Iseyin Education Stakeholders Urge Govts To Make Schools’ Press Clubs Compulsory
•By OYENIYI AWOJOODU
IBADAN — STAKEHOLDERS in the education sector have called on the Federal Government and the Oyo State Government to make Press Club a compulsory extracurricular programme in their post-primary education policies.
The call came at the launching of Press Clubs for public and private secondary schools in Iseyin, Iseyin local government of Oyo State.
While speaking at the event which was organized by The Chronicler Newspaper, a community newspaper initiative, in conjunction with the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Iseyin branch, the State’s Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Hon. Olusegun Olayiwola, who was represented by the Local Inspector of Education in Iseyin Local Government, Mr. Mojeed Raji, expressed happiness that the launching of Press Clubs in Iseyin schools would booster academic performance of students.
He charged teachers to use the programme to play the roles of mentors for the students willing to be members of the club and urged students to use the opportunity to broaden their academic horizon.
“The Press Club launching today has presented yet another opportunity for studs in Iseyin to broaden their academic horizon as it stands to help them develop writing and speaking skills.”
The convener of the event who is the Publisher of The Chronicler Newspaper, Mr. Alhazan Abiodun, said the purpose of the convergence of Press Club members across the schools in Iseyin Local Government and launching of the initiative is to ginger the Federal and State governments to make it a policy matter for schools to have and operate the club as a vehicle to enhance self esteem, improved reading and writing skills as well as expose students to various subjects outside their academic curriculum.
He called on teachers to see the club as an informal avenue to mentor and shape the young minds for future greatness.
The Guest Lecturer of the event, Mr. Rahaman Abiola, who is the Editor-in-chief of LEGIT.ng, spike on the need for incorporation of emerging technologies like Artificial intelligence (AI) and others into Press Club, to pave way for technology skill acquisition and employment opportunities.
He implored the All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPPS) and Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) to make Press Club in Iseyin schools a success.
Highlights of the event include selection of ten students across Iseyin schools amkng the participants to benefit from free Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB)’s registration.
Among the special guests at the event was the Executive Chairman, Iseyin Local Government, Hon. Rasak Fadiran, who was represented by the Supervisor for Education, Hon. Fadipe Ademola, the Chairman, NUT, Iseyin branch, Comrade Ademola Wasiu, senior staffs of the Iseyin Local Inspectorate of Education, former Chairman, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Oke-Ogun Chapter, Alhaji (Comrade) Semiu Azeez among others.