FRSC INSIGHT OCTOBER, 2013
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Insi ht A MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF FEDERAL ROAD SAFETY COMMISSION
www.frscinsight.com OCTOBER, 2013
Tyre Rotation Eliminate premature tyre wear
Care for the gate to your body
The teeth Corps Marshal’s
keynote Address in Akwa-Ibom State
Interview with Onyenso Esther Amarachi
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From the Editor-In-Chief
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ave you ever wondered why progress, according to George Bernard Shaw, is impossible without a change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything? This is very true to what vehicle manufacturers have in mind. Knowing the importance of tyres in ensuring smooth and pleasant driving, manufacturers of tyres therefore recommends that at specified periods, tyres should be rotated to enhance their performance and guarantee safety.
vent the son's associated headaches while riding on rough roads This month's FRSC Insight discusses why you need to rotate your vehicle tyres, when and how it should be done as In aviation, where safety is the watch word, air- well as the impercraft tyres are designed to withstand extremely atives derivable from doing so. heavy loads for short durations, thus the number of tyres required for aircraft increases with In this edition you would also read the beautiful the weight of the plane, accordingly enhancing presentation made by the Corps Marshal during the capacity to distribute the weight of the air- the award of excellence for teachers of public plane better. For instance, the tyres on a wide- schools in Akwa Ibom state. It is a collector's item body jetliner like the Boeing 747 are designed and I can assure you that you would not be able to to endure tremendous stress without rupturing. drop the presentation until you finished reading it. Aircraft's tyres tread patterns are also designed to facilitate stability in high crosswind conditions, ensure effective braking and channel water away to prevent hydroplaning, especially during landing or take off. During landing, aircraft tyres are subjected to tremendous stress. When planes land, the tyres take the weight of the plane and endure some extreme friction as the plane hits the runway and starts to slow down, and may cause blow out where tyres are of poor quality or have not been well maintained. That is why aircraft tyres, despite their prohibitive costs may last for as few as 100 landings, before replacement.
Onyenso Esther Amarachi may not sound familiar to you. The ex - Youth Corps member emerged the best overall in the 2013 essay competition on road safety organised by the Kwapda'as Road Safety Demand (KRSD) Trust Fund for NYSC members in memory of Hon. Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem's son, Kwapda'as who died in a road traffic crash. KRSD is a non government organisation, and they organised the essay competition in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps. FRSC Insight caught up with Amarachi after the awards ceremony. You would be delighted to know how she came about defeating over one hundred and sixty other contestants.
All the other regular stories can be read in this Just like the motor vehicle's tyres are pressurised edition. As usual all precious editions of FRSC with air, aircraft tyres are usually inflated with ni- Insight can be read on www.frscinsight.com trogen or helium to minimize expansion and contraction from extreme changes in ambient tem- OC Oladele perature and pressure experienced during flights. Corps Commander Editor - In - Chief Historically, Scottish inventor John Boyd Dunlop in 1887 produced the first pneumatic tyre, which he made for his son's bicycle, in an effort to pre-
FRSC INSIGHT OCTOBER, 2013
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Tyre Rotation: Eliminate premature tyre wear
EDITORIAL Osita Chidoka OFR Corps Marshal/Chief Executive Publisher OC Oladele (CC) Editor–In-Chief KD Alegieuno (ARC) Editor Members VO Ogunnupebi (ACC) AR Obagbemiro (CRC) CB Nwokolo (DRC) 0I IKOKU (DRC) DO Enakireru (ARC)
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yre rotation simply means moving them from one side of the vehicle to the other so that they trade places on your vehicle. The rotation is based on the type of vehicle or tyres. For a directional tyres one is limited to moving the wheels and tyres forward and backward on the same side of the car. Tyres that are asymmetrical require only that a particular sidewall is on the outside. Tyre rotation helps avoid uneven tyre wear, which can lead to poor performance and decreased fuel mileage. Why it is essential Rotation is important because each tyre on a car carries a different amount of weight, making them wear at different rates. By rotating them, you basically even out those differences. Your owner’s manual will tell you how often to rotate your tyres, but as a rule of thumb, it should be done every 8,000 kilometres (5,000miles) to 13,000 kilometres (8,000 miles). You might want to rotate them sooner if you see signs of uneven wear. Misalignment and other mechanical problems can also cause such wear. In a nutshell, tyre rotation is necessary as: • Tyres may wear differently depending on their position on the vehicle, your driving style, and the condition of your suspension • Regularly rotating your tyres helps evenly distribute tyre wear - helping you get the most miles out of your tyres while maximizing traction on all four wheels • The front tyres of front-wheel-drive vehicles, tend to wear faster than rear tyres due to added pressure/resistance from steering
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ROTATION PATTERNS There are various patterns for rotating tyres. A common one for front-wheel drive vehicles involves moving the tyres in a crisscross fashion, with the left front tyre trading places with the right rear, and right front trading with the left rear. If you have a full-size spare, you can include it in your rotation pattern-but don't do so with a small temporary use spare, because those are meant only for low-speed, short-distance emergency use. Note that certain types of tyres cannot be rotated as explained above. Such tyres may in-
clude directional and asymmetrical tires. Also, some vehicles may have different sized tyres mounted on the front and rear axles, and these different sized tyres have rotation restrictions.
Sources: http://us.coopertire.com/Tire-Safety/ Tire-Maintenance/Tire-Rotation.aspx http://www.goodyear.com/ en-US/services/tire-rotation
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FRSC INSIGHT OCTOBER, 2013
CARE FOR THE GATE TO YOUR BODY
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the teeth
tooth (plural teeth) is a small, hard whitish structure found in the mouth to break down food. Don't be surprised that tooth is long-lasting even after the body has decomposed!
night can prevent grinding when sleeping.
