A Non-Governmental Organisation, Path to Possibilities, has called on government and relevant stakeholders to invest the right amount of work, commitment and resources to transform Nigeria’s educational sector.
Director, Path to Possibilities, Oluwafunmilayo Akanmu, while stressing the importance of educating the next generation, stated that both private and public sector should improve the quality of education and school environment available to students.
Speaking at a media parley, She explained that the Japa syndrome and brain drain prevalent in the nation are symptoms of an underlying problem, which is absence of good education system.
Akanmu also called for better inclusion of children with enhanced educational needs, expressing the foundation’s desire to equip teachers in Nigeria, especially in under served environment on how to deal with learning deficits, adding that changing the perception on such issues would help improve how it is being handled as everyone had a part to play.
“A year ago we visited the schools in Ikota, Lagos to access what the deficits are and in a school, one of the students had a learning delay, but because there is no provision on how to deal with such children, he was put into a class he is above and so wasn’t benefiting. These group of children tend to get left behind because they are labeled. This is one area the educational system in Nigeria is lacking the resources, experience, information and expertise to allow the children learn and thrive,” she said.
Founder, Path to Possibilities, Titiolami Bello, speaking about the importance of a reading culture, said it is difficult to promote a reading culture in a country with the most out-of-school children in the world.
She noted that the foundation has a resource center, provides education and also scholarship funds for secondary school students, especially in under-served communities throughout their studies in Nigeria.
She explained that the foundation’s impact spans beyond Lagos, with hopes to expand to northern Nigeria, adding that they currently have 16 children benefit from the scholarship fund.
According to Bello, their biggest impact has been establishing the resource center in 2017 to reach more children. She also added that they have training sessions where teachers in UK share best practices with their counterparts in the local schools.
