Adelabu blames political ideology for woes in Nigeria education system

A former deputy governor of Ekiti State and chairman, National Board of Technical Education Modupe Adeola Adelabu has said the lack of political ideology was responsible for the woes in the education system.

Adelabu spoke at the OAU’s 334th Inaugural Lecture tagged ‘As it was in the beginning so it is now: politics and education policies in Nigeria”.

“Education has been established as the foundation of ideology in any society. Its efficiency is felt in a society where the politics have an ideology, that is where Nigeria is lacking, thus suffering our educational system,” Adelabu said.

According to her, “there is a symbiotic relationship between education and politics. It is difficult to separate education and politics in the bid to ensuring implementation of people-oriented policies.”

The former deputy governor, who described the Nigerian political scene as one with no ideology, said the country’s education system has to be on the receiving end of a faulty political structure.

Adelabu urged public and private institutions, labour unions and civil society groups to be more engaged in enlightening citizens of political education.

While noting that education was used for the political emancipation of Nigerians by citizens who received western education, she said education can be used to determine the course the nation’s future.

“Education should represent the public interest and must be operated in public interest while it can be asserted that the functions of government include the provision of quality education, economic and social environment,” Adelabu said.

The former Ekiti State deputy governor called on political and elective office seekers to make education top on their priority list when seeking their votes.

She called on governments to emulate Nigeria’s British Colonial masters in the area of using education as the tool of developing the people and society.

“Where political ideologies are formed, the people have better opportunities for political inclusion. Education determines the political attitude of the citizens. The more an individual knows, the greater he/she is aware of decision-making and governance,” she said.