3. Cough Drops (Tablets) They are not healthy as they are loaded with sugar. After soothing your throat with a lozenge, brush well or rinse out. Sugar reacts with Habits that can wreck your teeth plaque (filmy substance that covers the tooth). 1. Chewing on ice The bacteria in the plaque convert the sugar It's natural and sugar free, so you might into an acid that eats away the tooth enamel think ice is harmless. But this can and results to holes in your tooth (cavities). crack your teeth. When there is urge to chew ice, chew sugarless gum instead. 4. Gummy Candy All sugary treats promote tooth decay, but some 2. Grinding Teeth (Bruxism) candies are harder to bear. Gummies stick in This can wear teeth down overtime and can the teeth, keeping the sugar and resulting acids cause tooth sensitivity. Bruxism is most of- in contact with your tooth enamel for hours. ten caused by stress and sleeping habits. Avoiding hard foods during the day can 5. Soda reduce pain. Wearing of mouth guard at Sodas can have up to 11 teaspoons of sugar per
FRSC INSIGHT OCTOBER , 2013 5 serving. Sodas also contain phosphoric acid but unfortunately loaded with sugar. Fruits and citric acids, which eat away tooth enamel. are naturally sweet, so look for juice that has no added sugar. You can reduce the sugar 6. Opening things (stuffs) with your teeth content by diluting juice with some water. This may be convenient but can cause your teeth to crack or chip. 9. Drinking Red wine The acids in wine eat away the tooth enamel, 7. Sports Drink creating rough spots that make teeth more These drinks are refreshing but high in sugar. vulnerable to staining. Red wine also contains They create an acid attack on the tooth enamel. a deep pigment called chromogen and tanDrinking them frequently can lead to decay. nis, which help the colour stick to the teeth. 8. Fruit Juice This is loaded with vitamins and antioxidants
To be continued next month. Till then, maintain your teeth and keeping smiling! Corps Medical & Rescue Office
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CORPS MARSHAL KEYNOTE SPEECH
at the 2013 annual awards for teaching excellence in Akwa Ibom state public secondary schools INTRODUCTION
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am very honoured to be invited here to speak on my life's journey and on how we can all advance the development of quality education in Nigeria especially at a period when our educational vehicle is incessantly grounded by strikes, a period when the culture of reading has been reduced to blackberry pinging, a time when the social media has taken the place of classroom teaching, a time of course when educational excellence is a rare commodity. Yet, it is a time when we still have great hope to turn things around.
to develop faster [Barro and Sala-i-Martin, 1995]. The quality of education has an influence upon the speed with which societies become developed and the extent to which individuals can improve their own productivity. An educational system that is more effective in establishing cognitive skills to an advanced level and distributing them broadly through the population will bring stronger social and economic benefits than less effective system. This implies that more emphasis should be placed on the subject structure of the curriculum.
EDUCATION; WHAT IT MEANS In any society where young people NIGERIA EDUCATIONAL The word "education" comes from have access to quality education SYSTEM: REFLECTING ON the Latin root educare which means the type of choices they make will PAST AND CURRENT SITUA"to lead out". Education calls for definitely have positive impact on TION belief in what is to be shared, com- the development of that nation Crisis in education, according mitment to the ideals embraced by to Bello Umar Gusau (2008), humanistic values, and hope for the started manifesting itself when future. One of the basic rights of every citizen is the government went all out to implement 6-3-3-4 sysright to education and one of the priorities of every tem without sufficient plan put in place. The primary government should be the provision of quality edu- education was the first to suffer the effect of this inadcation that could compete globally. In any society equate planning. For instance, in 1976, free Universal where young people have access to quality education Primary Education was launched but the policy on the type of choices they make will definitely have education itself appeared in 1977, one year after impositive impact on the development of that nation. plementation of the programme. In this kind of situation where implementation is ahead of policy, confuIn ancient Greece for example, the cradle of West- sion is certainly bound to emerge. Moreover, needs ern scholarship, education was a highly functional assessment was not properly done, and the end result search-light beamed on society. It has a key role in was absence of adequate statistical data upon which developing the human input to production and sup- evidence based public policy could be anchored. porting the development of science and technology. Educational institutions on the other hand are built Evidence abound that societies where long term strato foster the acquisition of skills and knowledge as tegic planning are the norms, such societies naturally well as moral development of the learner. The Pri- succeed. For instance the Nigerian economy witnessed mary, Secondary and Tertiary institutions are de- improvements in the periods when strategic plans signed to produce a diversified workforce for an were implemented between 1962 and 1975 when aceconomy in need of different types of skilled labour. cording to the National Planning Commission, Nigeria recorded an average GDP growth of 9.4 percent. According to Harmon, Oosterbeek and Walker When compared to comparator countries like Malay[2000], the more educated countries are develop- sia which had forty five years of consistent strategic ing faster due to the fact that the school enables planning, GDP per capita in Malaysia grew from the labour force to innovate new technologies and 808 US dollar to 10,345 USD by 2012. Similarly, to adapt the existing ones to the local production. Singapore due to forty years of consistent strategic Consequently, the economies that are inside the planning grew its GDP per capita from 2,505 US technological frontiers have greater opportunities dollar in 1975 to a whooping 52,052 USD in 2012.
FRSC INSIGHT OCTOBER , 2013 7 Thus in comparism to Nigeria's strategic ning limited to only fifteen years, we only achieve a GDP per capita growth 454 US dollar in 1975 to 1,526 USD in
plancould from 2012.
Scant regards to long term strategic planning in Nigeria for example affected the Universal Primary Education (UPE). On the launching of UPE, three million children showed up as against 2.3 million originally planned for, representing a 30 percent underestimation. This has implications for classroom spaces, teachers, and equipment (Akpa 1988).
tated by the perception of school inspectors as no less than police inspectors with a colonial mentality. He further stressed that this was because of their perception as enforcers of discipline, and whose presence in a school was both fearsome and awesome to school teachers and administrators. The school inspectors, according to him brook no nonsense and tolerated no incompetence to duty. Despite the shortcomings of the colonial inherited inspectorate services, he said the system was by far better than what we have today.
