When formal education was developed to coexist with informal education, it was
designed to prepare and groom a child towards a particular profession.  In view of this development, some subjects were introduced, especially at the secondary school level, to fish out the innate talent in a child, and  each subject has its peculiar bearing on a skill. So, to achieve this task, education experts sought to develop a curricula that will effectively transfer the knowledge of each subject into students. If a subject is effectively taught, using the appropriate pedagogy, the students will create interest in the subject that will lead to the development of skills relevant to that subject.

This week, Rising Stars paid a visit to a public school  in Ibadan, where a talented young boy, Master Joshua Paul tried his hands on an architectural skill.
Master Joshua Paul is a student of Oluyole High School (Junior School I), located around  Fodacis, Ring Road, Ibadan.  He joined the college last year, having passed the Oyo State common entrance examination into junior secondary school. Within one year of joining the school, teachers started noticing different skills in him, especially in Fine Arts and  Basic Technology.

Rising Stars learnt that one day in the  basic technology class, the teacher treated a topic on building  plan.  After the class, Joshua went ahead of the class to think further on how to practicalise the topic, by going beyond the chalk board experience to produce a building model with all necessary facilities for its conducive habitation.

Joshua told Rising Stars, that he had the instinct to source for materials to produce a building model that would have light, and other facilities like a real house.

“When I got home after the school hours, I ruminated on what my Basic Technology teacher, Mrs Bello taught us on building plan. Later, I told my parents that I wanted to construct a building model and I r eceived a positive answer from them to  go ahead. I went to the market to buy the materials that I felt could be used to construct the building.

“With the little money  that I had on me, I could only buy a carton, battery, rotor and wire to make a generator for the building and bulb for illumination after which it took me three days to complete the project.

“My model building has in it, a working generator that powers the house, a three bedroom duplex with kitchen, toilets and bathrooms, veranda, car park space and fence,” he said.

Asked about his interest in some subjects, Joshua told Rising Stars that he has interest in technical drawing, fine art, creativity and basic technology education.

“What I have discovered about myself from primary school is that I love to produce things.  If I have contact with anything, I can dismantle it and reproduce it. I want to thank my parents and my auntie for their moral support towards my education. My father is a fashion designer, while my mother is a trader and I enjoyed their moral support but if God permits me, I would like to be an architect in future,” he stated.

Joshua appealed to government to fund basic technology as an subject in schools. According to him, there should be a functional basic technology laboratory in schools to work with, and Basic Technology club for junior and senior secondary school students in the state.

“My dream for Nigeria is to have a peaceful nation because no development can thrive where there is insecurity as there will not be room for children to learn with confidence. Therefore, we need a peaceful and conducive environment to learn and create new things,” he stated further.

Commending the efforts of the student, the Principal of the school, Otunba Bola Taiwo asserted that Joshua is a brilliant boy in the area of creativity and basic technology.

According to him, Joshua would need moral and scholarship support to bring the best out of him. He said that if attention would be given to him now, he will live to be a  blessing to Nigeria.

“I make bold to say that we still have many geniuses in public schools in Nigeria that must be encouraged. If only the public can collaborate with principals and teachers of public schools in the country to offer qualitative education, public school will return to its normalcy,” he said.