Quality library essential for students’ critical thinking, says Ighodalo

Senior Pastor, Trinity House and Managing Partner, SIAO, a professional accounting firm, Ituah Ighodalo, has noted that the low level of literacy among students mostly in public primary schools is caused by the absence of quality library to cater for their academic uplift.

Speaking at the media briefing organised by Moralsgad and Triune Ltd; a company working for the actualisation of quality education in Lagos State public primary schools, Ighodalo, who also doubled as chairman of the company, lamented the negative impact lack of quality education has cause students.

He explained that the recurring insecurity tormenting the country is caused by lack of education on the part of some individuals.

“Some of the insecurity being experienced today is as a result of children we failed to educate properly. About 20 years ago, they had done a study on Nigeria, at that time, we had five million out-of-school children, and they said in another 10 to 20 years, if these children are not educated, we would have problem with banditry, kidnapping and all manners of hired assassins, and this is exactly what is happening,” Ighodalo said.

To address the problem of unemployment among graduates, Ighodalo called for collaboration between universities and employers of labour, saying, “as they are graduating, companies that will need their services should also be ready to employ them.”

Ighodalo appealed to Lagos State government to partner with them on provision of quality library to foster learning among students.

In her remarks, the literacy team leader, Rachael Odunlade, said the absence of quality school library has contributed to poor reading skills on the part of public school children.

“Education is now in chaos and shambles. Education is something we used to be proud of then, but now; most parents are not proud of taking their wards to public schools. It is really sad,” she lamented.

While urging government to address the situation, Odunlade said: “School libraries are integral part of education system that needs to be taken seriously. It is not just a place for children to read, but to help them grow and obtain critical thinking.”

She added that irrespective of technological innovation, physical libraries are still relevant. A member of Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), Abiola Olugbenga, said the present administration in the state has turned things around for good as far as education is concerned.

Olugbenga, who is the Director of Art and Science of the board, said part of the innovation brought to strengthen the sector was EKOEXCEL, which has allowed the use of tablets by public school teachers to teach pupils.

The company’s director of operations and projects, Ikechukwu Nwogu, said their mission was to partner government by building functional libraries across the state’s public schools.

To further provide solution to the high rate of failure in mathematics and English subjects common in the public schools, Nwogu explained that a competition to help students in those areas will be conducted every session for students in the state.