According to John U Nwalor, the failure of our educational reforms has made Nigerians obsessed with The exercise triggered phenomenal rise in pupil pop- paper qualifications rather than the outcomes and ulation from 8.7million in 1976/77 results that should The junior secondary school which was deto 12.5 million in 1979/80 and emerge from such signed to make the youth employable through reaching 15 million in 1982. Unqualifications. He statvocational skill acquisition could not achieve able to sustain the scheme, the ed: Education was not its goal due to poor implementation. For inFederal Government subsequently seen as a means for the stance, while Government purchased cheaper transferred the responsibility to constructive developtechnological products from European markets, the State and Local Government. ment of society but these products became redundant due to poor rather as the means to power supply and lack of requisite skills for The junior secondary school a larger share of the the teachers to operate the machines. Consewhich was designed to make the wealth of the nation quently, the prevocational subjects which were youth employable through vothe same sentiments meant to launch Nigeria into a respectable incational skill acquisition could that ruled in national dustrialized state with abundant pool of lower not achieve its goal due to poor politics then and parlevel manpower became an illusion with the implementation. For instance, ticularly still rules tosubjects such as introductory technology bewhile Government purchased day, giving birth and cheaper technological products prominence to issues from European markets, these products became re- and measures associated with distrust and inequity indundant due to poor power supply and lack of req- security, quota, and the principle of rotation. We had uisite skills for the teachers to operate the machines. a nation founded on the merits of synergy degenerate to one where everyone literally must fend for himself Consequently, the prevocational subjects which minding and protecting very narrow personal interest. were meant to launch Nigeria into a respectable industrialized state with abundant pool of According to John U Nwalor, the educational syslower level manpower became an illusion with tem today has to contend with examination malthe subjects such as introductory technology be- practices of various types, admissions racketeering, ing taught theoretically as English Language. and records falsification and misrepresentation as well as other vices that threaten its survival. From In the '70s, government took over all volun- all this, most sadly, has evolved a culture of aspirtary and mission schools on the ground of free ing to that which the individual is not qualified for. universal primary education. Unfortunate- Nigeria today, is suffering from development crises ly, this reform collapsed in less than a decade. brought about by the distortion in our educational system and we must holistically do a review to know Another effect was the relegation of the service of the where we got it wrong and what could be done. Inspectorate Services who were the quality control watchdog in the education sector to limbo. No edu- So let us look at the educational status of Akwa-Ibom cational programme can function effectively without and Ogun States for instance. The choice of these two a quality inspectorate service. The concept of inspec- states arose from their ranking in terms of the 2006 tion has now been changed to supervision. According census, which ranked Akwa Ibom as number 15th to Bello Umar Gusau (2008), the change is necessi- and Ogun state immediately next at number 16th.
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there were six hundred and eight public secondary THE CASE OF OGUN AND AKWA-IBOM schools in Akwa-Ibom state. The 608 public secondSTATE ary schools in Akwa-Ibom enrolled 110,003 appliAkwa-Ibom according to the 2006 Census by the cants within that year, while the 332 public secondary National Population Commission is a state with a schools in Ogun state absorbed 151,478 applicants. population of 3,920,208 exceeding that of Ogun State by 192,110, which has 3,728,098. There are One would naturally assume that based on the comsome similarities between Akwa Ibom and Ogun paratively higher population figure of Akwa-Ibom, it state; they both are states in Nigeria, they have would have more Universities, but the case is not so. Governors and State Houses of Assembly. Since Rather, while according to the National University return to democracy in 1999, Akwa Ibom state Commission (NUC) there are eleven Universities in has been governed by the PDP for fourteen years, Ogun state, Akwa Ibom has only four Universities. while Ogun state have been governed by PDP Given that Universities are centers of excellence and for eight years and AD/ACN/APC for six years. research centers, mere presence of a University in a community presupposes access to innovation, critiThen the differences begin. In 2010, while Ogun state cal thinking and activation of problem solving mode. had an estimated GDP of $10 billion, Akwa-Ibom state within the same period was estimated to have a GDP In 2012, while the available higher institutions in Akof $11 billion. The Akwa Ibom GDP of $11 billion wa-Ibom were able to absorb only 1,469 students, the literarily translated to the state having an economy higher institutions in Ogun state offered admission larger than that of at least 30 African countries includ- to 3,132 applicants, representing an amazing 72.28 ing Gambia, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso, Niger, Togo, percentage difference in number of enrolment into Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Sao Tome and Principe. tertiary institutions in Ogun over Akwa Ibom state. In addition, between January and December, 2012, And in terms of performance, even though no UniverAkwa Ibom state received sity in the two states of Ogun and n terms of budgeting, while in 2012, AkwaN217, 776,188,886.07 Akwa Ibom ranked within the top Ibom budgeted the sum of N533.113 billion, thereby making it the high10 universities according to the Ogun state budgeted the sum of 200.55 bilest beneficiary of the statuNational University Commission lion. This simply means that Akwa Ibom tory and VAT allocation. 2011 ranking of Nigerian Unibudget in 2012 was 166% larger than that Ogun state on the other hand versities, the University of Agof Ogun state. Also, Akwa Ibom in the received N68, 975,959.69 riculture, Abeokuta ranked 11th 2012 appropriation budgeted the sum of within the same period. while University of Uyo ranked N19.6 billion for education. This sum repa distance 21st. In another develresented about 4% of the year's appropriaIn terms of budgeting, while opment it should be a source of tion. Ogun state on the other hand in the in 2012, Akwa-Ibom budgconcern that no secondary school 2012 appropriation budgeted N42.4 bileted the sum of N533.113 in Akwa Ibom state have ever lion or 21% of her budget for education. billion, Ogun state budgeted ranked within the league of the top the sum of 200.55 billion. ten secondary schools in Nigeria. This simply means that Akwa Ibom budget in 2012 was 166% larger than that of Ogun state. Also, Akwa The differences in the educational pursuits between Ibom in the 2012 appropriation budgeted the sum of the two states therefore imparted on the two states as N19.6 billion for education. This sum represented shown in the employment index. While the unemabout 4% of the year's appropriation. Ogun state on ployment index in Ogun according to the NBS 2009 the other hand in the 2012 appropriation budgeted record stood at 8.5%, that of Akwa-Ibom was 34.1%. N42.4 billion or 21% of her budget for education. Still using the annual report of the National Bureau According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), of Statistics, the 2012 NBS report indicated that 2009 report, while the total numbers of public prima- Akwa Ibom state in 2011 had a projected HIV popury schools in Ogun were 1,921, which served 388,930 lation of 236,285, second only to Benue with a HIV pupils, the number of public primary schools in Akwa- projected population of 260,288. Ogun state 2011 Ibom state were 1,146 but served 243,079 pupils. The projected HIV population was only 55,902. In the NBS 2012 report indicated that, while Ogun state had same 2012 NBS report, while Akwa Ibom in 2011 three hundred and thirty two public secondary schools, had only 176 medical doctors and 5 dentists, Ogun
FRSC INSIGHT OCTOBER , 2013 9 for instance had 379 medical doctors and 15 dentists.
