In our technology development process in Nigeria today, the teaching of Physics and the knowledge derived from the subject must be practical- based, especially at the senior secondary school level in Nigeria as it obtains in the developed world.

In this regard, every topic in Physics must be backed up with a group project assigned to students by their teachers to prove the reality of the theory of a particular topic. Experience has shown that the development will go a long way to make the knowledge of physics impartible on the learners, and thereby enhancing the technological development in them.

In 1993, Federal College of Education, (Special) Oyo, came up with a vision to establish an international science practical- based secondary school, known as SPED International Secondary School, to co-exist with other existing standard public and private secondary schools in the state.

Rising starts gathered that for effective teaching of vocational training for students in the college, the proprietor, the Federal College of Education, Oyo had put in place ultra modern science teaching aids in order to achieve its mission and dream. The principal of the school, Dr. (Mrs.) Olanike Busari stated that the school is inculcating in students what will make them to be successful in life. According to her, there is no complacency and no room for apathy in education.

This week, Rising stars was at the college to witness the valedictory service of another batch of graduates from the school for the 2011/2012 academic session. Having seen some of the projects of the students of the school, Rising starts took interest in their solenoid machine model. It is a device that attracts magnetic material when electric current passes through a copper wire wood on a soft iron core. According to the students, the solenoid, an iron picker model machine, was designed for small scale industries, technicians and artisans to pick any of their tiny magnetic materials, such as pins, niddles, nuts, screw etc.

The Senior Prefect (Boy) of the school, Master Emmanuel Oyesiji, and his female counterpart, in the school, Miss Omotayo Lanlokun, who spoke with Rising Stars stated that: “mechanics, fashion designers, goldsmiths, metal industry workers and others could make use of the device to search out for any of the lost tiny tools in their workshops. Our vision is to enhance production and services of other people in the society through technology devices.”

She stated further that the machine model can substitute for fork lifts or cranes to lift big iron machines from the ship, depending on its size in terms of the volume of the coil and the voltage.

Similarly, it can be used domestically to search for lost keys, or any other iron objects.

“The study of physics towards the development of technology needs the financial support of government and the corporate bodies. We, the students, are ready to learn, as we have qualified teachers to teach us but lack adequate tools to work with.

There is nothing that Japan, China and other developed nations are doing in the area of technology that we Nigerian youths cannot do if we have the government backing, as it operates in those countries,” the Head boy aslo said.

Speaking in the same vein, the coordinators of the project, Mr. Olatunde Ojo and Mr. Ajibola Shittu, stated that the college had embarked on so many chemistry and physics-based researched projects to teach their students the reality of science subjects in the school. They attributed the success of the school to the proprietors’ efforts in establishing a science-based school and providing all the necessary teaching aids for the teachers.

The issue of technology development in schools should not be sole responsibility of the school owners rather government, industries and individual investors should visit schools across the country to identify with the projects and find means to develop the relevant ones for commercial use.

The components include a switch, iron rod, coil and battery to produce the magnetic machine to lift heavy engine or big iron from one place to another without stress. The bigger the volume of the coil and the current, the stronger the magnetic machine will be to carry any object,” they explained.