[b]Jonathan blames declining education standard on abysmal reading culture

Written by Christian Okeke, Abuja
Wednesday, 18 May 2011

President Goodluck Jonathan, on Tuesday blamed the decline in education standard in the country on what he identified as poor reading culture among Nigerians.

The blame by the president came as The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, revoked the N27 million contract of an abandoned block of eight classrooms in Government Science and Technical College, Area 3, Garki-Abuja.

President Jonathan who spoke at the launch of his Bring Back the Book campaign in the FCT, Abuja, attributed the poor quality of graduates across the country to the same reading decline.

He said the campaign was initiated against the background of his administration’s commitment to promote sound and qualitative education.

Jonathan, who was represented by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, maintained that the problem of declining reading culture continued to pose a major challenge not only to the government but also the entire society and observed that, “the ripple effects have permeated the entire society as the quality of graduates from our schools at various levels has fallen below standard.”

He said: “It is in realisation of this need to revive the reading culture that we embarked on the Bring Back the Book programme as a deliberate policy to redress the pitfalls that have been adversely affecting the quality of education in our country in the past three decades or thereabout.”

Meanwhile, FCT Minister, Senator Mohammed recalled that the revoked contract was awarded to M/s Ell Services Nigeria Limited in 2009 and was expected to have completed the project within a period of 36 weeks.

He directed that the same contract be re-awarded to another contractor on site, M/s B. Chons Nigeria Limited who is currently handling a laboratory complex in the school awarded in 2010 but nearing completion.

The minister assured that the FCT Administration intended to build more modern libraries across the territory to encourage students to imbibe a reading culture.

Senator Mohammed remarked that the administration would deliver a sound and institutional framework that would improve the quality of education and enable FCT pupils/students take their proper position among their peers globally.[/b]


Coming from  an educational background in Nigeria, I believe Goodluck would have  given a much more better reason for the decline in the standard of education in Nigeria than the reason he just gave. This still makes me doubt his ability to lead when he can not even spot clear problems like this. How will he be able to get a solution them. Our educational system needs more than abysmal reading.
   Please have your say

i am gudluck jonathan, I have no books,

I am gudluck jonathan. . . . I have no gud class,

He*z 4gotn all dat rite??

Imanuelle:

i am gudluck jonathan, I have no books,

I am gudluck jonathan. . . . I have no gud class,

He*z 4gotn all dat rite??

what do you expect? time for politicking has elapsed. what remains now is the continued cue less ness

i'm Goodluck jonathan, I did not wear shorts to school



The chicken has come home to roost!