nine years of formal schooling six years of primary school and three years of junior secondary school. By The afore mentioned therefore brought to the fore that the mid-1990s, it had basically achieved this goal. education remains the key tool to building a formidable economy and positioning the wider populace towards The main lessons to learn from this experience inmaking informed social and economic decisions. It clude government's abandonment of a system built must be emphasized and strongly too that, even though around key schools for a small elite and its develaccess to financial resources could aid or facilitate a opment of a more inclusive system in which all stusociety's path to greatness, the sure and reliable way dents are expected to perform at high levels; greatly to greatness is through knowledge and innovation. raising teacher pay and upgrading teacher standards and teacher education; reducing the emphasis on The danger here is that even though Akwa Ibom rote learning and increasing the emphasis on deep state is financially more understanding with abilsufficient than Ogun The 2009 NBS statistics report on educational data ity to apply knowledge state, judging from its between Ogun state Akwa-Ibom, the land of prom- to solving new problems financial accruals,. if ise tells only one story that education remains and thinking creatively. urgent steps are not the key tool to building a formidable economy. All of these are reflected taken to improve the in deep reforms in the educational system in Akwa- Ibom State, it would curriculum and examinations. not be well positioned to compete favourably, not only in Nigeria but globally. What this means is These changes have been accompanied by greatthat by the year 2020, when Nigeria is projected to er curricular choice for students and more latibe within the league of the twenty global econo- tude for local authorities to decide on examimies, there will be a wide economic and educational nation content, which in turn is loosening the gap between those of Akwa-Ibom and Ogun state. constraints on curriculum and instruction. This underscores the fact that no state can achieve sustainable economic growth and development without significant investment in human capital. Education improves the quality of the people's lives and leads to broad social benefits to individuals and society. Education increases the people's productivity and ingenuity as well as promotes entrepreneurship and technological advances. In also plays a very vital role in securing economic, social advancement and efficient income distribution. For, Akwa Ibom to enjoy economic prosperity, it must invest more in the educational sector.
Between 1990 to the present day, China has passed the stage of quantitative expansion in basic education with a net enrolment of 99.4 percent at the primary school level, the envy of many countries. The gross enrolment ratio for junior secondary school was 99 percent.
In 1990, the gross enrolment at senior secondary level, both general and vocational, was 79.2 percent. The general (i.e. academic) senior secondary schools enrolled 52.5 percent of students at this level, putting about half of senior high school students in the academic stream. In most urban areas, gross enrolment at the senior secondary school level is 100 percent or Permit me to share with you few examples of how above, which means that the number of students eninvestment in education can truly advance a society. rolled exceeds the number in the appropriate age group. CHINA EDUCATIONAL REVOLUTION China has made huge strides in educating its population. During the Cultural Revolution, educated people, including teachers, were sent to rural areas to work in the fields. Before then, the teaching force was effectively destroyed. But today after three decades, parts of China notably Shanghai are among the contenders for top spots on the world's education league tables.
China also has a unique case in higher education development. For instance, in 2010, it achieved a Gross Enrolment Ratio of 30 per cent in higher education, up from an abysmally low 3-4 per cent in 1990. The country has grown its higher education sector primarily with the help of universities, which number more than 2,300. The 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) taken by 65 economies worldwide showed that Shanghai In 1986, China enacted the Law of Compulsory scored number one in the world in all three subjects; Education, which required every child to complete Maths literacy, reading literacy and science literacy,
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beating the previous top scoring nation, Finland. The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is an international study that was launched by the OECD in 1997. It aims at evaluating education systems worldwide in every three years by assessing 15-year-olds' competencies in the key subjects: reading, mathematics and sciences. The assessment provides the world's most extensive and rigorous set of international surveys assessing the knowledge and skills of secondary school students. To date over 70 countries and economies have participated in PISA. LESSONS FROM CHINA Shanghai became a major industrial centre under the government of the People's Republic, and later, at the opening of China. It moved on to become the city with the most remarkable development in the service sector. China felt the need for fundamental reforms of its educational system. The reform in Shanghai was part of a national undertaking. Shanghai belongs to an organised society and approached education reform in an organised way. It would be inaccurate to describe the Shanghai reform as top-down, because unmistakable and remarkable initiatives emerged from the grassroots. However, the municipal government did not only design the reform but also effectively intervened in the process, for example in running schools and improving teaching.
