The Principal, Federal Government College, Ibilo, Edo, Mr Agbo Agada, says core science subjects should be handled by teachers, who are well grounded in the subjects, to boost students’ performances in exernal examinations.
Agada stated this in Abuja on Wednesday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He opined that this would assist in encouraging the teaching and learning of science subjects in the nation`s schools.
The principal appealed to all tiers of government to encourage the recruitment of qualified teachers in science subjects to enhance students` interest in the subjects.
“A teacher cannot have a good command of a subject he is not well grounded in by training.
“The influx of all categories of people into the teaching profession today is not a good development in our education system because you can only give what you have.
“Nothing can ever take the place of professionalism in teaching, especially when it has to do with teaching of core science subjects.
“When a teacher that is teaching a science subject himself does not understand the basics of the subject, he can hardly teach the subject in an interesting manner to make the students enjoy and appreciate the subjects.
“This was the beginning of the challenge we have in this area, because the children grow into hating or just tolerating the subjects because of poor handling,’’ he said.
Agada said for the country to advance technologically there was the need for the children to be attracted to science subjects, adding that all technologically advanced economies had gone that same way.
“I think what we need to do is to catch them young and inculcate into their subconscious that science and technology is good.
“The schools should only employ trained teachers in specific areas, they should emphasise quality in their teaching.
“Some of them read all these things but not all of them have been to a laboratory before. They have not been to a good laboratory and they are coming to teach practicals in the laboratory.
“Such people will end up confusing the students and make them believe that some subjects like mathematics are hard to understand.’’
The principal also urged that such comments about some subjects being difficult must be discontinued even in the home.
“We must de-emphasise such comments at home especially as parents. Let parents re-orientate their children to know that this thing is possible.
“We should not encourage that orientation of subjects been impossible to handle, ’’Agada said. (NAN)
PUO/MOL/AFA