What Is Yar’adua’s Administration Policy Direction On The Education Sector?

By

Jide Ayobolu

Abuja-Nigeria

jideayobolu@yahoo.co.uk

 

This question is very important because both President Umaru Yar’Adua and Vice President Jonathan Goodluck were at one time or the other in their lives teachers, so they must be at home with the issues in the education sector in the country. The question is also germane in view of the incessant strike by university lecturers as a way of drawing attention to the evident decay in the educational sector in the country. That the literacy level is on the decline on a global scale is an incontrovertible fact. The 21st century began with one in five adults unable to read and write. Indeed, there are nearly 900 million illiterates in the world today and two-thirds of them are women, yet, education remains a fundamental right of all human beings. According to the former Secretary –General of the United Nations Organization, Mr. Kofi Annan, the United Nations Literacy Decade (2003-2012) was launched because, it was discovered that, the key to unlocking the age of human misery; the key to delivering the potential of every human being; the key to opening up a future of freedom and hope is in literacy. But it is very significant to note that, there are close to one billion illiterate people in the world, the illiterates, most of them living in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, are a critical mass that cannot be ignored. More so, when the figure is growing rapidly. In 2000, there were some 877million non-illiterates adults, with 13 million children not attending school. The United Nations Literacy Decade (UNLD) which is being co-ordinated by the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is a direct expression of the international community’s concern to address literacy and related needs. Most countries of the world including Nigeria celebrate the literacy day, to draw attention to the world’s poorest and most disadvantaged groups for whom literacy is a great challenge. They include women and children,. Those in conflict situations and with physical disabilities who like every other human being should have access to a minimum of basic education and life-long learning.

In the United Nations Development Programmes, Human Development Index Report on the percentage of people aged 15 years and above who could, with understanding, both read and write a short single statement on their everyday life in 2001, Norway was rated first, while Nigeria placed 152 out of 175 countries. In fact, Nigeria came behind 20 other African countries including Tunisia (91) Cape Verde (103) Algeria (107) South Africa (111) Equatorial Guinea (116) Gabon (118) Egypt (120) and Ghana (129). The countries with the highest number of illiterates in the world are Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria and Pakistan.

When Mr. Segun Obasanjo came on board in 1999 as the civilian president of Nigeria, one of the major problems, it sought to address was the alarming rate illiteracy in the country. To this end, within a very short period of time, it came out with the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme which was aimed at totally eradicating illiteracy in all the nooks and crannies of the country. To this end, it made education compulsory at the primary school level up to the junior secondary school. It is also a crime for any child of school age not to be properly enrolled in school. Both, the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria and various Acts of parliament support the eradication of illiteracy and education for all. However, there was the apparent lack of political will to see the policy through on the part of those in government. Similarly, cultural factors such as early marriage acted as a bulwark against the initiative. Other inhibitions are the low socio-economic conditions in the country, decay of infrastructure in the education sector, the erroneous understanding that children should be allowed to learn a trade rather than go to school as such a child will make more money quickly and be relevant to the demands of societal pressure as well as his kith and kin. Others do not really see the significance and benefit of education, since most graduates are seen roaming about the streets in search of what to do for a living, some are nomads, and because they are constantly on the move it becomes pretty difficult for them to stay in a particular place to learn. Even, when the idea of nomadic education, was mooted, it was soon discovered to be a drainpipe on government’s limited revenue. Yet, for some rather than allow their wards to go to school for formal education, they prefer Quranic schools, while some complained of poverty and misery. These and more are responsible for the present state of affairs.

In Nigeria with a population of well over 140 million, most are still illiterate. And, there is a formidable nexus between illiteracy and poverty. Hence, in an attempt to push up the literacy level government must tackle the issue of poverty too. Furthermore, the West African Examination Council (WAEC) released the 2005 results of 872,554 candidates, out of the 1,091,676, that sat for the examination nationwide in May this year. This represents 79.9 per cent of the total candidates, results. In the same vein, 219,125 candidates, representing 20.1 per cent, had their results partially released. The number of results withheld was 86,657, representing 7.9 per cent. The results were being withheld on well documented reports of alleged involvement in examination malpractices. Yet, nobody has been brought to book on this account, thereby, encouraging the culture of impunity. Also, 345,230 candidates, representing 27.53 per cent, were eligible for matriculation because they obtained credit and above in English Language, Mathematics and three other subjects. Out of them, 78,929 representing 2.3 per cent are science-oriented; 219,292 per cent representing 20.1 per cent are social science oriented, while 56,009 representing 5.13 per cent are Arts-oriented. While 29,409 candidates representing 2.70 per cent obtained five credits, and above in five subjects, without English and Mathematics.

It is also on record that, the state of education in the country is horrendous. According to UNESCO, about 26 per cent of the annual budget should be set aside for the growth and development of the education sector. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Equipment are scarce, laboratories are non-existent, there is automatic promotion for students who fail their exams and underpaid teachers are saddled with the task of imparting knowledge, the outcome of all these have further derailed the educational system. Therefore, to avoid these pitfalls this time around, good planning should precede execution. Education no doubt is the best legacy a man can bequeath to his child. Hence, government must go back to the drawing board and see to the apparent neglect of the public school system. Education in Nigeria has been relegated to the back-burner; this is in spite of the fact that, it is one of the Millennium Development Goals. No country that truly wants to develop treats education with levity as its being done in the country today. So, the question is what is the plan of the Yar’Adua government for the education sector in Nigeria?