SIR: We are Jesus. Our primary education, the earth that carries the rock of our education system, is the Lazarus. Biblically, Lazarus rose on the third day, but we have no third. A building, they say without a strong foundation will experience all sorts of catastrophic displays of a great fall like that of the biblical Jericho. Primary education, in the country, needless to say, is experiencing myriads of this display. An education saddled with the responsibility of foregrounding, grooming and inculcating great values on the minds of its inhabitants. But, it is happening on the other way round. How exactly can we fine-tune it to semantically carry back its load? What do school owners need to throw into the ring? What does the government have to do? What support is expected from parents to resuscitate Lazarus in the dead of our primary education?

Primary education in Nigeria is the first level on the hierarchical order of Nigeria education system: Primary, Secondary and Tertiary. In the heydays, primary education could be said to shade out its model or structure from what was laid down by the missionaries. It evolved from a six year system to a nine year system with its core aim focusing on literacy, numeracy and life skills.

There are many primary schools in the country with statistics being obscure as a result of where and how school owners formulate their establishment. Primary school, today, could be pigeonholed into three parts featuring standard, In-between and low standard as the look displays. What is expected of our school owners? Very interestingly, many people want to take but do not want to give from what they intend to take from. Holding from the excerpts of Wizkid and ID Cabasa’s ‘Totori’.

“Nobody wanna give, but everybody wanna take”, is a great problem permeating amongst prospective school owners. School should just not be seen as a space for business but a ground for building future leaders and great minds of the country. Now, it is expected that a school owner will build what will enable the student to grow and be comfortable with learning. Anything otherwise than what has been voiced above shows that they are detractors of meaning in the load of primary education.

Subsequently, what does the government have to do amidst all these? It is clear that the government is working tirelessly to ensure that there is a better primary education. But, talking of laws with punitive measures that will govern the establishment, curriculum and certification of primary school pupils. As earlier mentioned, many people want to gain without wanting to invest in the future. It is the responsibility of the government to roll out watch dogs who will help in ensuring safe and lawful balance involving the establishment of schools. Also, in this law will be acts that will enumerate the list of curriculum and requirements to certification. In the aspect of certification, many school owners out of egocentrism give out certificates to a less quantifiable pupil. Those engaging in such act are haters of the nation. Laws go a long way when they are formulated and implemented.

More so, it is often said that charity begins at home. The charity of our future is built in the home. Parents, on your hands also lies a key. A key that could be likened to unlocking the ‘Alice in the wonderland’, if the right thing is melted out. It is pertinent to align this part with a renowned Yoruba proverb, “Ti igi ba ja bo si ori igi, to oke laa n kooko gbe”. When deciphered, it means “ when trees fall on one another, the top most is taken off first”. That is to say that, in the aspect of discourse , parents must look at their financial capacity and have a clear vision of providing a quality education for their ward, knowing fully well that education is the best legacy. After setting out their clearly-listed visions , it is also important that they monitor their ward’s progress instead of neglecting. Where needs improvement should in all ramifications be improved upon so that they can become the Alice in the wonderland of this nation. It is also important that parents build in their child the load of meaning education embodies.

To resuscitate the Lazarus in the dead of our primary education requires a collective effort from parents, school owners and government, alike. Primary education is the foundation or perhaps the genesis of the revelation of this nation. If Soyinka, Achebe and the likes do not equip themselves properly. They won’t be who they are today. Let us, parents, use our minds to build great leaders. Let us, school owners, use our resources to build great leaders. Let us, the government, use established laws to change the meaninglessness in our primary education.

•Hosu Bolaji is a student of Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos.