‘Why ITF is focusing attention on secondary education’

As the nexus between primary and tertiary education, the secondary school system remains critical, if the country is desirous of using education to drive national development.

According to the National Policy on Education, secondary education plays two important roles, the first being the preparation of recipients for higher education.

The second is preparing them for useful living within the society. In other words, it provides secondary school leavers with the vocational skills necessary for useful living assuming they elect not to further their studies.

Evidently, this tier of education, despite its importance, has been beset with immense problems, causing it to significantly under-perform its expected role

For the Inoyo Toro Foundation, a private sector initiative, contributing its quota to developing public school teachers and students in Akwa Ibom State,
“The problem in our educational sector may be more pronounced at the secondary school level. This prompted the foundation to focus at this level of education and take practical steps in ensuring that there is improvement in this sector. To optimise the benefits and ensure sustainability, the foundation decided to focus its efforts in the state, with specific intervention initiatives including teacher’s intervention, awards, training, students’ mentorship as well as awareness creation,” it said in a statement.

The statement was in reaction to the new edition of The Global Education Monitoring Report (GEM report), which said the country will achieve Universal Primary Education (UPE) in 2070, Universal Lower Secondary Completion in 2080, and Universal Upper Secondary Completion (UUSC) in the next century.

Worried by the outcome of the report, the foundation, which rewards outstanding teachers in public schools in the state, especially in the core science subjects, said the time for concerned stakeholders to begin to think out of the box has come, if we must make a headway as a country.

The statement endorsed by its advisor and Executive Director, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited (MPN), Udom Inoyo, the foundation said its innovative reward for teachers of secondary schools with outstanding performance especially in the core science subjects of biology, physics, chemistry as well as English language and mathematics, “has created an enhanced level of enthusiasm for teachers. The processes involved in arriving at the selection of awardees are very rigorous; with the teachers undergoing many tests.”

In the area of awards, it said, “Award winning teachers are in two categories. Where a teacher wins an award in the core subjects, he/she is no longer eligible to compete, except on the next level, which is tagged the grand mentor’s award.
All previous winners are expected to engage in mentoring of fellow teachers, and are encouraged to establish their group, register teachers and carry out periodic coaching.