[size=13pt]Nigeria: The Condition of Public Schools[/size]

http://allafrica.com/stories/201101280188.html

Recently, the Federal Government gave a directive that all schools in the federation be shut down for one month for the registration of voters. Both the Federal Ministry of Education and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have not been able to explain the rationale behind this directive as most of the primary school pupils and secondary students affected by the closure are not eligible to take part in registration as they are not qualified to vote.


The country has continued to witness tremendous decline in the academic performance of our public schools and this will continue to happen even at a faster rate if government's attitude does not change regarding the management of schools. Public schools have been left unattended to by the government despite the God-given resources of our dear country to provide for all. Government does not care about schools and so different heads of schools are not concerned about the falling standard and academic performance of the students.

[size=13pt]Unfortunately, majority of these students are children of the less-privileged in our society who cannot afford to send them to private schools due to no fault of theirs. [/size]Such Nigerians who form the bulk of our society are entitled (under our domestic laws and other international laws applicable in our country) to quality education as of right. According to Section 15 of the Child's Right Act, a Nigerian child should have access to a good, quality and reasonable level of education. Quality education is a right and not a privilege and must therefore be accessible to everyone irrespective of their social class in this society. In its decision in the case filed by the Social Economic Rights Agenda and Accountability Project (SERAP) against the Federal Government of Nigeria, the ECOWAS Court affirmed the basic right of every Nigerian child to education in line with Article 17 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

[size=13pt]Government officials and administrators who are currently in charge of public affairs attended public schools. Having allowed the public schools to deteriorate, confidence has been destroyed. Hence public officials and other privileged Nigerians now send their children to private schools either in the country or outside the country. [/size]One other embarrassing thing is that the number of private secondary schools and universities have continued to increase astronomically with accompanying exorbitant fees in the past few years.

While the school owners are capitalising on the fact that the public schools system has been totally destroyed by the government and administrators of those schools, they are quick to exploit the parents who either in the past have had access to the treasury of the state and enriched themselves or by fate have been privileged to have more resources at their disposal.

What therefore happens to the children of people who by fate are not as privileged and whose children are entitled to "equal education under the law, with the children of the rich. Unfortunately, these children will grow up together to compete later in life for the same opportunities of life." Having been exposed to unequal trainings in the past. This is most unfair!


. . . . .

. . . . .


A society that does not manage its educational sector properly like ours is preparing to increase the level of illiteracy, mediocrity, poverty and chaos in future! The children of the poor who are in the majority and who have been denied the right opportunity and quality education will definitely rise up against the children of these privileged ones and deny them peace later. The future of the so-called rich parents think they are securing for their children is not secured at all.

There are many brilliant pupils in our public schools who can excel at any level if they are provided with the right environment, and the basic resources required to perform. I personally believe no child will not do well academically given the right tools and guidance! According to John Locke, "Heredity sets goal, environment sets the limit."

The decline in academic performance has been so devastating that an average graduate of our public universities have been said to be unemployable! Most of them cannot even write simple application for employment without grammatical blunders.

The reports of students' performance in WAEC in the last few years in Nigeria as reported in the media are not encouraging. Each year comes with a gradual decline and this is worrisome. Demonstrating this pathetic situation is the fact that the last two years have recorded 80 per cent failure in WAEC, NECO and JAMB examinations. Worse still, students now have a popular term to describe examination malpractices. They have special WAEC examination centres where examination malpractices are "officially" allowed at the payment of certain amount of money. These centres are nicknamed "Miracle Centres". What a shame?

[size=13pt]Several other causes can be identified as hampering academic performance in our schools. For instance, the attitude of government to funding of education and management of schools is not encouraging. The government of our country has misplaced her priority while large chunks of our funds are spent on lawmakers' salaries, their upkeep, executives, their maintenance, political propaganda and other frivolous activities.[/size] Nigerian leaders usually forget that they are trustees of the resources of the people. But instead of investing such resources in the people, they are diverted and mismanaged to the detriment of Nigerians.

[size=13pt]Another cause of this can be traced to the attitude of our public school teachers and other authorities in schools. It is not uncommon to find classrooms empty even though there are teachers on government payroll who are supposed to be in these classrooms. Teachers leave their classrooms at will to attend to other personal businesses including the business of buying and selling. Some even bring their wares to school and abandon teaching for trading during school hours.[/size] There is insufficient supervision by the circuit supervisors from the Ministry of Education which gives the teachers the ample room to do what they like.