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FINLAND, A DISTINCT EXAMPLE OF EDUCATIONAL REFORM Finland is one of the world's leaders in the academic performance of its secondary school students, a position it has held for the past decade. This top performance is also remarkably consistent across schools. Finnish schools seem to serve all students well, regardless of family background, socio-economic status or ability. Since the publication of the first PISA results in 2001, Finland is now seen as a major international leader in education. It has consistently ranked in the very top tier of countries in all PISA assessments over the past decade, and its performance has been especially notable for its remarkable consistency across schools. No other country has so little variation in outcomes between schools, and the gap within schools between the top and bottom-achieving students is extraordinarily modest as well. For these reasons, Finnish schools have become a kind of tourist destination, with hundreds of educators and policy makers annually travelling to Helsinki to try to learn the secret of their success. LESSONS FROM FINLAND For all of Finland’s perceived advantages of size, relative cultural homogeneity, and (in recent years) economic strength, it is important to remember that as recently as 1970 only 30% of Finnish adults had
FRSC INSIGHT OCTOBER , 2013 11 completed upper secondary school, and as recently as 1993 Finland was in near economic collapse. Finland's ascent into the very top tier of educational performance was by no means inevitable: it was at least as much the result of a set of policy decisions deliberately taken, implemented thoughtfully, and sustained over a very long period of time as of factors endemic to the country's culture and history. One of the striking things about Finland's reform story is that the political consensus achieved 50 years ago that children should be educated together in a common school system has remained intact across numerous changes of government. Many countries pay lip-service to the importance of attracting and retaining a high-quality teacher force, but few have pursued this goal as single-mindedly as Finland. Finland has managed to make teaching the single most desirable career choice among young Finns through a combination of raising the bar for entry into the profession and granting teachers greater autonomy and control over their classrooms and working conditions than their peers enjoy elsewhere. Accountability clearly matters in Finland, but it is almost entirely a professional model of accountability. The strongest manifestation of that accountability can be seen in the degree to which Finnish schools are organised to take collective responsibility for struggling learners. Finnish teachers are trained to identify children who are having difficulty and to intervene before these children get discouraged and fall too far behind their classmates. The fact that every school has a specially trained intervention specialist the special teachermeans that the regular classroom teacher has easy access to support and that struggling children are much less likely to go unnoticed or to fall through the cracks.
LESSONS FROM THE US The United state was certainty founded on innovation and competitiveness. Educational Institutions are ranked on certain parameters with schools ranking the best in each state made to compete nationally to determine their national score. The rankings are based on many factors, but the high school must produce measurable academic outcomes across a large number of important academic indicators. In addition, a great public high school will have a good reputation with recruiting colleges and be highly ranked in measures of student satisfaction and faculty quality. As recently as 1993 Finland was in near economic collapse. Finland's ascent into the very top tier of educational performance was by no means inevitable: it was at least as much the result of a set of policy decisions deliberately taken, implemented thoughtfully, and sustained over a very long period of time as of factors endemic to the country's culture and history. One of the striking things about Finland's reform story is that the political consensus achieved 50 years ago that children should be educated together in a common school system has remained intact across numerous changes of government. Many countries pay lip-service to the importance of attracting and retaining a high-quality teacher force, but few have pursued this goal as single-mindedly as Finland. Finland has managed to make teaching the single most desirable career choice among young Finns through a combination of raising the bar for entry into the profession and granting teachers greater autonomy and control over their classrooms and working conditions than their peers enjoy elsewhere. Accountability clearly matters in Finland, but it is almost entirely a professional model of accountability.
FRSC INSIGHT OCTOBER, 2013 The strongest manifestation of that accountability can be seen in the degree to which Finnish schools are organised to take collective responsibility for struggling learners. Finnish teachers are trained to identify children who are having difficulty and to intervene before these children get discouraged and fall too far behind their classmates. The fact that every school has a specially trained intervention specialist the special teacher- means that the regular classroom teacher has easy access to support and that struggling children are much less likely to go unnoticed or to fall through the cracks. LESSONS FROM THE US The United state was certainty founded on innovation and competitiveness. Educational Institutions are ranked on certain parameters with schools ranking the best in each state made to compete nationally to determine their national score. The rankings are based on many factors, but the high school must produce measurable academic outcomes across a large number of important academic indicators. In addition, a great public high school will have a good reputation with recruiting colleges and be highly ranked in measures of student satisfaction and faculty quality. For instance in 2012, while the School Without Walls High School ranked 1st within District of Columbia in US, the school national ranking was 266th . Students of the School Without Walls High School have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement course work and exams. The AP participation rate at School Without Walls High School was 95 percent. School for the Talented and Gifted ranked the 1st in Boston as well as obtaining the 1st national rating of schools in the US. The School for the Talented and Gifted follows the state's Distinguished Achievement Program, and places an emphasis on Advanced Placement curriculum a minimum of 11 AP courses are required for graduation. Students at the School for the Talented and Gifted may conduct field research via partnerships with local universities and take electives such as Web mastery. It is not too surprising that the School for the Talented and Gifted ranked the 1st in Boston as well as obtaining the 1st national rating of schools in the US. This may not be unconnected with the location of the school in Boston, having proxim-
12 ity to where the top ranking Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are also located in Boston, Massachusetts. SINGAPORE A COUNTRY OF RAPID EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT AND HIGH PERFORMANCE Singapore is one of Asia's great success stories, transforming itself from a developing country to a modern industrial economy in one generation. During the last decade, Singapore's education system has remained consistently at or near the top of most major world education ranking systems. From Singapore's beginning, education has been seen as central to building both the economy and the nation. The objective was to serve as the engine of human capital to drive economic growth. The ability of the government to successfully match supply with demand of education and skills is a major source of Singapore's competitive advantage. Other elements in its success include a clear vision and belief in the centrality of education for students and the nation; persistent political leadership and alignment between policy and practice; a focus on building teacher and leadership capacity to deliver reforms at the school level; ambitious standards and assessments; and a culture of continuous improvement and future orientation that benchmarks educational practices against the best in the world. When Singapore became independent in 1965, it was a poor, small (about 700 km2), tropical island with few natural resources, little fresh water, rapid population growth, substandard housing and recurring conflict among the ethnic and religious groups that made up its population. At that time there was no compulsory education and only a small number of high school and college graduates and skilled workers. Today, Singapore is a gleaming global hub of trade, finance and transportation. Its transformation from third world to first in one generation is one of Asia's great success stories (Lee, 2000). All children in Singapore receive a minimum of 10 years of education in one of the country's 360 schools.
