VC University of Ibadan advocates family life, health education in schools

A don, Prof. Abel Olayinka, has stressed the need for Nigerians to acquire sound Family Life and Health Education (FLHE) to achieve a fulfilling and rewarding life.

Olayinka, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, gave the advice at a National Workshop, organised by the Ibadan Social and Evaluation Research Team (ISERT) in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the FLHE is a planned process of age appropriation, cultural and gender sensitive education that foster the acquisition of knowledge of life skills.

It also gives reproductive health information, which should lead to positive changes in behaviors, attitudes, beliefs, values and the development of skills by adolescent to cope with emerging life sexuality issues.

The Vice-Chancellor said that the university, through the efforts of Ford Foundation, had undertaken some activities designed to scale up the implementation of FLHE in schools.

He said that the team has conducted research on FHLE in 35 states of the federation, and had visited government at all levels and traditional leaders to sensitize them on the project.

The vice-chancellor said the moves were aimed at ensuring that the research is fruitful and also for the educational materials to become very useful to stakeholders.

“The painstaking process adopted in the design, evaluation and production of these resources, epitomized the University of Ibadan’s persistent commitment to maintaining highest academic standards.

“It is also to pioneer and promote innovative research and activities that have lasting impacts and to serve as a leading change agent in our country,” Olayinka said.

According to him, the research materials will be useful, not only in Nigeria, but will also serve as templates for similar exercises in the African continent.

“Our ultimate desire is for our students, in rural and urban areas as well as in all geographical zones, to live a more fulfilling and rewarding life,” he said.

Olayinka commended the Federal Ministry of Education and the Ford Foundation for their roles in bringing development and awareness to secondary schools in the country.

Also speaking, Mrs Florence Otaru, the National Coordinator, HIV/AIDS Department, Federal Ministry of Education, said the ministry would continue to sustain the relationship to ensure that students are knowledgeable in the field of FLHE.

Otaru added that the ministry had coordinated and monitored the implementation process of the project in collaboration with stakeholders, through critical mass meeting and capacity building process.

She said that three teachers from each school were trained for implementation of the program.

The coordinator added that the ministry, in collaboration with the National Control of Aids (NACA), had carried out activities through the help of the World Bank to domesticate FLHE implementation in schools.