Friday, March 29, 2024

Stop using corps members as teachers only, NANS president tells FG

…demands review of scheme for development

The National President of the National Association of Nigerian Students, Mr. Chinonso Obasi, has urged the Federal Government to stop the posting of corps members to schools only as teachers.
Obasi, who also demanded a review of the National Youth Service Corp scheme to make it more viable, said corps members should only be posted to the places of primary assignment relevant to their course of study.
The NANS president stressed that a review of the NYSC would provide a viable alternative for survival and improve professionalism among Nigerian graduates.
He made this call against the backdrop of opinions that the National Youth Service Corps Scheme has yet to achieve its major objective of uniting Nigerians, since it was founded 45 years ago.
But the NANS president, who spoke to our correspondent in Lagos, noted that the NYSC should be reformed to serve the purpose of graduate internship, which would assist in providing the necessary work experience to prepare graduates for life after service.
He said, “The conditions in camp, the allowance and the duration of the service should be re-arranged to guarantee adequate welfare. The environment, the standard of feeding and general administration must be improved upon.
“Also, the use of corps members as teachers should be stopped. Rather, the corps members should be posted to places of primary assignments strictly relevant to their profession or course of study. This will give the graduate the opportunity to practise a profession that is line with his training in order to help him or her acquire practical knowledge, which is currently lacking because of the poor state of our educational system.
“Also the allowance should be reviewed upwards to the level of fresh intakes into the civil service on grade level 08. To pay N19,800 to a fresh graduate in a strange land, is not enough to sustain an adult. The service year should be extended to two years; by this time the graduate must have gathered sufficient experience. This period will also assist the graduate to save money to start business after the year of service, in the event that he or she is not retained in the place of primary assignment. This will assist in reducing idleness or unemployment among graduates, as well as reduce crime rate and insecurity in our land.”

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