*EDUCATION: Is the Northern Region of Nigeria Lagging Behind?*

The level of development in every society can be measured by the quality of education obtainable in that society. The most advanced nations of the world have since realised that their people hold the greatest promise for the future and not natural resources. They have consequently invested heavily towards developing a knowledge driven economy by facilitating ways to unlock unlimited opportunities. The hard earned successes over time have reflected positively on the level of productivity and quality of living of their citizens. Qualitative education does not only prepare people for the workforce, it also helps to develop good habits of the mind like curiosity, creativity, criticism and compassion.

The Nigerian educational system has evolved over time, particularly that of the north. The numbers of schools have increased at all levels and enrolment has witnessed significant improvements. Northerners cannot be termed as illiterates because majority can read and write in one form or another. The challenge therefore, lies in developing an effective educational system that will fast track the region's economic development. The current order has failed to deliver a functional educational system and improve the region's competitiveness. The challenges of poor planning, funding and lack of political will remain major impediments to the growth of this vital sector. This has led to a widespread and systematic decay across the sector especially at the basic level. It is now common to find school graduates that cannot defend their qualifications.

The bulk of the blame for the failures can be conveniently heaped at the doorstep of the authorities. The attitude of governments in the region to public education leaves much to be desired and creates a sense of lack of vision and direction. Most of those at the helm of affairs today had benefited at some point in time from the same educational system they have allowed to rot away. Parents and the larger society cannot be absolved of any wrong doing. The rich family and moral values of society have been eroded and replaced with a culture of greed and desperation. There’s an estimated 10million out of school children roaming the streets of major cities in the north and some parents still prefer to send their children out to hawk or marry them off early rather than put them in school.

Corruption, cheating and other forms of malpractices are the order of the day and the condoning of these acts by society is most disheartening. Successive governments in the region are always keen to institute superficial reforms and take credit for questionable statistics just to score cheap political points. The nation is dangerously raising a generation of crooks and people who believe only in instant gratification and cutting corners to get anything they want. The principles of integrity, discipline and love for work are now old fashioned tenets. No nation can sustain such a hoax indefinitely without imploding.

The vast majority of people living in the region are very poor, the rate of unemployment is high, insecurity, restiveness, destitution and juvenile delinquencies are widespread. All these are symptoms of a broken and dysfunctional system. If the present federal administration under the change mantra is really serious about fighting corruption and repositioning the country, then they ought to have started from sanitizing the educational sector. No nation can make headway and inroads in the highly competitive global space with a dysfunctional educational system.

The biggest victims of the rot are arguably teachers. They have lost their pride and dignity in the noble profession. Their motivation is at its lowest ebb and it has become common to associate them with losers in society. They are acutely underpaid and their welfare is deeply depressing. Their operating environment is nothing to write home about. So what went wrong?

The teaching profession over time has suffered serious encroachment from other professional disciplines which has weakened the ethics of the profession and has led to many compromises. Teaching ought to be a highly specialized and well protected field especially at the basic foundational levels, but unfortunately that is where incompetent and poorly trained teachers are mostly found. Today, anybody with certification in any discipline and the right connections could easily find their way into the classrooms as teachers. The situation has become so dilapidated that leftovers from the job market now find solace in teaching.

In a highly certificate conscious society like ours, good teachers are under increasing pressure to produce miracles under unfavourable working conditions, sometimes cooking the books to look good before parents and the school administrators. The goal is now to pass tests/exams at all cost and not in imparting or gaining knowledge and unlocking possibilities. This is the tragedy of education in Nigeria.

Another vulnerable group is the girl child. The preference for educating the male child and neglecting the girl by many families in the north still persists and remains a major problem. Girls’ roles in nation building have been relegated to the duties of a housewife. This attitude and practice is raising a generation of ignorant and disempowered mothers. Educated mothers make better homes, better decisions and the quality of their choices reflect positively on their children's upbringing which invariably benefits society. The boko-haram crisis created a lot of misconceptions and instilled fear about education which has forced many girls out of the classrooms and has set the region backward by several years.

