PHIL OKOSE, Onitsha
Any moment from now, the Anambra State Government may outlaw the bringing of cell phones to school by primary and secondary school pupils and students in both public and private institutions in the state.
The Chairman, Post Primary Services Commission (PPCS), Anambra State, Prof. Nkechi Ikediugwu, gave the hint in Onitsha at the one-day retreat organised by the Education Commission of the Diocese on the Niger for her principals and headteachers.
Prof. Ikediugwu who expressed profound disgust concerning what she described as “very negative effects” of the device on the moral and academic lives of school children consequently bared the mind of the government on the matter.
According to her, “The state school system should not allow the use of cell phones by both pupils and students in this state.
“In fact, we shouldn’t allow it at all. It’s not good. To be honest, I’ve written a memo that social media should be abolished or be properly regulated in Nigeria. But you know we don’t have the power. You write, they won’t even respond.
“Look, this is one of our contentions; it is one of the things that are making our school system to collapse.
“So, no principal in the state should allow any pupil or student to come to school with a phone”, the PPSC Chairman ordered.
She stated that any parents who insisted that their children or wards must do otherwise should begin in good time to look for vacancies elsewhere for their children.
Also addressing some teachers who she said often claimed to give assignments with the phone, Prof. Ikediugwu instructed that e-learning should be done at home and not in the school.
“E-learning is at home, not in the class. If you give them the assignments to do at home, when they get home, they use their phones and do them and not come to the school with the phones”, she further clarified.
The professor whose theme of discourse at the retreat was, “Effective and Efficient School Management in an Unhealthy Environment”, underscored what she said constituted an unhealthy academic environment.
She enlisted polluted air, indiscipline, examination malpractices, cultism, bribery and corruption among others, regretting that indiscipline, of all, was the highest form of what she said constituted unhealthy academic environment.
Other resource persons at the retreat were the Rector of the Crowther Retreat Centre, Onitsha, Ven Dr Izu Obiekwe and the Archdeacon of Awada Archdeaconry, Ven Dr. Chidi Nwadike who respectively spoke on “Leadership and Innovation Operational Excellence” and “Vision and Strategy in School Management”.
Earlier the Secretary of the Education Commission of the diocese, Rev Canon Izuchukwu Ndubisi, had explained that the purpose of the gathering was for the teachers to brainstorm on the commission’s status quo and a possible charting of a quality paradigm shift written a memo that social media should be abolished or
be properly regulated in Nigeria. But you know we don’t have the power. You write, they won’t even respond.
“Look, this is one of our contentions; it is one of the things that are making our school system to collapse.
“So, no Principal in the state should allow any pupil or student to come to school with phone”, the PPSC Chairman ordered.
She stated that parents who insisted that their children or wards must do otherwise, should begin in good time to look for vacancies elsewhere for their children.
Also addressing some teachers who she said often claimed to give assignments with the phone, Prof. Ikediugwu instructed that e-learning should be done at home and not in the school.
“E-learning is at home, not in the class. If you give them the assignments to do at home, when they get home, they use their phones and do them and not come to the school with the phones”, she further clarified.
The professor whose theme of discourse at the retreat was, “Effective and Efficient School Management in an Unhealthy Environment”, underscored what she said constituted unhealthy academic environment.
She enlisted polluted air, indiscipline, examination malpractices, cultism, bribery and corruption among others, regretting that indiscipline, of all, was the highest form of what she said constituted unhealthy academic environment.
Other resource persons at the retreat were the Rector of the Crowther Retreat Centre, Onitsha, Ven Dr Izu Obiekwe and the Archdeacon of Awada Archdeaconry, Ven Dr. Chidi Nwadike who respectively spoke on “Leadership and Innovation Operational Excellence” and “Vision and Strategy in School Management”.
Earlier the Secretary of the Education Commission of the diocese, Rev Canon Izuchukwu Ndubisi, had explained that the purpose of the gathering was for the teachers to brainstorm on the commission’s status quo and a possible charting of a quality paradigm shift.
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