[b]Unfortunately, teachers and educational authorities who are responsible for ensuring that our public schools run effectively do not have their children in these schools. Perhaps because they have no confidence in the system they run. This is one of the major issues at the root of the crises in our public schools. [/b]Structures and systems within the public school system are defective.

In the past, local communities and parent's teachers associations were actively involved in the management of schools. There was effective participation of communities and PTA in the provision of resources and facilities for schools. But over the years, the communities themselves have been disenfranchised; they have lost confidence in the government which has not been responsible. The communities pay their taxes regularly but no infrastructure, no light, no pipe-borne water, no good roads to justify the payment of taxes to the government. The whole scenario is a picture of "loss of confidence" all through!

The public schools system offers the opportunity to the masses of this country to have access to education. It is the duty of the government to use the resources of this country to the development of every citizen. Government should therefore give priority to education as the future of this country depends on the quality of education given to the leaders of tomorrow. The Ministry of Education's supervision department should also improve its machinery and supervision system to deal with the identified problems. Nigerian children deserve the best. Give them quality education!

Falana is a Lagos lawyer and human rights activist

that is why everyone has to make money and send his or her child to private schools

This is where Chibuike Amaechi stands out as a visionary leader.Every Nigerian needs to visit Rivers State and observe the public school revolution going on here.

Abagworo:

This is where Chibuike Amaechi stands out as a visionary leader.Every Nigerian needs to visit Rivers State and observe the public school revolution going on here.

Can you describe for those of us not on the ground?

MAdam Kobo,

Please tell me something I dont already know

There is nothing new about this article. So what

Its always being like that;yet, we produced Femi Falana.

Whatz new ma'am?

fstranger: Are you on IM? Wanted to ask you something about NJ.

fstranger send me your IM too

[size=13pt]NCE holders not good enough to teach in Nigerian schools -FG[/size]

http://tribune.com.ng/index.php/news/16010-nce-holders-not-good-enough-to-teach-in-nigerian-schools-fg


[size=13pt]JUST smarting from the controversy surrounding the plan by the Federal Government to scrap Colleges of Education in the country, the Minister of State for Education, Mr Kenneth Gbagi, on Tuesday, differed majorly with the substantive Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Rufa’i, by insisting that there is no going back on the proposed phasing out of National Certificate of Education (NCE) programme.[/size]

He said that the NCE holders were no longer good enough to teach in both primary and secondary schools in the country, considering the critical importance of basic education to a sound and intellectual development of a child.

Gbagi spoke at a one-day stakeholders meeting for dissemination of the study reports on assessment of capacity gaps in the pre-service training of Early Childhood Care Education (ECCE) teachers in Colleges of Education in Nigeria and assessment of capacity gaps in the in-service training of ECCE teachers in teachers education institutions in Nigeria.

Rufa’i had in the wake of the controversy denied media reports that the government was planning to scrap the Colleges of Education and convert them to degree awarding institutions.

[size=13pt]But Gbaji, who said it was his responsibility to oversee the basic education in the country, maintained that NCE teachers were no longer relevant to providing sound education at the basic level in Nigeria. [/size]
Clement Idoko, Abuja

you just have to love naija.

[size=13pt]Nigeria: Reading Culture And State of Education[/size]
http://allafrica.com/stories/201012310423.html

The just released Nov./Dec. West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) stated that 95 percent out of the total candidates who sat for the examination only 20 percent passed while 79.6 percent failed English Language and Mathematics abysmally. [size=13pt]That shows that the state of education in Nigeria is at its lowest ebb due to lack of government implementation of policies and total concentration on politics rather than on education.[/size]

The average Nigerian youth no longer has an interest in reading but rather concentrates on yahoo yahoo, facebook, twitter, sports, talent shows and computer games. The recent drive by President Goodluck Jonathan to revive the reading culture has made him to launch two books that would encourage Nigerian youths to inculcate the reading habit.

Many avid Nigerians applauded Jonathan for his intellectual intervention in the education sector, however the government has failed to invest at least 26 percent which the UNESCO advised on the revival of education in Nigeria. The high level of examination malpractices could be traced to the absence of a reading culture in Nigeria. The National Assembly has also not paid quality attention to education.

The last 2010 UTME result in indicated that only 45 percent of the candidates who sat for the examination passed, 55 percent failed and even out of those that passed only a few students would be admitted as a result of limited spaces in the nation's universities. Most students also failed the almighty Post-UME.