FRSC INSIGHT OCTOBER , 2013 13 Singapore's students were among the top in the world in mathematics and sciences on the Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) in 1995, 1999, 2003 and 2007. They came fourth in literacy in the 2006 progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Their excellence is further underlined by the fact that Singapore was one of the top-performing countries in the 2009 PISA survey, the first PISA survey in which it participated. Singapore was rated as one of the best performing education systems in a 2007 McKinsey study of teachers (Barber and Mourshed, 2007), and was rated first in the 2007 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook (IMD, 2007) for having an education system that best meets the needs of a competitive economy.
LESSONS FROM SINGAPORE Singapore is both a rapid improver and a continuing high performer. If we believe that large-scale change in educational performance is not possible, Singapore has shown several times over that significant change is possible. Singapore has developed a high-quality system in terms of educational retention, quality and efficiency. To become and remain high-performing, countries need a policy infrastructure that drives performance and builds the capacity for educators to deliver it in schools. Singapore has developed both. Where Singapore is today is no accident. It is the result of several decades of judicious policy and effective implementation. On the spectrum of national reform models, Singapore's is both comprehensive the The growth of the goal has been to move the whole Consider the situation in Korea,, where according global knowledge system and public policy-driven. to Amanda Ripley, during a national test, the Koeconomy required rean Electric Power Corporation would send its a paradigm shift in THE KOREAN EXAMPLE men to monitor the power supply to the schools, Singapore's educaMaking education an importo avoid disruption. The stock market would detion system towards tant issue for a country is critilay opening for one hour to avoid chaotic cona focus on innovacal for an outcome in school. gestion of students trooping to write their exams. tion, creativity and In Nigeria, for instance, it used research. A key instruto be that passing the National ment as Singapore intentionally navigated towards Common Entrance Examination or gaining Univerthe global knowledge economy has been the gov- sity admission was a matter for celebration in the ernment Agency for Science, Technology and Re- whole neighbourhood. Today, education has been search. At the school level, Singapore created a new relegated to the periphery of our society; students educational vision, Thinking Schools, Learning Na- can no longer identify the importance of education tion. This major milestone in Singapore's educa- in a society where University students could stay tion journey recognised Prime Minister Goh Chok home for four months over ASUU strike without Tong's belief that a nation's wealth in the 21st cen- any impact on the economy or in the wider society. tury will depend on the capacity of its people to learn. Consider the situation in Korea,, where according Thinking Schools represented a vision of a school to Amanda Ripley, during a national test, the Kosystem that can develop creative thinking skills, life- rean Electric Power Corporation would send its long learning passion and nationalistic commitment men to monitor the power supply to the schools, in the young. Learning nation is a vision of learning to avoid disruption. The stock market would deas a national culture, where creativity and innovation lay opening for one hour to avoid chaotic congesflourish at every level of society (Lee et al., 2008). tion of students trooping to write their exams. Taxis would give students free rides; and Police Officers
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would be mobilised to patrol the school premises but this clearly showed that a clear minded reform can to discourage motorists from honking their horns produce outcomes if properly focused in a short time. to disturb students. During the English language listening portion of the test, airplanes are grounded to prevent noise from disturbing the students. For a country that does these to its students to give education the kind of attention it deserves, are we surprised that Korea is a leader in the PISA test? THE LESSON FROM POLAND In 1997, in a new book by Amanda Ripley, titled, Smartest Kids, in the World and how they got that way, Poland appointed Miroskaw Handke as Education Minister, an outsider, a chemist by profession and an accomplished one at that but one that knew next to nothing about education or education policy. At the time he took over, Poland faced an existential crisis in which only half of rural adults finished primary school. Poland was relegated to low skilled and low paid jobs other Europeans did not want to do. He then embarked on an ambitious education Reform Programme that had four main points: First, inject rigour into the system. The new programme mould fundamentally layout goals, but leave details to school and government which require a quarter of the teachers to go back school to school to improve the system. Secondly, accountability - students would start taking standardized test at regular intervals through their schooling. The third reform was adding an extra full year in high schools, delaying graduation from high school to age sixteen. Fourthly, autonomy - teachers would be free to chose their text books and curriculum from the over one hundred approved curriculum and earn bonuses on how much development they did. The reform was bold in conception and novel but met stiff resistance from entrenched interest in the education industry, yet the minister persisted. In year 2000, three years after the programme, polish student, fifteen old took the PISA exams and ranked 21st in reading and 20th in Maths, below the United State and below the OECD average for the developed world. A very poor out come. In 2003, a new group of polish took PISA. This is now six years after the reform and the result was interesting. Poland ranked 13th in reading and 18th in Maths just above the US in both subjects. In space of three years, Poland had caught up with the developed world. This was a surprising out come in that reforms normally take many years to have impact,
GOING FORWARD The Future of Nigerian Education educational system must be built on existing foundations by improving on those structures and at every level we need to focus on areas for improvement using national and international metrics to measure performance. I am delighted that this award ceremony for excellence is a wake up call for us to reinvent the public schools that can front leap Akwa Ibom state into the league of global competiveness that is the hallmark of the present information age. Certainly the map of oil is changing, therefore Akwa Ibom must invest more in the education of the future generations. This will then make us confident that their tomorrow is fully assured and prosperous. The ongoing transformation in the state requires conscious strategic planning that would produce a generation of educated, well skilled, and competent manpower that would not only sustain the ongoing progress but cause quantum improvement in positioning Akwa Ibom and Nigeria as the pride of the black race. In conclusion, I strongly believe that in advancing the development of quality education in Akwa Ibom state there is need to: • Set up an independent committee made up of experts in the education sector to study the existing educational policy of the state and come up with workable strategies that will transform the educational sector in Akwa Ibom • Considering international metrics, education experts should debate how new curricula and assessment strategies can enhance the relevance and impact of learning. • Develop a rigorous, research-based teachereducation programmes that prepares teachers in content, pedagogy, and educational theory, as well as the capacity to do their own research and
