MINUTES OF PARENT – TEACHER
ASSOCIATION MEETING HELD ON 7TH MAY, 2014
.
The
meeting commenced with an opening prayer from a Christian mother, Mrs Olubanke
and a Moslem mother, Mrs Lawal . This was immediately followed with the
introduction of members of the chair by Mr Lawal .
Mrs
Mbalu, the Vice
Principal(Administration) led the recitation of both the National and
School Anthems.
Thereafter,
the Principal, Chief / Mrs E.O, Otubela in her maiden speech appreciated the
Parents for responding to the invitation and made it abundantly clear that the
meeting would concentrate on how to ensure success in the newly-introduced
Unified Examination, asking them to contribute actively when the Proprietor
would be throwing more light on the said examination, what it involves and what
parents and teachers are supposed to do in order to motivate the children so as
to achieve success
Chief A.F. Otubela, the Proprietor, then addressed
the audience adding that it was not only important for students to pass the
Unified Examination but it also involved making the children think critically.
He informed parents that their role in this regard would be vital.
He
then spoke about the National Curriculum which contains all the topics to be
covered in a year according to the category and class of the children. He also
pointed that Lagos State Scheme of work is derived from the Federal Curriculum.
Continuing, he mentioned external examinations such as WAEC, NECO and JAMB ,
each of which has a Syllabus . He mentioned the importance of past questions in
revising questions . According to him, there is also a booklet on Basic
Education past questions. The primary school pupils and secondary school students
are taught in order to ensure success .
In
addition, he mentioned international examinations starting from British
Curriculum, TOEF, SAT and all their schemes operated in Lagooz to enable them
be versatile and possess the ability to succeed in both internal, external,
international examinations.
Therefore, parents should be able to understand
the performance objectives of each topic so as to engage in accurate appraisal
or evaluation of what the children are taught.
By this Knowledge, parents would be able to
find out what is taught in the school.
The essence of this meeting is to enable
parents identify which topic is properly concluded. The students would be able
to identify the learning objectives and follow them up to ensure success.
Parents and students must know this, and it would be easy for parents to form
questions on their own and test their children from time to time.
He
encouraged parents/ guardians to download the performance objectives, have time
to read with the students and motivate them to participate actively in reading
at home.
The
Proprietor said out that this measure would be important in order to help assess
the children from the Junior Classes, especially from primary 3. To this end,
he said that at the end of the session, an external body would be employed to
test the children to determine the efficiency of the teachers,
On
parents obligation towards the Unified Examination, he said that students would
be exposed to objective test but that parents have a big role to play in making
it possible for the children to read at home. They should assist the students
during the reading process at home.
He
promised that Lagooz Unified Scheme would be sent to them two weeks from then,
but added that they should visit Lagooz website for it. He enjoined parents to
carve out a study corner where the children can read at least for two hours per
day. He pleaded with them to discourage the engagement of these children in
watching televisions, listening to radio and browsing on the internet pointing
out that these things would make them to lose concentration Parents, according
to him, should bear the responsibility for making the children do their
assignment, go to bed and wake up on time and check the children’s exercise
books to ascertain the degree of their response to teaching.
In
Lagooz Scheme, he reiterated that parents and external bodies would be
opportuned to pre-test. the children in order to determine their level of
understanding . Where the parents are too busy, he suggested they should engage
the services of a teacher or a professional to conduct this pre-test. He emphasized
the point that children should be encouraged to read at home although they
might be allowed to play intermittently. On Saturday lesson, he pointed out
that all teachers would come to school to revise with the students and give
finishing touches to their academic work from 9a.m to 1p.m because it is
expedient to cover the curriculum. This would involve children from grade
3,4,5, then SS1 and SS2. By this programme, he said, SS2 Scheme would be
covered so that from January next year,
they would be revising their SSCE Scheme.Again, SS2 would be registered for GCE
from now to expose them to SSCE coming up next year.
Also, he informed parents/guardians of the
need to conduct election for officers who would pilot the affairs of P.T.A. He
said that interested candidates should indicate interest and start campaigning.
Moreover,
he informed parents/guardians that a new school uniform would be introduced in
the first term of 2014/2015 session beginning in September. Also, Lagooz Sports
Festival would come up next year and parents would participate and have
customized sports uniform. He also told parents /guardians whose children use
school bus that they would pay a token to cover fuelling. The Saturday lesson
would cost N2,000 (Two thousand naira) only.
Mr
Nwakunor wanted to know whether the N2,000 would be per family or per parent.
There was a question from Mrs Braimoh on uniform.
On
Transport, a parent asked whether the transport would be for only those already
using the bus or for everyone interested on TOEFL, SAT, British Curriculum,
someone asked about the current price
On
cost of transportation, the proprietor said he did not attach any amount to it
then, but that the N2,000 (two thousand naira) would be the cost of the
Saturday lesson while those who would use school bus would pay extra.
There
was a question on the benefits of Unified Examination. Mrs Okebalama referred
to past PTA where the proprietor mentioned the inclusion of trades but
regretted that only photography had been introduced and wondered why the rest
had been lingering. She pleaded that a seminar be conducted and the issue of the use of gadgets
be properly addressed to the students.
Another
parent asked why the proprietor pleaded for payment since it would be a forum
for covering what the teachers did not accomplish.
Mrs
Otejeh wanted to know whether students should be completely disallowed from the
use of internet since the teachers often referred the students to the internet
for answers.
The
proprietor promised that the minutes would be on the internet by the next day
morning. Then on punctuality the following parents would be rewarded as usual:
1.
Mrs Olubanke
2.
Mrs Badmus
3.
Mrs Braimoh Bilikis
On
lesson fee and cost of transportation the N2,000 is for Saturday lesson while the
amount for transportation would be announced to children.
On
school uniform, the proprietor said it would be for every child, and that the
quality would be superior. The proprietor said that the new school uniform
would have the end of 2013/2014 session as deadline.
On
transportation, payment would be according to distance and residence.
The
Nelson handwriting, he said, might be difficult at the beginning but with
consistency, the situation would improve. He then called for cooperation.
The
SAT, TOEFL, British curriculum are for students who would study in Uk, USA
only while those for Ukraine
would require SSCE.
On
uniform, the old uniform would not be sold as from September 2014, that is,
next session.
The
proprietor said that children (girls) would have time to learn house chores
preparatory for motherhood in future but in the meantime, this programme is for
this term.
On
skill acquisition, the proprietor pointed out that learning skills/trade would
take a gradual process. He also informed parents that during the long vacation,
students were taught skill acquisition.
A
child, however, could use internet but they should not be the major
pre-occupation of the children. There should be time for reading, house chores,
use of internet but more time should be allocated to studying.
The
proprietor stated clearly that the school had not failed but that the Saturday
lesson would make it possible for teachers to assist students revise every
topic they had been taught as contained in all syllabi since on their own, it
would be a herculean task for the children to revise and explain certain
things.
The
proprietor answered the questions as shown above but pleaded with parents who
had complaints to visit the school and discuss their observations with the principal,
Head teacher, Vice Principal or the Proprietor. The proprietor said the closing
prayer .
The
meeting came to an end at 6.10pm.