The Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufa’i, has expressed dissatisfaction over the performance of students in core science subjects at the Federal Science and Technical College, Aka Offot, Akwa Ibom State.
The minister, who was on official visit to the school to assess the level of infrastructural facilities, said that there was need to do more in meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan’ transformation agenda in ensuring quality in the nation’s education sector.
She said that the 65 per cent performance ratio of the students in core science subjects was not encouraging and such did not befit the country’s status as a centre of excellence and stressed that the school should aspire for 89 to 90 per cent in core science subjects.
conjunction with other agencies would render the needed assistance to the school.
The minister lauded the school’s performance in woodwork and other practical subjects and added that? the students must be ready to do well while on our part , we needed to put in more effort.
She said, “the message we have is that we really need to do more. Although laboratories are been renovated and furnished, we are not really happy with the equipment that we saw. Even at the ICT centre, we have computers but they are yet to be installed because of certain reasons.
“So what we would ask the school to do, even if it is in conjunction with the ministry, is that we need to equip the laboratories as soon as possible. We need to provide more textbooks and instal all the computers as soon as possible. There is no point having a computer wasting in the store.”
The minister went further, “even the performance of the students in core science subject which is 65 per cent is not encouraging and does not suit us as a centre of excellence. We should aspire for 89 to 90 per cent. At the Federal Unity College in Enugu, all the sciences they had were over 90 per cent. It was only in mathematics students didn’t perform well.
“If we have? 65 per cent here in core sciences, it means we have to look at what we are doing in terms of teaching, learning and in terms of the provision of equipment to ensure that we do more. If we have 65 per cent here as average for the sciences here and even in mathematics, it could even be below 50 per cent, it means that we are no longer the centre of excellence that we are supposed to be.
“I urge you as school principal and teachers to be up to your responsibilities so that whatever is supposed to be done should be done.”