FRSC INSIGHT OCTOBER , 2013 15 craft creative academic solutions for teaching; • Evolve an educational policy that incentives attendance of public schools, which can compete better than products of private schools. One of the ways to achieve this is to recruit, develop, reward, and retain effective teachers and principals, while developing a reliable data base capable of measuring students success and feedback teachers on their performance while exploring smarter procedures for improving teaching. • Create a significant financial support for teacher education, professional development, reasonable and equitable salaries, and supportive working conditions. This would include granting long term loans to teachers which are written off based on their continued employment as teachers up to ten or more years after attracting the loan facilities. • Factor the measurement of the impact of teachers and their teaching as a major parameter in the ranking of schools. • There should also be a policy on continuous tracking of student's performance, especially those that did well in their JAMB and pre degree examinations to see the correlation to their final academic performance at graduation, to see if consistencies are maintained. This would certainly foster the spirit of continuing high performer. • Reforming school curriculum by increasing the emphasis on deep understanding with ability to apply knowledge to solving new problems and thinking creatively rather than narrowing performance to written examinations, which sometimes make students to memorize only for purpose of passing examinations. • Designing flexible educational programmes with flair for greater curricular choice for students and more latitude for authorities at the local communities to decide on examination content, aimed at loosening the
constraints on curriculum and instruction. • Commence a conscious programme that would present students of Akwa Ibom public schools to participate and excel in internationally known educational rating programmes, especially the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). • Build a sense of shared understanding and common purpose among key stakeholders and groups in order to achieve system coherence and continuity. CONCLUSION To improve the quality of our education, we need to study what other countries did that made a positive difference in their educational system and remodel it to suite our own system. Just recently, the United States President, Barack Obama launched one of the world's most ambitious education reform agendas called, race to the top. The agenda encourages US states to adopt inter-
nationally benchmarked standards and assessments as a framework within which they can prepare students for success in college and the workplace; recruit, develop, reward, and retain effective teachers and principals; build data systems that measure student success and inform teachers and principals how they can improve their practices; and turn around their lowest-performing schools.
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The world today is a global village. If we must make References: education the foundation of our future, if we must create knowledge based - economy; then we must orient Goswami, R. Economic growth and higher education in India and China. July 2012 ourselves with what other countries have done to beat the global standard. We must make a quantum leap Gusau, B,U., Educational reforms in Nigeria: successive years of inin restructuring our educational system from being a consistencies and confusions Paper presented at the Gusau Educational Development Association (GEDA), interactive session. January 2008. mere box for students gathering to citadel of innovation and value. As drivers of Nigerian future economy, Harmon, C., Oosterbeek, H., Walker, I., The Returns to Education. A you are not only competing within the blue waters of Review of Evidence, Issues and Deficiencies in the Literature, Centre for the Economics of Education, LSE, 2000. our national sea but against the global ocean current. Akwa- Ibom then under the Calabar Kingdom was among the first in the country to have a taste of western education in Nigeria with the establishment of Hope Waddell Training Institute, Calabar as far back as in the 1895 and the Methodist Boys High School, Oron in 1905. As a land of promise, it is time for Akwa-Ibom to reclaim its pride of place in the educational arena. By shifting your paradigm towards this line of thought and through concerted efforts from the parents, teachers and the government, I have no doubt in my mind that the educational system should be able to transform into a world class model, producing enviable graduates capable of creating an emerging economy that will compete globally, while Akwa Ibom; the state of promise remain a society where no man is oppressed. Thank you for listening.
Nwalor, J.N. Reviving Academic Standards in Nigerian Universities: Role of the Academia OECD 2010 Strong Performers and Successful Reformers in Education: Lessons from PISA for the United States OECD (2011), Lessons from PISA for the United States, Strong Performers and Successful Reformers in Education, OECD Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/9789264096660-en OECD 2012 Strong Performers and Successful Reformers In education: Lessons from PISA for Japan http://www.wise-qatar.org/content/improving-education-systems http://nigeria.prognoz.com/en/Map http://saction.org/books/Citizens_Report_2012.pdf http://www.elombah.com/index.php/articles/nasir-el-rufai/11812-akwa-ibom-s-budget http://www.ngex.com/nigeria/places/states/ogun.htm www.ogunstate.gov.ng www.nuc.edu.ng www.nigerianstat.gov.ng
Quotes on Education Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” – Nelson Mandela “Next in importance to freedom and justice is popular education, without which neither freedom nor justice can be permanently maintained.” – James A Garfield “Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army.” Edward Everett “Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.” – Malcolm Forbes “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.” – Rachel Carson “Education is essential to change, for education creates both new wants and the ability to satisfy them.” – Henry Steele Commager It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it- Aristotle Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire- William Butler Yeats Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.- John Dewey Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/topics/topic_education.html#BfY97SLcqrqUWy38.99
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ONE-ON -ONE WITH Onyenso Esther Amarachi me with the opportunity to write hence I used the platform to offer advice to road users. Just as the topic has it, the future is in my hands. I think we should not leave the whole work for FRSC instead we should collectively keep ourselves safe from crashes. Can we meet you?
How did you get to know about the completion? During my NYSC days, I was a road safety club member as part of my Community Development Service (CDS). The Competition was announced to us in July at one of our CDS meeting and I decided to participate in the competition.
I am Onyenso Esther Amarachi. I am from Abia state. A graduate of banking and finance from University of Nigeira, Nsuka. I served at the Teaching Service Commission in Lokoja, Kogi state. I was born on 21 March 1989. I attended st Anthony nursery and primary school and for my secondary school You are no longer a corps member, when did I went to Nigeria Christian Seminary, Aba. you pass out?
