PROBLEMS AND CHALLENGES.
A MEMO ON EDUCATIONAL REFORM SUBMITTED TO YOBE STATE EDUCATION SUMMIT ORGANIZED BY YOBE STATE GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA
DATE: MONDAY 1ST TO TUESDAY 2ND JULY, 2019.
PREAMBLE
Education is the bedrock for prosperity in any society. With education, jobs and skills would be acquired. Education provides the proper guidance for all meaningful societal successes and development at every level of human endeavors. Any society that lacks well trained literate citizens would likely have a blurred future. Primary and secondary education in Yobe state suffer a lot of setback as a result of myriad of factors. The annual performance of students is dropping at an alarming rate. Yobe state took the last position in Senior School Certificate Examination; pupils’ performance in reading, basic arithmetic and science subjects are very poor. These problems are associated with weak drivers of educational policy and administration in the state, incompetent teachers, inadequate teachers and teaching facilities, lack of good monitoring and evaluation, inadequate schools inspection, infrastructural challenge, lack of incorporation of other stakeholders of education and partners (e.g traditional rulers and donors ) etc. It is in cognizance of this golden position of education in human society that the newly elected Governor of Yobe State, His Excellency Alhaji Mai Mala Buni, during his inaugural speech on 29th May, 2019 made the following declaration:
''In line with our commitment to reform the education sector, I hereby declare a state of emergency on primary and secondary education in the state, to build a solid, vibrant and robust foundation for the development of education. Government would as a matter of deliberate policy continue to provide the necessary support to move education in the state to greater heights''.
The above declaration has prompted our interest to give the executives and the education managers some of our observations on the way forward for achieving quick results with regard to rescuing the situation of the primary and secondary schools education in the state. As it invariably stands, Yobe State has been educationally disadvantaged state in Nigeria. This scenario poses serious challenge, which of cause attracted the attention of the new administration in the state to declare emergency response to the sector. Basically, the success of every organisation begins with the quality, attitude and available resources at the disposal of the managers of that organisation.
Based on this, the memo would like to identify problems and challenges of the sector and recommend suggestions on the following priorities areas, with the view to resuscitate and reclaim the glory of primary and secondary school education in Yobe State:
1. Appointment of a competent Commissioner of Education: The leadership of every organization determines its success. The education sector deserves a very serious and committed commissioner, who has the capacity to make other educational managers and stakeholders’ drivers for change of education in Yobe 0state. All other relevant and supportive agencies like State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Teaching Service Board (TSB), and Education Resource Centre (ERC) etc. should also get result oriented and right persons appointed as heads based on their track record of service, professionalism, dedication, commitment and honesty. The top management of the ministry of education must understand and play their role as education policy enforcement agents; thus, directors should be appointed based on merit and the capacity to drive the new desire for change. The same criteria should apply for the Local Education Authorities in the 17 LGAs.
All the top educational managers and officers from the ministry down to the local government establishments should be retrained through various workshops and inductions to familiarize them with current global best practice as regards basic education (Primary and Secondary). This would give them, as drivers of the Primary and Secondary education in the State, the understanding and capacity to put in place the requisite policies and programmes to achieve quality and universal coverage for both primary and secondary education in the State.
2. Status Assessment: A team of technical staff of the Ministry of Education alongside 3 – 5 independent nominees by the State Government should embark on needs and situation/status assessment visits to receive first-hand situational report on all the primary and secondary schools in Yobe State from the principals and headmasters. The report of this team should include firsthand assessment of the school infrastructure (classrooms, teachers’ accommodation); teaching aids/materials; number of teachers, their qualification and capacity to teach, and other variables that can impact teaching and learning positively or negatively. The team should also interact with community leaders and PTAs to discuss how best to achieve 100% school enrolment and attendance in each given community. This team should also identity critical stakeholders in the education industry and have one-on- one discussion with them, listen to their views and take their submissions in their reports. In addition to the findings from all the stakeholders, memos received from interested parties, groups and individuals should also guide the Ministry of Education in coming up with a comprehensive intervention plan to be presented to the State Government for consideration. A comprehensive assessment would certainly guide in the formulation of intervention mechanisms in the education sector. The recommendations would be in the form of short term, medium and long term interventions that would address, in totality, the challenges in both primary and secondary education. A time-frame within which the team works should be up to 6 months in order to get a comprehensive information that is necessary for a comprehensive intervention. The idea of one functional primary school per political ward should be pursued assiduously. We suggest that this would put Yobe State on the path of sustainable educational development, which is what all patriotic Yobeans look forward to having in the state. We are convinced that it is in this spirit that His Excellency Mai Mala Buni declared the State of emergency in the sector.
