Declare State Of Emergency In Education Now – NAE Tasks Tinubu

BY NGOZI NWANKWO, ABUJA – The Nigerian Academy of Education (NAE), has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to as a matter of national concern, declare state of emergency in the education sector in order to holistically address the rot and decadence in the system.

This was as it strongly condemned the proliferation of educational institutions by the Federal and State Governments, and called for a moratorium on the establishment of new institutions, until the current ones are fully equipped and with adequate personnel as required by the regulatory agencies

The Academy also noted that there was no synergy between the Federal and State Governments to enhance the smooth development of education in the country.

The NAE particularly urged the Federal Government to as a matter of necessity, stop running secondary schools and urged the government at the Centre to handover all the 115 Federal Government Colleges to the states with comprehensive conditions.

NAE President, Professor Kabiru Isyaku, who stated these at the 38th Annual Congress, 2024, holding in Abuja from 5th to 8th November, with the theme: “Nigerian Education System: Past, Present & Future,” saying that the declaration of the state of emergency in the sector has become necessary since it affects all other sectors of the nation’s economy.

The event witnessed the induction of 26 new members and elevation of three deserving members to the Fellowship level amongst who was the Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), who was honoured in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the development of Nigeria.

Isyaku noted that the National Policy on Education was last reviewed over 10 years ago, stressing that the declaration of emergency would allow government to assemble experts for a policy review, and to critically address issues like status of education in the Constitution, structure, funding, and relevance of the current Curriculum.

He also said that issues of evaluation and certification should be addressed comprehensively to cover all levels and everything to do with education with all stakeholders be it Local, State, Federal Government, employers, religious and other development partners, adding that education is the responsibility of all.

Isyaku therefore called for adequate remuneration of personnel in educational institutions particularly the release of their salaries and other entitlements as at and when due.

He described as an aberration, the running of primary and secondary schools by the Federal Government, saying that such practice does not take place anywhere in the world.

According to him; “The Federal Government, at this stage of the country’s development, should not directly run secondary Schools. Instead, the Federal Government should only be in charge of policy and quality assurance.

“All Federal Government Colleges should be devolved to the states with comprehensive conditions”.

In his address,the keynote speaker, Prof. Alhas Maicibi Nok, of Faculty of Education, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, bemoaned the high level of corruption in management of educational institutions in the country.

Nok argued that even though education is faced with the problem of poor funding, the major challenge is the misappropriation of the little resources allocated to the institutions.

He raised several posers as to the integrity of those who are appointed to head educational institutions in the country, saying even appointment of Vice-chancellors is usually characterised with nepotism and other parochial interests.

Speaking on the decline in quality of teaching and learning in schools, Nok noted a trend were teachers in most schools teach students for examination instead of teaching for knowledge, stressing that the development has fueled sharp practices were marks are no longer earned by students but bought with money or sex for marks among other unwholesome practices.