Commissioner links failure in core subjects to mobile phones

KWARA State Commissioner for Education, Hajia Bilikisu Oniyangi, has said that exposure to information gadgets, especially mobile phones, is one of the factors responsible for the failure of students in two core subjects of English and Mathematics in the state’s secondary schools.

Speaking at the grand finale of the maiden edition of Kwara State Inter-Secondary Schools English and Mathematics competition organized by a Non-Governmental Organization, Saliu Mustapha Foundation, in collaboration with the state government, the commissioner, apart from use of mobile phones, listed other factors, including lackadaisical attitude on the part of students, saying these had affect their time for studying.

The commissioner, reaffirmed the commitment of the state government to teaching and learning of English and Mathematics as core subjects in secondary schools.

ALSO READ: How Oyo NURTW chairman, Fele, died in Abuja, aged 58

Speaking through the Director School Services of the ministry, Mr. Timothy Oyewole, Hajia Oniyangi described the two subjects as the core of every discipline which are prerequisite for admission into tertiary institutions.

She also said that the state government had provided enough teachers for both subjects in all public schools in the state, charging teachers to be more proactive in the discharge of their respective duties.

She also emphasised the need for training and retraining of teachers of the core subjects, while asking the students to devote more time for their education by avoiding anything that could cause distractions.

Earlier, the spokesman of the Foundation, Mallam Mahmood Olayinka Alaya,  disclosed that 30 students qualified for the grand finale of the competition.

He  noted that the competition was organized to inspire and encourage students on the core subjects, saying that the founder of Saliu Mustapha Foundation is totally committed to the development of educational sector in the state through knowledgedriven programmes.

“The theme of this competition is apt and timely as the country is currently faced with myriad of problems, especially in the educational sector.

Investment in the sector has been abysmally low and requires the collective contributions of both the federal and respective state governments, non-governmental organizations and wealthy individuals.

There is need to restore the lost glory of our educational sector,” he said.

While speaking with journalists, the founder of the foundation, Mallam Saliu Mustapha, said the foundation was established to touch the lives of the downtrodden people in the society, the students and those with different health challenges.

Mallam Mustapha noted that the foundation aims to impact the lives of people in the immediate environment, saying that government alone should not be saddled with the responsibility of providing the needs of the people, hence the need for non-governmental organizations and wealthy individuals to support government at all levels in this directive.

At the end of the competition, Ameen Ahmad of the University of Ilorin Secondary School emerged first, Adetoro Muritala from Offa Grammar School came second, while Yusuf Wahab Yusuf of ESS Erin-Ile came third.

Cash prizes were awarded to the first five students that emerged victorious.