The Past, the Present and the Future of Education: The Nigerian situation.

Written By.... Ese Pheelz

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Ese Pheelz Iduku

The present state of the Nigerian Educational sector is a ripple effect of choices made, cut across time past.
To understand the present and confront the future, we must make a quantum leap, but backwards in time to reforms that served as foundation stones of today's structures.

The earliest reforms can be traced as far back as Nigeria's pre-independence era. In 1954, educational reforms were endeavours, amongst several others that marked the air of change steering around in anticipation of our emancipation. Popular amongst the writ, was the reform from 8-6-2-3 system to 6-5-2-3. This meant 6year primary, 5year secondary, 2year higher school certificate and 3year university.
It was a period of educational boom in Nigeria, little did our forebears see the doom that loomed ahead (pun intended), and It came swiftly.

Independence (Self-rule) came with the power of decision. This was exercised in The National Curriculum Conference of 1969, which was focused on empowering Science and Technological development. It criticised the Colonial Educational system, classifying it irrelevant to the emancipated Nigeria of 69. Nigeria needed a system that was designed by her, for herself. A system that would fit the dynamics of the country. The colonists system felt too shallow and so we adopted the American system, which brought rise to what we still have today: The 6-3-3-4 system. Of cause, it succeeded largely as Nigeria was indeed eager for development, but the common cliché, which says; "change is a constant" was the case. The reforms where ill suited to accommodate periodic evaluation without toppling over all that had been laboured to erect.

The relevance of a constant properly made and implemented reform cannot be overstated for any development oriented social system. This was the setback: Change without destroying the past: 'Continuity'. The lack of this rigid stance in the Nigerian Educational sector began to take its toll in the 80's when an evident decline in the state of the educational system began to manifest itself. Certain factors served as catalyst to further exacerbate the situation. For one, Nigeria was experiencing the oil boom and corruption was the order of the day. Service for service sake was increasingly becoming a rare virtue.
Another problem that cropped up on the back of corruption was and still is the issue of growth without development (stunted growth). As of the late 70's, Nigeria had a sum of 13 Universities; as of today, there are at least 90 Universities owned by the Federal, State and Private sector. Sadly none of them accounts for the 500 top Universities World over.

Recent reforms carried out by the last administration, amounts to mere political interference in the educational sector by Government such as the advocacy for privatisation, which swept across the Nation a few years back, the back and forth bickering between the Government and the custodians of knowledge (Teachers) resulting to fast reoccurring strikes, poor planning in reform development and implementation. Poor supervisory body for all institutions of learning due to over broad and over centralised system of supervision ill implemented by the Ministry of Education, overlooked unit of guidance and counselling and the lack thereof in the tertiary institutions, these amongst a host of others are the drag nets riding the system of air for sustenance.

This piece would be just a slice of history without proffered solutions, and the solutions are actually easier (stated than done) now, but possible non-the-less.
To set the sector back to par, the following must be put into consideration:

-The various levels of education being the primary, secondary and tertiary institutions of learning must be given a precise and concise set of objectives through their individual curriculum to be adhered to in all strictness and subject to periodic inspection and evaluation.

-Better plan for reforms as poor planning accounts for a large percentage of failure. To make this possible, an independent, competent and specialised body should be hired to proffer reformation policy.

-There should be extremely strict watch-dogs commissioned solely to a particular unit; the primary, secondary or tertiary institutions respectively; none allowed to overlap its responsibility, answerable to a central body.

-Permanent solutions to reoccurring strike actions at the tertiary level should be given top priority.

-Prioritise the relevance of quality over quantity in Tertiary institutions as regards number of students admitted per-session and number of institutions.

-The need for incentives such as scholarship and free food should be respectively revisited, and implemented.

Edited....