Looking at the Education Sector in retrospect, stakeholders have disclosed that the sector, in 2016, had one of its worst years as far as development, admission and decision making were concerned.
While many lamented that the sector was a total failure in key areas, few posited that the sector recorded improvement in last year’s West Africa Senior Secondary School Examination, WASSCE.
In order to improve in areas where there were challenges, stakeholders who spoke to Vanguard are demanding maximum performance from the Ministry of Education.
They insist that the sector needs an overhaul in decision making; just as others maintained that the sector needs the government to stop paying lip service and implement set goals and objectives.
Confused sector: A final year student of Mass Communication from University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Chidera Eze, said,
“The education sector was confused last year. They didn’t reach a consensus on how things should be in the sector. Most of the policies and decisions they brought up and took were good but looking at the political system of Nigeria, those policies could not work effectively.
Point System Option
“Policies like Point System Option, PSO, among others didn’t yield fruits. Instead, they shattered hopes of people who started attending lectures because PSO gave them a high hope of making good results in their Post University Tertiary Matriculation Examination, PUTME, but ended up being disappointed,” he said.
Effects on citizens: For 2017, Eze said, “It is not about making educational policies, it is about what effects they will have on the citizens and the generations yet unborn. Let them critically analyze policies before embarking on them because what they did last year, they were trying to prove to themselves not even Nigerians, that they were working, whereas, they were just trying to showoff.”
Chukwudi Unah, a fourth year student of Law from UNN said, “The education sector generally had poor funding, however, going by students’ performance in WASSCE and NECO 2016, Nigerian secondary schools recorded a better performance in Mathematics and English. He said that the recent assessment procedure into tertiary institutions in Nigeria is a failure.
“Reason being that the mode of administering WASSCE and NECO at present is filled with high rate of malpractices, with ‘special centres, in nooks and crannies of major cities.
Thus, adopting a system flooded with irregularities as a measure of admission is reducing the tertiary education to a non functional sector, as more less-qualified candidates who have cheated their ways through WASSCE and NECO will be admitted.”
He said that the former mode of PUTME was a check on such candidates. “I recommend a return to the former mode of admission, as this current system is a failure as was shown in the research conducted by the University of Ibadan in 2009, the University jettisoned this mode of admission and adopted the conduct of a PUTME.”
Progress thus far
On his part, The founder, African Child Rights Initiative, ACRI, Mr Yinka Olaito, said that despite monumental progress in the education sector, the use of computer based test to conduct Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB; the reintroduction of History into the curriculum, among others, needs to go beyond the usual speeches and seek ways to achieve their set goals via implementation.
Breaking the glass ceiling
“Today we seem to be making progress albeit slowly, but we do have the potential to break the glass ceiling of being labelled inefficient and poor. There must be commitment that goes beyond the usual speeches and talk. To achieve this all stakeholders must bring input and work toward achieving the set goals.”
Mr Olaito listed three key drivers to shape the education sector in year 2017. He said: “For the Ministry of Education to change from the usual moribund industry into a continental force, the ministry has to equip teachers; revamp the curriculum to handle local challenges; and invest in infrastructure and technology so that the sector can match international standards.”
Introducing technology:
For Mrs Bola Kailejaiye, a member, Concerned Parents and Educators Network, CPN, despite the introduction of technology in different structures of education, lack of trained personnel and proper software platforms among others, are issues the education sector has to look into to move forward this new year.
“The education arm needs to make use of technology in enhancing its operations, especially in the areas of preparing exams and marking scripts. Teacher development and the creation of software platforms for individualized teachers will enhance improvement on critical thinking and problem solving skills, thereby reducing the challenge of spending too much time preparing exams and marking scripts that are most times subject to controversies,” she said.
A graduate of Mass Communication from University of Nigeria, Chigozie Joshua, said “The education sector hasn’t performed very well. Although the 2016 WAEC performance had improved in relation to that of 2015, we had the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, recording a very poor performance in 2016.
“The CBT system was blamed for the mass failure. JAMB says it wants to introduce Closed Circuit-Television, CCTV surveillance systems this year, but I think they should first perfect what they have in place before trying to introduce new ones.
Computer literacy
This is especially when one takes cognizance of the budgetary allocation to the education sector for 2017,” she said.
Inadequate funds:
Chigozie Joshua added“Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has complained that the budgetary allocation for education is inadequate, salaries are being owed, facilities in places of learning are outdated and poorly maintained, and that’s even when schools are lucky enough to be equipped. This is part of what contributed to the failure of the CBT in JAMB. Many students weren’t computer literate thus they couldn’t effectively write their exams.
“Can you imagine that in the 21st century we have secondary school students who are not computer literate? If this does not underscore the failure of the education sector I don’t know what does. I honestly do not expect much progress in 2017. The government needs to show seriousness in improving the education sector at every level.
“Regarding the university/polytechnic dichotomy, I believe civil servants with Higher National Diploma, HND, qualifications should be able to progress in their careers. There comes a point where experience and capacity begin to matter more than qualifications. They should not be held back,” Chigozie said.
Scrapping of Post-UTME
A first year student of Integrated Science Education, Chiamaka Ezenwajiaku, said that UTME in 2016 was a disaster, ranging from the registration processes to the examination itself.
“There was high level of incompetence; confusion everywhere, ignition of pain, anger, and complaint among candidates as well as parents. “The former registrar, Prof. Dibu Ojerinde was confused. Some had biometric issues which led to JAMB withholding results. Then the minister came up with scrapping of post UTME when in actual sense, post UTME was like a sieve. It showed that JAMB was not credible enough to be used as a major criteria for admissions.”
“WAEC was extremely excellent last year but I doubt if the papers were marked. Because of this JAMB and WAEC criteria, I see a lot of special centres booming this year.
“Handlers of the sector should have a rethink and stop making life difficult for youths eager to obtain higher knowledge. After spending and spending on UTME for years, one could get discouraged about education. JAMB should ensure that the computers are in good state before accrediting an exam centre , including power supply.
“On university/polytechnic dichotomy, they should sort themselves out this year. I expect a stress free, more organised and competent sector in 2017.
Lack of vision
Chief Executive Officer, IRead Network, Mrs Funmi Ilori shared her views thus;
“The education sector performed woefully in the year 2016 due to lack of vision. It also suffered from poor funding; lack of teachers’ training, curriculum enforcement, to mention a few.
“The sector needs total revamping, as the real problem with our education sector is lack of vision.; no vision of what we want to achieve or what is achievable. When there is no vision, there is no planning, when there is no planning there is no allocation of resources, eventually the people perish.
“Our present curriculum was set by colonial masters who needed us to fit into institutions they created, that is; ministries, parastatals, banks, industries etc.
“This has been the main cause of unemployment, and unless the curriculum is restructured to fit into the local contents of Nigerians, Nigeria’s education sector will continue to grope in darkness.
“Unfortunately, Nigerian graduates of post-independence era are still going to schools that are run with such curriculum that expect them to carry CVs around, looking for jobs. We need a revamping of the curriculum so that graduates would be independent and experienced by the time they are graduating.
Revamp the curriculum:
“What we should do is to have holiday jobs during the long holiday, and courses that teach hands-on skills e.g home economics, farming, social media etc. Also, we should stop teaching British/American history. What of Nigerian history? Most graduates don’t know African history.
Culled from VANGUARD
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