For education in Nigeria, the future is now!

NIGERIA is at a most crucial point in her history. After several missteps over the years, her latest foray into democracy as the mode of government is finally taking hold and being entrenched having experienced 16 straight years of democratic rule without interference from the military as has often been the case.

Since attaining independence from Great Britain in 1960, Nigeria has been bedevilled with several episodes of social upheaval and disruption of government and as a consequence vital social institutions have not been able to become fully developed and actualised. A key part of such social structures which has suffered as a result has been the education system. Now with democracy seemingly becoming the norm and with it stability in its political institutions, this moment in our history is the best time to begin a national conversation about education reform.

It is a tragedy that the narrative of reform in the school system has largely been restricted to the knee-jerk reactions of outrage that follow the release of the West African Examinations Council’s Senior School Certificate Examination results. Even then, these episodic calls for reform lack depth or insight, or perhaps more importantly, don’t come from those in charge of policy. Instead, these bureaucrats, who in a saner society would be held accountable for such appalling examination results year in year out, fold their hands and blame the students.

The wider society as well shows very little appreciation for the gravity of the situation. And what is the situation? Primary school leavers who cannot read or write, poorly trained teachers lacking in motivation, dilapidated infrastructure and the end result is a university graduate who can barely piece together two coherent sentences in the English language let alone grasp the underlying complexities of technical content that characterises various fields of endeavour.

The truth as is commonly said can be bitter, but it doesn’t make it any less the truth. It is crystal clear for those who have eyes to see that our nation’s education system is in tatters, moribund, comatose, completely dysfunctional and globally irrelevant. This should not come as a surprise, considering the state of our country, which in many regards is the epitome of dysfunction. The rot is not just restricted to the university system, even though this section is erroneously given the most attention. It cuts across the primary up to the university level.

However, this quagmire we have found ourselves in isn’t insurmountable. But we must first truly understand the importance of education to sustainable national development, make honest self-appraisals of the current situation and then start to form broad-based coalitions that will give birth to solutions to the myriad of challenges currently facing the sector.

Ordinarily, the government should be the driver behind any sort of reform in social systems. Historically, educational systems in Nigeria were developed by appointed government bodies. The British colonial government in pre-independent Nigeria created educational frameworks which were based on the needs of the country at various times. These frameworks served to set and regulate standards, as well as provide support to mission schools in the form of financial grants based on performance.

At independence, it can be said that a solid foundation was laid to be built on by an indigenous newly independent Nigeria as it saw fit. Unfortunately, though economic and social structures had some basic form, the ensuing political instability prevented growth and allowed a corrupt culture to fester. Greedy political jobbers emerged hand-in-hand with a bloated, self-seeking civil service bent on building fat bank accounts through bribery or direct looting.

Within this tumult of political instability came the first revision of Nigeria’s educational policy in 1977. The hallmark of this policy change was the famous 6-3-3-4 system where a child has six years of primary school, three years of junior secondary, three years of senior secondary or technical training and four years of tertiary education. The system was meant to equip individuals with skills based on ability.

Over the years five revisions were done, the latest being 2007. These incarnations of the original policy differed from their predecessors with respect to modest changes in curriculum and the provision of free education up to the junior secondary level. It is fair to conclude that this policy and its “children”, concocted in tumultuous times, have failed! With under-15 literacy and numeracy skills among the lowest in the world, it is only a blind man that would continue to revise and tweak policies in the face of such damning reports.

What should be done, indeed what is needed as a matter of immediate urgency, is a complete bottom-up, top-down, inside out overhaul of the current structures in place. In short, a comprehensive reform which must be government driven, but done in partnership with technocrats and other stakeholders outside of government is required. We must go back to the drawing board, aiming not to refurbish existing systems, but to demolish what needs to be demolished and start afresh. But before we start, we must know why this is so urgent otherwise we will fall victim, yet again, to the soothing tranquillity of complacency and go back to business as usual, drawing up plans without summoning the will to implement those plans and see them come to fruition.

A new Nigeria seeking to become relevant in a world where relevance is now determined by smart use of technology to harness resources, human and natural, has to build a workforce with the requisite technical know-how that would actualise this vision. Any government speaking of a transformation agenda without provision for such training, starting from basic literacy and numeracy, is simply not serious about transformation. But government MUST take reform of our education systems seriously if we are to truly move into the 21st century and take our place among nations that produce, leaving behind what we currently are: a nation that (consumes) devours.

Besides creating a youth population equipped to effectively drive a technology-based economy, our education systems must also seek to create a well-rounded individual versed in both the arts and science- based subject matter, steeped in varied philosophical thought as well as history of human endeavour.

This is important because a society that thrives has at its roots an eclectic mix of individuals capable of creativity and independent thought, both of which cannot be nurtured without first being exposed to the creative genius of the past. Whatever curriculum is formed to lead to these ends has to also weave into its narrative a nationalistic outlook that will cause the individuals exposed to it to rise above primordial tribal sentiments.

A nation that will fulfil potential and become great must consist of a people who see and acknowledge this nation as a source of personal pride. This doesn’t come automatically, hence the need for school curricula to inculcate subtle but effective ways to mould young minds beyond the current fare of snippets of history, culture and tradition that eventually have no personal meaning.

Our country is at a turning point – a time when the decisions that would be made now will have serious consequences in the not-too- distant future. Recognising that our nation’s education system is in shambles of nuclear proportions, and proactively seeking ways to secure reform in line with a national vision will be a good first step.

Any government seeking change has to remember that the best way to realise the change we seek long term is through empowering our youth by reforming their minds through education. So, let us get started. Let us strengthen our institutions, especially the justice department, so that reform will be built on solid ground. Let us make our local governments work, so that national programmes will trickle down to the people. Let us start, because the future is now.

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