You said you studied banking and finance, 10th October, 2013 how come you emerged the overall best out of the 160 people that participated in During your NYSC what was your conthe essay competition on road safety titled, tribution in your place of assignment? "Road traffic crash my future in my hands?" My work was more of secretariat job. I My discipline and the essay that came up helped in compilation of the centralized were not related but I am somebody that has mock examination when due and which is passion for safety tips. I actually and pur- usually very tedious. During the last cenposely joined Road Safety for the passion. I tralized mock exams we worked tiredwent for road safety recruitment during my ly in contributing to national service. school days but I with my exams at hand, I had to let go. My dream is to see how much With your load of work how did you have the I could contribute in reducing carnage on our time to write the essay? roads. I joined road safety to help in my little way to eradicate the high rate of road traf- Actually the work load was very heavy durfic crash in Nigeria and the essay provided ing my PPA. I was also the treasurer of my
FRSC INSIGHT OCTOBER, 2013 passing out group in my fellowship, the NCCF an acronym for the Nigerian Christian Corpers Fellowship. Though I had so much in my hand I still had to create time to take care of my personal needs and growth. And because of my keen interest in road safety, I had to create that time in writing the essay.
life safe and with God on our side we shall. That the young he died as a youth from road crash, it means that Road Traffic Crash has no respecter of age, race , sex or colour. We need to know that RTC can kill anybody but if we are careful road users and have considerations for other road users we can avoid road crash.
When you wrote the essay, were you expecting When you were informed that you won the to emerge the best nationwide? prize how did you feel? It was my least expectation, however I give glory to God that my effort was adjudged the best in the while country. I only know that while writing the essay I took it seriously and I wrote to the best of my ability. For it to now become the best essay nationwide, I truly thank God and also appreciate the organizers for giving me the opportunity to discover this writing talent
I felt good when I emerged the first position, more especially knowing that my effort was not in vain. I sincerely appreciate the organizers of the competition. I pray that the gentle soul of the young man in whose memory the competition is organized to rest in perfect peace. I also thank our mummy, justice Mensie Monica for organin me. izing this programme without being weighted down by the death of her son she want to enAre you aware that the competition was sure that the Nigerian youth is careful when named after the son of the founder who died using the road. I pray that the good Lord in a road crash? keeps her and the members of her family safe. Yes
What advice do you have for your colleagues especially those you just passed out with How did you feel when you learnt that it was and most especially the Nigerian youths? organized in memory of the young man? My advice is as the saying goes God helps I felt pity for the founder who had to lose her those who help themselves. We have a role son, who happened to be a young man and a to play to keep ourselves safe. With God law graduate. One could hardly imagine the on our side we can defeat road traffic crash pains the parents went though losing a son which happens to be no respecter of person. to road traffic crash. I think the concept is a wonderful one as it will continue to keep the Do you think that FRSC is doing enough to memory alive. As they keep celebrating or re- keep our roads safe? membering him through this channel, it will also serve as a conscious reminder to all our One can only do his best and leave the rest road users to equally know that as individuals for God. FRSC has been working hard to we can help in our own small ways to keep our eradicate road traffic crashes, they should
FRSC INSIGHT OCTOBER , 2013 equally look into our road construction by advising the appropriate agencies on how roads should be safely constructed in order to reduce rate of environmental factors that lead to road crashes. As FRSC continues to do its best, other agencies should join hands in the fight against road traffic crash.
What are your hobbies? I enjoy travelling, especially on good roads. I listen to gospel music and I cook. Who is your role model?
How do you see Federal Road Safety Corps No man is best enough to be my model except in the next 100 years? God. I see an organization with the might to eradi- Are you married? cate traffic crashes and create a safe motoring environment to the extent that we shall No, I am single have a zero percent crash rate in the country.
Steps to becoming a purposeful leader It is said that salespersons are trained in the power of a first impression. Great speakers dedicate hours to opening statements. Journalists are warned never to bury the lead. Athletes practice racing out of the starting blocks. Interviewees are taught the importance of their initial handshake with a potential employer. In leadership, as in many other areas of life, the beginning often determines the end. False starts and weak foundations can be damaging. Here are five insights to help you start successfully. 1. Start with Yourself If you want change, start with yourself. By so doing, you build the self-confidence needed to attract and inspire others. Leading yourself well is a leads to achievement. And triumph earns respect. In order to make deposits in the lives of followers, you have to have a beginning balance in your leadership account. Start leading by proving your mettle - to yourself and to prospective followers. 2. Start early
Many people waste their early years doing nothing to improve themselves towards becoming the leaders they desire to be and spend the rest of their time trying to make up. In leadership, as with finances, decisions made early in life accrue the most interest. When we choose poorly or establish bad habits, we put ourselves in debt. Then, we must not only repay our loans, but the interest on them as well. On the flip side, when we invest our time and talent wisely from a young age, we reap the benefits of compounding interest on our leadership. 3. Start Small Don't expect to understand what it takes to get to the top, just take the next step. Think big, but start small. Doing so encourages you to get started, and keeps you from being frozen by the magnitude of the vision in front of you. When you accomplish a small step, you gain confidence that you can accomplish the next step.
FRSC INSIGHT OCTOBER, 2013 4. Start with the end in mind To start with the end in mind, you need vigor and direction. Let your passion pull you forward, and let your planning give you direction. In order for passion to be a driving force in your life, you must identify a purpose for your life. To locate your purpose, consider your strengths, interests, and past successes. What roles do you find most enjoyable? What brings you the greatest sense of satisfaction? Examine the areas that make you feel strong and angle your career toward them. Also, find people who
have been successful in the area of your interest. Listen to them and watch their lives. 5. Start Now We exaggerate yesterday, overestimate tomorrow, and underestimate today. Embrace action daily. Don't wait until its too late before you begin to pursue the visions implanted in your heart. Make each day your masterpiece; you wll be surprised where you end up after stringing together a few months of superb days.
FRSC INSIGHT OCTOBER , 2013 EMERGENCY CALL LINE: 0700- CALL-FRSC (0700-2255-3772) EMERGENCY TEXT MESSAGE LINE: 0807 -769- 0362 FRSC EMERGENCY TOLL FREE LINE ON ALL NETWORKS: 122
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