NAN-H-8
Sciences
By Toba Ajayi
Ilorin, Feb. 23, 2017 (NAN) An educationist, Dr Ganiyu Agbaje, has called on government, teachers and parents to teach students the importance of science and technology subjects in facilitating development of the country.
Agbaje, who is the Executive Director, African Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in English (ARCSSTE-E), made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Ilorin.
The educationist stressed the need for authorities and other stakeholders to educate students about the importance of science and technical skills as tools for the socio-economic development.
The executive director called on the government to ensure that science laboratories in schools and colleges were well equipped to expose students to science revolution across the globe.
“It is time for Nigeria to take off and compete with the Western world in terms of science and technology skills.
“Trained experts should be assigned to schools to get students interested in science courses.
“Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Agriculture and Biology should be seen as friendly subjects and not enemy subjects as most students believe,’’ Agbaje said.
The educationist, particularly called on parents to encourage their children to embrace science knowledge as it would help to change the phase of African development in the nearest future.
According to him, science and technical skills had driven many advance countries like China, Japan and Germany to greater heights and that Nigeria should learn from them.
“It is advisable to start from our children in nursery and primary schools.
“Exposing them to sciences will help provide creative engineers, medical experts, astronomers, geographers that will make our environment more conducive one in the future,’’ the executive director said. (NAN)
LEX/AOM/TA
Edited by Abdullahi Mohammed/Tajudeen Atitebi