The way forward;
The solutions to the myriad of challenges hampering the growth of education are well documented and well known to the authorities and governments in the region. Lack of political will to address these issues stems from bad leadership which is at the heart of the region's many problems. A credible leadership will inspire hope and create a sense of direction through its vision. The existing educational system is in dire need of a complete overhaul. A roadmap for education with clear and actionable timelines needs to be developed. Increasing the funding and allocation to the sector would send the right signal and rekindle confidence and hope. The recommended allocation benchmark by UNESCO is 25% of government’s annual budget to education. Presently, no state government is allocating up to 10% of its annual budget to education. This is grossly inadequate for a region that has one of the fastest growing populations in the world. Increased funding would help in ensuring the provision of better working and learning environment.

Quality education should be made free and compulsory at the basic foundational levels to encourage enrolment and solve the problem of out of school children. Administrative and systematic corruption must be tackled and reduced to the barest minimum. This would return sanity to the system and enhance delivery. A purposeful leadership would work towards repositioning the sector in such a way that they can comfortably see their own children attending public schools. Currently, no politician even contemplates sending their wards to the schools they manage on behalf of the masses. This is morally incorrect and unacceptable.

Teachers are very vital to the success of education. The teaching profession must be protected and jealously guarded to ensure that only qualified and well trained teachers find their way into the system. The era of indiscriminate crossover from other disciplines into the classroom has to stop. The practice ought to be a highly specialized field and only people who have successfully undergone the relevant training should be engaged. Issues of inadequate manpower, equipment and overstretched facilities must be addressed; it is now common to find classrooms with over 100 pupils being managed by a single teacher. This is unacceptable.

Apathy towards teaching can be dealt with by improving substantially on the welfare and emolument of teachers. This will attract the best brains to the profession and entrench excellence in the system. There are countries where teachers are among the highest paid civil servants; this can also be replicated here. Teachers training and retraining must be prioritized to keep them updated with modern trends and methods. Teaching aids need to be adequately provided; they enhance delivery and make the task of learning easier. Teachers cannot work in isolation; they need effective monitoring and supervision to ensure the authorities understand their challenges and confirm that established standards are strictly being adhered to.

The present curriculum like the debate on the nation's constitution may not necessarily be the problem. All the same, government needs to upgrade and fine tune it to serve the needs of a modern economy and society. The curriculum should be designed to help students develop certain skills and habits that will be useful in variety of and in line with our objectives and aspirations. A sound curriculum should be flexible and able to take the capabilities of every child into consideration, by providing a mechanism to monitor their progress, examine the work they produce, offer on going feedback and adjust instructions as necessary. Schools should be made to work collaboratively not against each other by recognizing that all stakeholders input are valid. Power and control should not be left in the hands of a few, responsibility and accountability should be shared by all relevant stakeholders.

Parents, civil society and donors have important roles to play in this game changing exercise. Parents must take full interest and control of their children's educational development. Parents are the first and continuing educators of their children. Parental encouragement and support for learning activities at home is critical to the child’s development. The civil society has a lot of influence on government policies and can put pressure on the authorities to be accountable and do the right thing in the interest of the majority. Civil society groups are integral to creating awareness about the importance and benefits of education and also sensitizing parents against the dangers of early marriage, especially in the rural areas. Philanthropists and corporations need to be encouraged to double their efforts towards providing donations and aids to the sector. Government cannot shoulder the entire burden alone; it needs help from development partners especially those with interests in Nigeria.

Knowledge is a timeless asset which illuminates the mind, creates sustainable wealth and enhances our humanity. We believe that education holds the key to solving most of the socio-economic challenges of the north. The incessant ethno religious conflicts would have no place in an enlightened society. A progressive and productive north is possible with the right leadership and policy frameworks. This is why there is a burning need to put all hands on deck in order to bring this invaluable change to the region, Northern Nigeria.

©The Ravens