Even with the Federal Government introducing nine new Federal Universities, the reading culture is still in a comatose state because the education sector is badly managed by our so-called political leaders. Most of our leaders' children and wards are not attending the nation's universities because of the state of dilapidation of the infrastructure.

[size=13pt]Our Universities cannot do without perpetual strikes and an on going brain-drain among university lecturers. Senators of the National Assembly earn as much as N15million per Senator in a quarter while lecturers earn just a paltry sum of N120000 to N501000 per month.[/size]

There is nothing new here Madam Kobo!

[size=13pt]Nigeria: VC Calls for State of Emergency on Education Sector[/size]

http://allafrica.com/stories/201101260550.html

Ilorin . — Vice-Chancellor of Kwara State University(KWASU),Malete, Prof. AbdulRasheed Na'Allah has advocated for the declaration of a state of emergency in the education sector to save it from irreversible deterioration .

Na'Allah made the call in Ilorin , Kwara State capital during the 40th anniversary of the Ansarul Islam Secondary School founded by the late Islamic scholar, Sheik Muhammed Kamaldeen Al-Adabbiyi.

According to him, the performance of students across the country in recent public examinations was worrisome, stressing that urgent measures must be taken to arrest the falling standard of education in the country.

He blamed the teachers in both the Primary and Secondary schools for the rot in the sector just as he accused parents of nonchalant attitude towards educational development of their children and wards.

Na'Allah expressed dismay n over the manner parents were protesting and calling for sanctions against teachers over the dismal performance of Nigerians students in recent public examinations.

He said "I think teachers and the administrators in secondary schools have failed woefully. They are no longer the teachers we used to know in the past. They are no longer the Principals we used to know who were dedicated to the building of schools


[size=13pt]"Today teachers are now doing other things, selling cloths, some don't even stay in schools any more. I mean, this is pathetic."[/size]

As a way out, he canvassed for the collaboration of both the Nigerian universities and secondary schools on how to restore the lost glory of primary and secondary school education. He also disclosed that KWASU would soon initiate collaborative programmes between its lecturers and teachers in primary and secondary schools in Kwara state.

He said, "We must begin to examine ourselves. Every nation across the world that attained greatness made it through education. We at the universities don't trust the students secondary schools send to us any more.

"Recently, a report was released that 6.5 per cent of Nigerian students passed NECO. I wonder why there was no protest by parents, everybody kept smiling. Teachers were not asking questions,. This is very pathetic.


Earlier in his welcome address, the National President of Alumni Association of the school, Alhaji AbdulMumin Katibi appealed to the state government, alumni and the host community to assist the school in the provision of internet facilities, school fencing, hostel accommodation, additional teachers, standard laboratory and library, stressing that these would complement the whole renovation of the school and education reform programme of the state government.

The state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Alhaji Bolaji Abdullahi who praised the foresight of the founder of the school, the late Sheik Kamaldeen Al-Addabiyyi said the alumni should contribute a lot to their alma mater saying that government alone could not provide all the needs of the school.

^^^^

Still nothing new, Madam Kobo

Tell us something we dont already sabi

nigerians should stop complaining.the country is dead and buried.just be sharp and enjoy whatever scraps that is remaing on the country.

asha 80:

nigerians should stop complaining.the country is dead and buried.just be sharp and enjoy whatever scraps that is remaing on the country.

Only if Kobo would stop complaining and get off her stinking senile azz and do something

If we all did something, there wouldnt be anyone complaining

asha 80:

nigerians should  stop complaining.the country is dead and buried.just be sharp and enjoy whatever scraps that is remaing on the country.

People are not complaining at all. That is the problem. These days, people pretend it is not their problem and they go out to work hard so they can send their own kids to private school, ignoring the majority who continue to languish in our public school system. These grow up, have so many illiterate kids and the cycle continues and we wonder why it seems every step forward, seems like we take 5 more backwards. As of last year, we recorded over 8 million children of primary school age not in school. This number has been on the rise for a long time now.

So many are out there rationalizing the situation, rather than calling for more attention to the problem that has been building and building and will probably burst in the near future. You look out there to count how many are actually calling for something to be done about the situation? Not that many. The current minister of education, has in the fashion of those before her, moved to focus on low priority matters rather than tackling the immediate problems which have been high on that list since way back when IBB took over.

