'Education Should Be Activity – Driven'

Mr. A. Akaduchieme, Proprietor, Shining Hands College, Ebute Metta, Lagos, Nigeria, has advocated that all stakeholders need to re-address and readjust their focus in order to improve the educational system in the country

Explaining how his school came second in the National Grand Finale of Golden Penny Noddle/Educraft Skills Competition recently held at the Kings Palace Hotel & Resort, Kubwa, Abuja, Akaduchieme said: “We have always been prepared for this because that is our focus. We have always taken this position that narrowing education to purely secondary school education is not the ideal thing. Our education should be a full complement; a kind of basket having so many items to expose the children to so many things.

“By doing that, you fire the creativity in them and they will come out in the various areas they are talented. For example, all JSS 1 students go through electrical/electronics and related things in the first term, study construction in the second term while they go through home economics in the third term, apart from what the national curriculum provides.

“We were able to present papers on entrepreneurship for youths, choosing vocational skills as careers, and the nutritional value of Golden Penny Noddles. Students from other competing schools also made their presentations and at the end of the evening, the panel of judges announced the results and Shining Hands College came second.

“After this announcement, one of our female students, Ronke Akintaiwo presented some cardigans already prepared by her, to some functionaries at the Golden Penny Flour and Educraft, one of them for Mrs. Sarah Sosan, the Deputy Governor of Lagos State.

“When they opened the packs and saw the quality of the cardigans, which was a blend of colours of both the organisers and sponsors, the marketing director of the company was excited. She said that this is what they want, that it is practical and creative.

“She immediately presented N10,000 to Ronke and promised to write her office to procure more of the cardigans as corporate gifts.”