwuba Memorial Secondary School Aguleri who spoke on Values /Value reorientation; Mrs Bridget N. Ukah , Principal Christ The King College Umuem Anam spoke on School rules and regulations; while the lead paper on Education foundation for survival was presented by Principal of Community Secondary School Mmiata , Mrs Echekwube Helen where she said only education can prevent people from falling prey to terrorist network as they can be brainwashed as they do poorly educated fellows.
Hon Chinonye Idigo, SSA to Obiano on Quality Assurance and Dr Paul Ifeanyi , SSA to Obiano on Secondary Education were among guests who attended the reorientation.
