Agric-YES summer for public schools commences tomorrow

Lagos State Government said its Agricultural Youth Empowerment Scheme (Agric-YES) Summer School Programme for students of public Senior Secondary Schools, would not only stir up interest for Agriculture as a career in students, it would also serve as a refresher course for Agricultural Science teachers in the state.

Acting Commissioner for Agriculture, Ms. Abisola Olusanya who disclosed this while announcing the take-off of the 2020 edition to commence tomorrow across the Six Education Districts, said the two-week programme, implemented in 2011 is aimed at encouraging senior secondary students to embrace agriculture as a life-long career after their secondary education. The programme ends on Saturday, August 29, 2020.

“The Agric – YES Summer School Programme was first implemented in 2011 to further stimulate the interest and awareness in agriculture amongst students in public Senior Secondary Schools across the Six Education Districts. It aims to serve as a ‘taster’ programme for students who may wish to pick up a career in agricultural value chain in future and eventually fill the vacuum created by the ageing farmers,” Olusanya asserted.

According to her, the yearly programme, which usually holds during the long vacation is meant for SSII students who take agricultural science, as well as their Agricultural Science teachers drawn from the Districts across the state.

She explained that the programme would enable students to understand that agriculture, when well-managed, is a reputable and profitable business venture, adding that participating students, education officials and teachers have been grouped into sizeable batches per class in accordance with the state government’s guideline on social gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Acting Commissioner pointed out that the programme would be held at the Lagos State Agricultural Development Authority, Oko-Oba, Agege replacing the usual two-week on- farm training at the Agricultural Training Institute, Araga, Epe.

She revealed that participants would be exposed to theoretical and practical areas usually covered by various invited facilitators and resource personnel in poultry production, fisheries, vegetable and crop production, agribusiness, as well as climate change among others.