NIPSS supports 100 students to write NABTEB exam
By Marie-Therese Nanlong
MORE THAN 100 students in two public schools in Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State have benefited from direct support for activities aimed at improving examination outcomes and transition to the world of skill-work in business, vocational and technical education.
The students from Government Science and Technical College, Kuru and Government Secondary School, Kanadap who are billed to participate in the September/October, 2020 National Business and Technical Examinations Board, NABTEB are to be supported in areas which would ensure they excel in the examination.
Speaking while issuing a cheque for N250,000.00 each to the two schools, Dr. Musa Umar of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies, NIPSS said the gesture was the idea of the development Research and Projects Centre, dRPC in collaboration with NIPSS and Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC to support technical and vocational education aimed at mitigating the negative impacts of COVID-19 on school system.
He noted that the fund provided by Open Society Foundations was specifically to support “after school hours coaching, airtime for online coaching or for students to access recommended websites, purchase of past questions papers and answers, textbooks, purchase of COVID-19 protection materials such as hand sanitizers, tables and chairs to ensure physical distancing in classes among others.”
He warned that the gesture was not to support any activity associated with exam malpractices but to assist schools with follow-up support to mentor school leavers in areas of business, vocation and technical education as Nigerians were eagerly looking forward to see “a Nigeria where we will not import everything, a Nigeria where we can produce our cars, television, all that we need and also export them.”
Responding, the Principal of Government Science and Technical College, Nantim Larson and his counterpart in Government Secondary School, Kanadap, Martin Mancha appreciated the donors for the support and promised to use the fund for the intended purposes.
Earlier, the Area Director Jos South from the Ministry of Education, Mary Dongmuk, expressed delight that the two schools were from her area and promised to monitor the use of the fund to achieve its aims so that other schools would in the future also get access and improve the standard of education and add value to the benefiting students.