NIGERIA EDUCATIONAL SECTOR: SO FAR, SO BETTER?
The late American Educationist, Allan Bloom in a book described Education as “the movement from darkness to light”. This saying/maxim has proven to be true down the ages.
And according to Wikipedia ‘’The Education system in Nigeria is divided into kindergarten, Primary Education, Secondary Education and Tertiary Education.
The introduction of the 6-3-3-4 system of education in the country in 1982 to replace the 6-5-4 system hitherto in place according to some experts was introduced to inject functionality into the Educational system, by producing graduates that would be able to make use of their hands, their head and their heart (the 3Hs of education).
This has however sustained the Nation’s education while it lasts and according to a Policy Advisor at Civil Society Action Coalition on Education (CSACEFA), Mr. Wale Samuel: “the problem of implementation of 6-3-3-4 is partly due to non-availability of personnel, materials, funds and administrative will. The programme has failed to achieve” and exactly 24 years after and in the passage of time, the 9-3-4 system was introduced by the then Minister for Education, Dr. Obi Ezekwesili, to build and improved on the policy she met, the (UBE) was also introduced as a replacement of the Universal Primary Education as an innovation to enhance the first 9-years which comprises of 6-years primary Education & 3-years of Junior Secondary Education.
Education has seen from the above has evolved from generation to generations and have seen varied levels of successes and challenges.
The sector in Nigeria is not an exception because education today in the country is plagued by so many issues and challenges which have threatened to bring the sector down to her knees if not render it comatose. While the Primary and Secondary Levels are facing not too palatable fates, the Tertiary Level is also not immune to these, just as the University Lecturers (ASUU) just called off another round of strike.
Wherefore, challenges and issues such as poor Funding, high student/teacher ratio, poor infrastructure, poor remuneration, Curriculum, Lack of incentives and irregularities in payment of salaries, inconsistent policies, poor governance among others have been enumerated by stakeholders, experts and watchers.
While some people are calling for a state of emergency on the sector, others are calling for the adoption of the Finland model in its entirety. But no matter what we chose, the most crucial period in a child’s life needs to be taken seriously, as according to John F. Kennedy “a child mis-educated is a child lost” and any Nation that fails to get Education right will be rotten at her core.
These myriads of challenges and problems bedeviling the sector notwithstanding, the stakeholders are forging forward with faith, commitment and positivity. We therefore believe strongly in the maxim that says “No matter the darkness in the cloud, it always has its silver lining”.
The private sector’s foray into the sector has proved rewarding, though a bit expensive, have been able to bring in the much needed innovation, modern equipment, better learning environment and mixed /international curriculum.
While we call on the Government to pay close attention to education by instituting a workable curriculum that are tailored & domesticated to the country’s specific and National needs, adequately fund the sector and put in place more training opportunities and facilities for Teachers.
We have also seen on the other hand that Government alone does not have the wherewithal to completely cater for the sector or make the challenges go away, we are thereby appealing to other stakeholders to brace up and counter the challenges as identified and return Nigeria’s Education Sector to its pride of place in the world.
We wish to identify with, thank and deeply appreciate our Education stakeholders starting with the School proprietors, Classroom Teachers, University Lecturers, Administrators, Educationists, NUT, PTAs among others for standing like the rock of Gibraltar and without recourse to the challenges in the sector, are working assiduously, daily to achieve better and greater standard of education, most especially the parents for their conditioning role of learning and the teachers and other sector operators for continuous infusion of great ideas.
May God reward you richly in Jesus Name. Amen