^^^

8 million ?

Liar!

Kobo the liar!

Evidence?

Any solutions? What can individuals/non-profits do to help?

kcjazz:

Any solutions? What can individuals/non-profits do to help?

At this point, I would suggest individuals/groups take it on themselves to adopt-a-school or help in their way.

It is truly a shame that People do not seem genuinely interested in raising noise about this festering problem. I really wish people would speak up and out more on this issue as it is getting worse by the year, and there seems no end in sight. And this is a problem has affected not just millions who are now parents, and millions of their kids, and the future of the nation as a whole.

^^^^

WHat have you yourself done Kobo?

Kobojunkie:

People are not complaining at all. That is the problem. These days, people pretend it is not their problem and they go out to work hard so they can send their own kids to private school, ignoring the majority who continue to languish in our public school system. These grow up, have so many illiterate kids and the cycle continues and we wonder why it seems every step forward, seems like we take 5 more backwards. As of last year, we recorded over 8 million children of primary school age not in school. This number has been on the rise for a long time now.

So many are out there rationalizing the situation, rather than calling for more attention to the problem that has been building and building and will probably burst in the near future. You look out there to count how many are actually calling for something to be done about the situation? Not that many. The current minister of education, has in the fashion of those before her, moved to focus on low priority matters rather than tackling the immediate problems which have been high on that list since way back when IBB took over.

maybe she feels the enormity of the problem is just danm too much and therefore decides to focus on low proirity issues just to show that she is doing something( that is if she has any idea of what she is doing anyway)

by the way isn't primary school education under the local government and not state of federal/

Kobojunkie:

At this point, I would suggest individuals/groups take it on themselves to adopt-a-school or help in their way.

It is truly a shame that People do not seem genuinely interested in raising noise about this festering problem. I really wish people would speak up and out more on this issue as it is getting worse by the year, and there seems no end in sight. And this is a problem has affected not just millions who are now parents, and millions of their kids, and the future of the nation as a whole.

probably old boys and girls.

asha 80:

maybe she feels the enormity of the problem is just danm too much and therefore decides to focus on low proirity issues just to show that she is doing something( that is if she has any idea of what she is doing anyway)

I will not be surprised if she is trying to score cheap political points/achievements for when she decides to do a Dora.

asha 80:

by the way isn't primary school education under the local government and not state of federal/
probably old boys and girls.

From what I have been able to gather, the federal government is involved.

Kobojunkie:

At this point, I would suggest individuals/groups take it on themselves to adopt-a-school or help in their way.

It is truly a shame that People do not seem genuinely interested in raising noise about this festering problem. I really wish people would speak up and out more on this issue as it is getting worse by the year, and there seems no end in sight. And this is a problem has affected not just millions who are now parents, and millions of their kids, and the future of the nation as a whole.

Thanks Kobo,

I feel a trusted Non-Profit organisation can be useful in turning this situation around (curriculum change, libraries, infrastructures etc). I feel the government has spent good sums of money even though it is still low compared to other nations however civil service corruption has affected whatever gains that could be made. In the mid 90s my primary school in Abuja like most primary schools in that city were well built, with school desks and clean toilets. Fast forward ten years later, no football fields, furnitures stolen or dilapidated. Government had a model to keep costs low by adopting similar desks and building easy to maintain toilets but even headmasters contributed to the problem of decay.

I will research few non-profit education groups and come up with a model since am really looking to spend more time in Nigeria very soon.

Honestly, I have myself tried and failed to find one I can trust without question. I did find this one today, not really checked them out at all( not called ) but you can start with this

http://www.nigerianschoolproject.org/

In other to help education in Nigeria from the private point of view, i will go with the old students association route first before taking it to a larger extent.

^^^ I don't seem to know a lot of old boys/girls that are actually functioning i.e. actively working to change schools I know of. Many of what you have on facebook, are for social purposes, it seems.

Kobojunkie:

^^^ I don't seem to know a lot of old boys/girls that are actually functioning i.e. actively working to change schools I know of. Many of what you have on facebook, are for social purposes, it seems.

Madam Know all, do nothing!

I am watching you ok.

With all your stupidd posts, you need to get off NL and go make out with Becomrichn.

eku_bear,

I can say that this effort is sincere for the following reasons.

