NAN-HE-11
Statistics
By Cecilia Ologunagba
Abuja, Dec. 30, 2016 (NAN) A don, Prof. Sidney Onyeagu, has advocated the teaching of statistics in secondary schools, to encourage youths to embrace the study of the course in institutions of higher learning.
Onyeagu, a research professor in the Department of Statistics, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, made the remark in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.
The professor, who is also President, Nigerian Statistical Association (NSA) said that the association was working toward reintroducing the subject in the secondary school curriculum.
The university teacher said that the subject was formerly included in the secondary school syllabus but was later removed.
“We have formed a group of professors who are going to work on it so that we can start teaching statistics from the grassroots.
“We want to start teaching it so that before the students get to the university, they would have been knowledgeable about the subject.
“ I have observed that most of the people that have studied statistics didn’t actually apply for the course.
“It is when they were not taken in the course they took that they changed to statistics; that is how we even get most of our students now.
“If you see merit list, you hardly see up to two candidates that applied for statistics; the institution will make up for more candidates on the supplement list,’’ he said.
The don said that computer as a course had been introduced in the secondary and primary schools, noting that the number of people studying it at the tertiary level had also increased.
Onyeagu said that once statistics was introduced in the secondary school, the association would also work toward its introduction at the primary school level.
“We are going to write six volumes on what we call NSA statistics from JSS 1 to SS 3.
“We know statistics is easier than mathematics; mathematic involves a lot of theory but we have a lot of formula in statistics.’’
The university teacher said that the association was working to establish Chartered Institute of Statisticians of Nigeria (CISN) to check quackery in the profession.
He said that when established, only professional statisticians would be used to do the job.
Onyeagu advocated the establishment of more states Bureau of Statistics to ensure better coordination of statistical system in the country.
He said that the association had done a lot of advocacy to encourage states without bureau to do so.
NAN reports that 22 of the 36 states had so far established Bureaus of statistics. (NAN)
CIA/FLP/GY
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Edited by Folorunso Poroye/Grace Yussuf