The standard of education in Nigeria has been experiencing a free fall for over three decades and the decay presently being felt in the sector, spreads through the primary, secondary and tertiary institutions.
The primary level which ought to serves as the basic foundation for every child is not given adequate resources and attention; hence the quality of education is poor. In the secondary level just as it is in the primary level, lack of adequate learning and reading environment is absent, libraries without books or no libraries at all, lack of equipments and chemicals for the technical and science laboratories.
On the same note, the tertiary institution has not fared any better with all the above mentioned problems, coupled with problems of incessant strikes due to nonpayment of lecturers’ salaries, inadequate classrooms for lectures etc
This situation over the years has lead to the near total collapse of the education sector in Nigeria and the most displeasing aspect is that the average Nigerian student is assumed to be half baked and going by the advancements in technology in the 21st century which we are presently, the Nigerian education sector, vis-à-vis the youth will be left behind by the world, hence the advancement towards assuming the status of leaders of tomorrow will not be achievable by the youths.
WHO IS TO BLAME; PARENTS OR GOVERNMENT? It is often said in the African contest that the parents, by themselves alone cannot train a child, rather the
Society as a whole tends to lend a helping hand in training such child or children. Nonetheless, the children spend the better part of their time in school under the tutelage of their teachers for both intellectual and personal development and general supervisions.
Having said that, it is now the responsibility of government to ensure that formal education is accorded every Nigerian child of school age, hence the government could strongly be held responsible for the fall of education.
Below are some of the cause and effects of governments’ inactions towards improving the standard and quality of education:-
-Lack of qualified tutors: The poor state of the education sector has made teaching as a profession unattractive to prospective teachers. This overtime has caused scarcity of qualified tutors to teach students in most government schools.
-Lack of incentives for tutors: The absences of adequate incentives that will enable teachers develop and advance themselves are not available, the teachers therefore seek employment elsewhere or are being offered better package by the private sector, and not all parents can afford to take their wards to private schools due to the cost.
-Inadequate teaching and learning materials: Most teachers in most government schools lack the basic teaching materials, while the students are unable to learn properly due to little or no materials available. And due to the high cost of these materials such as books, parents are often not able to purchase these books for their wards to study with.
-Inadequate structures: Most public schools are dilapidated and unfit for use as a learning center for studying and due to the fact that a larger percentage of Nigerian children attend it and most parents are unable to send their children to private school due to economic situation.
-Insufficient budgetary allocation: The rapid decline in education can readily be attributed to insufficient allocation to the education sector in the national budget and when allocated, it is often not properly accounted for. This has lead to inability of subsequent administration to effectively tackle the prevailing inadequacies in the system.
-Poor remuneration for tutors: The teaching profession is one of the least paid in the work force in Nigeria; this has lead to lack of dedication and professionalism in the impartation of knowledge by tutors and in some cases the teachers resort to using the school environment as a medium for commerce and hawking of varied wares for both teachers and in some cases to students.
-Poor sensitization campaign: With the recent development and establishment of the UBEC, that is, the universal basic education in Nigeria aimed to ensure that every Nigerian child of school age enrolls in government’s schools, it is worthy of note that most parents are not aware of such programmes by the government, hence are not able to have their children benefit from it.
-Poor organization and coordination: As can be seen or experienced by majority of student’s year in year out in the tertiary institution especially on the rigors and hardships students have to go through in getting admission to higher institutions in the country owing to problem associated with taking jamb and the eventual post jamb aptitude tests that requires such students travelling thousands of kilometers to the institution of choice. Considering the inherent risk and insecurity associated to such journeys. This has most often necessitated in parents and students’ patronizing quakes and failing victim to unregistered satellite campuses.
-Educational flight: It has become obvious that Nigeria education system is below what is obtainable in most part of the world; hence some parents choose to take their children abroad to acquire better education. Also, people in government equally are exporting their children abroad, hence abandoning the institutions at home which invariably, will not have any chance of being improved upon owing to the fact that our government officials who ought to facilitate the needed policies for such to take place have conveniently and comfortably exported their wards oversea
The importance of education in the development of any nation cannot in anyway be over-emphasized .Nigeria, as a developing nation needs to invest in its educational sector in order to give its youngsters same opportunity obtainable in other parts of the world. The recommendation will be for the government to intensify effort in its policies towards improving the sector, while also putting in place processes aimed at creating a system of continuity.Also, checks and balances should be put in place.
By Caleb Sonia
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