The Vice-Chancellor of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), Prof. Olufemi Peters, has reiterated the importance of parental encouragement in the newly-introduced skills acquisition training programmes in the school curriculum.

Peters made this call during the 8th Annual Inter-house Sport Competition of the National Open University of Nigeria's Staff School (NSS) in Kaduna. 

The Vice-Chancellor was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration and Chairman Governing Board of the NOUN Staff School, Prof. Isaac Sammani Rabo Bustwat.

He explained that the school has introduced vocational skill training in areas such as electrical installation, painting and decoration, tailoring, hairdressing, and carpentry. 

This initiative aligns with the Federal Government's policy on skills development programme in primary and junior secondary schools.

Peters expressed excitement about the innovation, and acknowledged the participation of 189 pupils in various aspects of vocational training. 

The VC also announced that the school's management has approved a small stipend to facilitate the programme, although its implementation may be delayed as the school experiments with the new initiative.

Moreover, the VC assured that the programme will be expanded to include computer appreciation, enabling pupils to access global resources and explore Artificial Intelligence (AI). 

He emphasised the importance of AI, stating that it has become an integral part of modern life, and pupils will have the opportunity to develop skills in this area.

"The generative Artificial Intelligence is a new area in this age, and our pupils will surely pick interest and some of them will develop on it. In the future, they may become software developers," Peters said.

The Director of the Centre for Human Resource Development (CHRD), Prof. Aminu Umar, in his welcome address, emphasised the need for parents to support the new programme. 

Umar noted that 189 parents have already signed up and assented to the initiative, which focuses on developing talent, intelligence, and vocational skills.

The director explained that the 21st-Century knowledge is built on talent, intelligence, and vocation. 

"Your child may be good in the classroom and may be bad in vocation. Your child may be bad in intelligence but may be good in vocation. Your child may be good in talent and may be bad in vocation," he said.

He advised parents who have not yet signed up for the programme to do so, emphasising that certificates are gradually becoming less important. 

"It is a moment where certificates are gradually becoming things that can be cut away," Umar said.

The 8th inter-house sport competition saw four houses - blue, yellow, green, and red - competing in a series of events from both field and track. 

The overall standing of the competition was blue house coming third, red house second, while yellow and green tied for first position.

The event was attended by parents, teachers, and other stakeholders, who all praised the school's efforts to introduce vocational skill training into its curriculum.