According to a *Nelson Mandela*, “Education is the most powerful tool you can use to change the world”
True to this view, the concern however, is what quality of education is being administered to our generation? This is the critical question we should all be worried about.
If we narrow this concern down to the Education system in Nigeria in a simple analysis, we would understand the reason for the failed state of the Nigeria education system. I would rather use the word “failed” because in all standards compared to what is obtainable as an acceptable practice globally, Nigeria lacks the audacity to hold claim of standard basic education system at all levels.
I have tried to take a close look at some subject I consider as responsible for the downturn in the Nigerian education sector. It has become evident that the drivers of education policies for the country seem not to understand the need to overhaul and provide an acceptable reform to the Education Sector.
*FUNDING*
The budgetary allocation for the education sector in 2019 fell below the 15% to 20% which is said to be the minimum recommendation for developing countries set by the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation. Over time, the budgetary allocation for the education sector in Nigeria continues to flicker between 5, 6, and 7% of the national budget. Suffice to say that education is being underfunded and not given the right attention in Nigeria.
*MANAGEMENT*
Of what looks more of round pegs in square holes, you will agree with me that politics has overtaken the seriousness of the business in the education sector where the current Minister of Education, Adamu ADAMU is an accountant, Chukwuemeka NWAJIUBA, the Minister of State for Education is a Lawyer, and the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Sonny ECHONO is an Architect. Why won’t the sector fail?
So far, the new normal is of what is acceptable and not what is tenable or who is qualified. The drivers of the ministry of education in Nigeria were politically acceptable and not professionally fit to run the ministry in my candid submission. Education administrators should run the affairs in the education sector if we must get the desired results.
*CORRUPTION*
Corruption in the education sector runs in a top to bottom pattern which happens in offices and in classrooms. Even that the meagre funding is being misappropriated, there is increasingly panic in classrooms pay to play and sex for marks. The impact is devastating because the end product is definitely a failed society.
*BATTERED LEARNING FACILITIES, INFRASTRUCTURES AND NON-QUALIFIED TEACHERS.*
The rate of decay in infrastructure within this sector is second to none as it were and politicians are only interested in building their private schools for their likes. The quality of graduates being produced as teachers has also affected the quality of teaching services being offered which is as a result of corruption as mentioned earlier; where an unserious student who will never attend class, yet will “graduate” with “amazing” grades.
*MONITORING*
There is also a total absence of adequate and effective monitoring of the activities of officers in the education sector. Absence of effective and appropriate consequent management for defaulting officers.
*INADEQUATE ORIENTATION OF RURAL DWELLERS.*
There is this lackadaisical approach to education by rural dwellers and records shows that the education ministry has not done enough to build wide outreach to engage rural dwellers the importance of education and the positive effect of girl child education.
*EFFECTS OF THIS MISNOMER*
The ripple effect of the misnomer which has outrun the education ministry is CRISIS in the education sector. This crisis continues to worsen and the result is seen in the type of product the sector offers the society.
This is one of the many reasons why there are more uninformed educated persons around who would not be bothered about the future of this generation or the one to come.
“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education” – *Martin Luther King, Jr.*
Sadly, what we have today in Nigeria is a critical imbalance due to lack of quality education.
*Austeen Anibe Otene*