Expert sees proactive measures as steps towards competitive education system

Education remains a very important sector for real national growth and development. It is heart-warming to observe that many stakeholders talk about how we can improve the quality of education in Nigeria. This is a first step; creating awareness of the vital importance of education in our various communities is essential, but all stakeholders must define education in its right context.

Is education merely a means of obtaining qualifications? Education involves skills and knowledge acquisition and character development in which the right values and skills are passed to trainees.

Character development in particular is very important. The key challenge in the sector remains how to make our education relevant to the people being trained and the communities they represent.

Nigeria is at a crossroad, instead of our present educational system helping to propel us forward in development, we face a gloomy picture of decay because of wrong ideas and teachings that made “self” instead of the “society” as a centre of development.

The over-development of “self” in positive ways would not have harmed the nation but the greed attached to “self-development” has. There are supervisory bodies (school boards, governing councils, committees on education, science, health, technology etc.) set up to monitor growth and development of education in our schools and institutions of higher education. Some members of such supervisory bodies are generally uninformed of their duties, and responsibilities attached to their offices.

Some work very hard for excellence while some see being in such bodies as opportunities to ‘make it’. Projects meant to be supervised by their supervisory bodies become ‘projects’ they execute with nothing to show for it at the end of the day.

Even the funds for execution of projects are usually thought to be ‘money for sharing’. Deceit, insincerity and abuse of office are rampant. Harassment of ‘those not playing ball’ is the order of the day. Corruption is an emergency to be tackled sincerely in Nigeria.

Our institutions at primary, secondary and tertiary levels need to develop curricula that will equip graduates to meet the complex challenges brought about by globalisation and the technological advances in the 21st century. Some stakeholders have the mistaken view of exploiting our current educational needs for their selfish ends rather than making education relevant to solving our challenges and meeting the needs of our society.

Our governments and private organisations keen to improve our education need to lead by example demonstrating commitment to enhancing the quality of education in Nigeria through proactive, sustainable policies such as current policies encouraging entrepreneurship.

Those aspiring to create or set up new schools and institutions also need to employ qualified staff, with the right moral and intellectual values, which will then serve as models and mentors for our young people.

It is sad to see so many youth, unemployed and underemployed, left to suffer hardship, hoping for jobs that are not available. It is also disappointing to see many unemployable youths hoping and lobbying for jobs they are not qualified for nor experienced enough to handle.

Our institutions should own the challenge and responsibility to make those being trained employable. Too many of our products from all levels of our educational system have mere “paper” qualifications. The above mentioned challenges are signs of the failure of education system which have to be addressed.

As much as possible, our leaders must avoid politicising education in Nigeria. In the past, merit was the key criteria for selecting candidates for key roles in recruiting teachers and key players in public institutions.

However, what often plays out is that ethnic and religious prejudices are used by uninformed individuals or communities to influence these key appointments. Universities no longer focus on developing universal scholars who will have as their primary assignment teaching, research and service.

Honesty, hard work and expression of all good values that we used to honour in the old days and even taught as civics should be brought back as attributes of good citizens, not the acquisition of wealth by any means that are not decent and honourable.

There is unbridled and reckless display of wealth, which should have been directed to productive ventures in health, education and agriculture. There should also be a workable code of conduct amongst various professional groups – teachers, judges, doctors, civil servants etc. Monies are recklessly spent in public places to show off. This behaviour is not good for the nation as it sends wrong signals to our youths.

Our communities need to understand that knowledge and technology that will enhance their quality of life can come from any source globally. This is not a radically new idea to our society.

Our secondary schools and universities had teachers from all corners of the world, all races and various backgrounds with one thing common; a desire to pursue and communicate intellectual excellence. The nations we recognise as developed, take education seriously, placing emphasis on promoting access to education for all and recruiting the very best people to elevate their societies.

I desire to see a Nigeria that is in the forefront of scientific and technological achievements that will advance the standard of living of Nigerians, a country with proud and cohesive people and where appropriate values and attention are placed on key sectors such as education, health, human rights and security by government. The investment in these key areas and in particular, the educational sector, will go a long way in bringing a future and a hope for this generation and future generations.