By Ngozi Nwankwo
Nigerian Academy of Education, NAE, on Wednesday called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare state of emergency in education sector in order to holistically address the rot and decadence in the system.
The Academy has also urged the Federal Government to stop running of secondary schools and as such handover all the 115 Federal Government Colleges to the states with comprehensive conditions.
NAE President, Professor Kabiru Isyaku, made the call in his welcome speech at the 38th Annual Congress, 2024, holding in Abuja from 5th to 8th November, with the theme: “Nigerian Education System: Past, Present & Future.
The event witnessed the induction of 26 new members and elevation of three deserving members to the Fellowship level. Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) was also honoured by the Academy in recognition of his outstanding contributions to development of in Nigeria.
Lamenting the appalling state of education in Nigeria, Isyaku, suggested that there is the need to declare emergency in the sector because it affects all other sectors of the nation’s economy.
He revealed that the National Policy on Education was last reviewed over 10 years ago, saying that the declaration of emergency would allow government to assemble experts for the policy review, and to critically address issues like status of education in the Constitution, structure, funding, and relevance of the current Curriculum.
He added that issues of evaluation and certification should be addressed comprehensively enough to cover all levels and everything to do with education with all stakeholders be it Local, State, Federal Government, employers, religious and other development partners, since Education is the responsibility of all.
Isyaku, observed that currently, there is no synergy between the Federal and State Government that could enhance smooth development of education in the country.
He called for adequate remuneration of personnel in educational institutions while ensuring release of their salaries and other entitlements as and when due.
He described as aberration the running of primary and secondary schools by the Federal Government, insisted that this does not happen anywhere in the world.
“The Federal Government, at this stage of the country’s development, should not directly run secondary Schools. Instead, FGN should only be in charge of Policy and Quality Assurance. Thus, all Federal Government Colleges should be devolved to the states with comprehensive conditions,” he said.
The Nigerian Academy of Education condemned proliferation of educational institutions by Federal State Governments and called for moratorium on the establishment of new institutions, until the current ones are fully equipped and with adequate personnel as required by the regulatory agencies.
The keynote speaker, Prof. Alhas Maicibi Nok, of Faculty of Education, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, bemoaned the high level of corruption in management of educational institutions in the country.
He argued that even though education is faced with the problem of poor funding, the major challenge is the misappropriation of the little resources allocated to the institutions.
Nok raised several posers as to the integrity of those who are appointed to head educational institutions in the country, saying even appointment of Vice-chancellors is usually characterised with nepotism and other parochial interests.
While speaking on the decline in quality of teaching and learning in schools, he noted a trend were teachers in most schools teach students for examination instead of teaching for knowledge, adding that this has also fueled sharp practices were marks are no longer earned by students but bought with money or sex for marks among other unwholesome practices.