Academy decries poor quality of science teachers in schools

THE Nigerian Academy of Science has expressed concerns about the dwindling quality of science teachers in both primary and secondary schools in Nigeria, calling on relevant stakeholders to work in synergy in reversing the trend.

President of the Academy, Professor Braide Ekenan, spoke when he led a delegation from the Academy on a working visit to the registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Is-haq Oloyede at the JAMB Headquarters, Bwarri, Abuja.

She expressed concern over science foundation in schools as observed in inadequate facilities and poor quality of teachers, noting that these schools are unfortunately the sources of students for tertiary education.

Ekenan said this informed the desire of the Academy to work with relevant bodies to change the narratives by ensuring that a solid foundation is laid for aspiring science students.

She particularly called on JAMB to partner with the Academy in order to enhance quality of science education in Nigeria.

The first female President of Nigerian Academy of Science disclosed that the Academy had commenced what she described as ‘UTME Clinic’ to sensitise prospective candidates on vital issues.

Oloyede in his remarks, commended the Academy for its contributions to nation-building, while he singled out the Academy for commendation with respect to the guidance it provided during the debate over the desirability or otherwise Genetically-Modified Foods, adding that its informed position assisted policy-makers in taking the right decision.

Oloyede, however, frowned at the proliferation of Academies, which, he said, weakens their impact.

He, therefore, called for what is obtainable in other countries where only two or three Academies exist but with stronger impact.

He welcomed the idea of a partnership, saying any collaboration aimed at improving the quality of education in the country would be supported by the Board.

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He advised the Nigerian Academy of Science to invite the Nigerian Academy of Letters to be part of a tripartite collaboration with the Board for more impactful results as the challenges bedevilling the education sector are not only confined to science but also education in general.

He said: “Government needs the Academy now more than ever to help shape policy direction that would overhaul education and put it on the right path.”

Oloyede called for a more robust working relationship between the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology to close the gap in terms of the kind of education required for national development.

In the same vein, the Board in its Weekly Bulletin, quoted the JAMB Registrar as saying that for any meaningful gains in the area of research in “our universities, the National Universities Commission (NUC) should be renamed as the ‘National Universities and Research Commission’ for the much-needed handshake with the multitudes of research institutions within the nation’s universities.”

He assured the Academy of the readiness of the Board to work with it and other agencies of government for the transformation of the education sector.

Nigerian Academy of Science, which was established in 1977, is the top non-governmental scientific society in Nigeria with the objective of promoting science and scientific activities.