There is a funny saying I have. It goes like this, "to him whom brain is giving, sense is expected". Naturally, every human has a brain, but not every human brain is developed, which is where education comes in. Education aids in the development of critical thinking. It teaches one how to use logic when making decisions and interacting with others, and it improves one's communication skills by teaching one how to read, write, and speak. Unfortunately, not everyone who passed through the school's four walls had the school pass through them.
This is why you walk into a doctor's office, and after laying your complaint, he picks up his phone to either Google or call another colleague. This is why a self-proclaimed lawyer is unfamiliar with the body that makes laws in her country. Certainly, there's no denying that the educational system in Nigeria is deteriorating. This is due to a faulty foundation. Like the saying goes, if the foundation is weak, the building will crumble.
It is difficult to pick one thing out and fix another in our educational system because a lot has gone wrong.
Just like the fish rots from the head, the foundational problem of education in Nigeria is the government. A government that spends so little on education is undoubtedly unconcerned about the impact of quality education on her children. The infrastructure in government-owned schools is deplorable. Teachers have been owed for months, knowing fully well that a hungry belle cannot perform optimally. What about constant strikes that cause children to miss out?
This has resulted in the rapid spread of substandard private schools because we live in a country where anyone can convert their sitting room into a school and no one bats an eye.
If I were to take one thing away from Nigeria's educational system, it would have to be the government. I'll replace those in the government arm of education with men of integrity who can revamp, rebuild, and rejig the quality of education in public schools. Men of integrity who will not accept a bribe in order to certify a school that clearly does not meet the required educational standards.
Another thing I will eliminate from Nigeria's educational system is the hiring of anyone as a teacher and not those who are true educators. Due to the scarcity of jobs in Nigeria, teaching jobs appear to be easy to obtain, whether you are a graduate or not. Most teachers did not take any educational courses at the higher institution, yet they are in the classrooms. Teaching is beyond having knowledge of the subject, as there is more to being a teacher as taught in colleges of education.
The school curriculum is constantly changing, and I wonder why. Previously, your siblings could use the books you used, but this is no longer attainable as education has become a business venture in which people lobby for the government to introduce their own books into the school curriculum, causing parents the untold hardship of having to constantly buy textbooks for their wards. If I have the authority to change this, I'll make sure that the same books are always used. Teachers will become more familiar with it, and older siblings will be able to teach younger siblings at home.
Some of the subjects we study in Nigeria are irrelevant to our future. Some of these subjects need to be dropped because it is a waste of time and effort to learn them. Schools should focus on vocational courses and practicals that children can apply in real life.
It's unfortunate that we live in a country where the return on investment in education is monetary, at the expense of a child's intellectual development. I sincerely hope to see a Nigeria where education is prioritized because
an educated nation is a powerful and prosperous nation.
This is my entry into Hive Learners Weekly writing prompt
Post pic made using canva app