When the late Yar'Adua built schools as governor of Katsina, he did not setup any structure or plan for their maintenance or even for the continuous monthly payment of staff. Hence the whole thing collapsed without lasting a decade. Another governor may now come in and do it all over again.

Amaechi on the other hand, spares no expense on quality and longevity. The schools are definitely the best public schools i've ever seen in 9ja, with internet facilities, race tracks etc. Apart from that he setup a plan for the payment of teachers salaries plus regular training for them and also for the maintenance of the schools.

Please look at this link, there are a few pics of some schools in that thread.

nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-374942.0.html

[size=13pt]Nigeria: Minister Blames Falling Standard of Education On Govt's Negligence [/size]---10 November 2010
http://allafrica.com/stories/201011100884.html


Abuja — Minister of State for Education, Dr. Kenneth Gbagi, has attributed the dismal state of education in Nigeria to successive governments' lip service and negligence.

[size=13pt]This year's total budget (capital & recurrent) to the Ministry is N271.1billion, but the implementation status is just 27.73%, just few weeks to the end of the last quarter of the year.[/size]


Last year's budget was even less, it was N224.6billion, and yet it was not 100 percent executed, provoking the Minister of State to regret that several decades after the country signed the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, protocol, budgets for education remained far below the 26 percent minimum set by the United Nations' agency.

[size=13pt]The Minister spoke at an oversight with the House of Representatives Committee on Education, led by Rep. Faruk Lawan.

"Until we take education budget to the fore, we cannot expect development. Nigeria has been a member of UNESCO and it took part in the protocol where the minimum required of every member country for education every year is 26%.[/size]

"But we are yet to meet this minimum; we say our children are the leaders of tomorrow, but how can they be? If they must be, the Federal Government must pay attention to the education sector, rather than paying lip-service," he said.

Earlier, Chairman of the House Committee on Education, Mr. Lawan, who led a committee of angry lawmakers, described the performance of education's budget this year as the worst in the country's history.

"The implementation of the 2010 budget of Education Ministry is the poorest so far in the history of our democracy.

"The implementation is barely 20 percent and this is an embarrassment that is totally unacceptable. A budget is a law and must be obeyed," he said.

The lawmaker warned that "the semblance of peace that exists between the legislature and the executive will soon overheat and it is important that we draw the attention of the executive to the fact that education budget implementation must be improved because for us, it is unacceptable that monies will be released and the monies will not be used for the purpose for which they were released.


"We cannot fold our arms any longer and see the Executive ignore the implementation of the Budget."

Another member of the Committee, Rep. Garba Matazu(PDP/Musawa-Katsina), described the poor implementation of the money bill by the Ministry as a criminal offence.

"For me, this is not only unacceptable, but a criminal offence against the people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

"Education is at the heart of development in any country, so if you cannot implement budgets for education, then what magic can we use to attain this laudable objective of being one of the biggest economies in the year 2020.

"This year, the 2010 Appropriation was based on $57 per barrel and sometime this year, it rose to $US80. We have no reason to say the capital budget has not been implemented"

Kobojunkie:

^^^ I don't seem to know a lot of old boys/girls that are actually functioning i.e. actively working to change schools I know of. Many of what you have on facebook, are for social purposes, it seems.

Yeah you are right but i think they do have the passion to develop especially those from the average and substandard schools unlike the private or rich schools. It will be good to get the involved as they will not be too difficult to contribute or share in whatever idea that is put forward to help develop these schools.

I am in for anything that would help develop education in Nigeria but what do you have in mind or do you want to go about this? i saw a water project thread and i don't know how that has been fairing at the moment. It is only in nigeria that you would help provide books and computers only for some people to go and sell it. Someone might do something and before you know they have awarded the contract to Chinese people. So is this solely for charity or how do you want to go about it?.

Kobojunkie:

At this point, I would suggest individuals/groups take it on themselves to adopt-a-school or help in their way.

It is truly a shame that People do not seem genuinely interested in raising noise about this festering problem. I really wish people would speak up and out more on this issue as it is getting worse by the year, and there seems no end in sight. And this is a problem has affected not just millions who are now parents, and millions of their kids, and the future of the nation as a whole.

Why should we care? It's none of our business. We in Nigeria have enough problems without actively seeking more. You Internet Nigerians can come together and do something. It will make you feel more "Nigerian" and may actually help those future agbero / OPC members.

Bye the way in my state (In the Niger Delta of course ) we have ramped up our school system and therefore do not need your charity.