3. Monitoring and Evaluation/ School Inspectorates: These bodies must be empowered and provided with all necessary working logistics and resources to deliver the mandate of their office responsibilities. Supervisory role is key to achieving meaningful results and goals of every organization. Schools in all rural and semi urban areas in the state must be adequately visited by schools inspectors and evaluation departments regularly. Although an onerous task, the visits would ensure effective compliance by the various school managers and teachers. The units would have firsthand information on the conditions of teaching quality and school challenges faced by both the staff and students and identify areas they can report back to the higher decision makers at the Centre. Through such inspectorate visits from local government and state zonal offices of education, the problems in the schools would be well communicated, and immediate short and long term solutions would be made available by the leadership of the sector.
4. Increase in Budgetary Allocation: Funding is key and central to achieving lofty objectives of every successful organization. The 26% budgetary allocation on education recommended by UNESCO need to be considered if the education sector in the state is to be revived. With good funding, facilities, equipment and manpower challenges could be overcome and the effective reform would be achieved.
5. Appointments of permanent disciplinary committee for erring teachers: The situation on ground reported lots of gross indiscipline from the side of teachers. These include, among others, absconding from duty post, coming to school late, lack of prompt attendance to classes for teaching among teachers, etc. The appointment of this disciplinary committee would aid speedy action on erring staff and would keep them vigilant and responsive in their various tasks as teachers who are expected to impart knowledge and character. Therefore, late coming and neglect of any form of duty that can affect quality of education from both sides of the teaching staff and their students would be addressed by the committee. Without discipline, no organizational goal will be achieved. Therefore, all the disciplinary measures and punishment for erring teachers should be executed to the later by the committee. A guideline or a manual on regulations of service and various offences with their penalty should be developed and given to each and every employee serving as a teacher or educational administrator.
6. Massive Recruitment of teachers: Unofficial reports and findings from various communities confirmed that there is gross inadequacy of not only unqualified but teachers generally across all primary and secondary schools in the state. Therefore, a quick response is required by recruiting adequate and competent teachers, who have the passion for teaching and imparting knowledge. The panel and the process for the recruitment should involve unbiased people and experts who can professionally and honestly make a good selection of those with the quality to be teachers, not ‘teachers as the last resort’. It is a known fact that the educational sector employment has been politicized, which leads to engagement of less qualified persons as teachers. The system would restore its lost glory when teachers are employed based on merit, irrespective of their regional, ethnic or political background. It is also a known fact that educational provision is like water which never discriminates for its roles and function. We can achieve best results at the time we placed the interest of the system above our selfish interest. We should create an environment where politicians and other influential people in the society should be deterred from rewarding their families and friends with teaching appointments.
7. Provision of conducive atmosphere for learning and teaching: The working environment also matters; our schools deserve state-of- the-art facilities if we really want a better result and quality education. Education sector today is receiving a lot of technological transformation and the system is driving towards computer revolution. Classes, libraries and laboratories as well as teaching aids, both hard and soft, should be made available in all our schools in order to create a general conducive environment for learning. The sector would be made attractive through such deliberate policies of increased welfare and incentives for teachers through facilities. All modern teaching techniques brought about by technological development, computer based, simulation devices and other modern teaching aids should be systematically but aggressively introduced in our schools.
8. Improvement and upgrade of infrastructural facilities: The physical infrastructure at both primary and secondary schools needs to be improved to look better and up to standard. Enough classes with good floor, furniture and other teaching aids should be provided in every school. This should be according to the students’ population and ratio of students per class based on national standard. Teachers’ office accommodation should be prioritized to improve staff motivation and welfare. The office of the school principal, headmaster and their teachers should look similar or equal with, if not better than, that of the officers on the same level at state headquarters of education ministry and its agencies. Dilapidated classes are neither good environments for imparting knowledge to students nor motivation for teachers. The present declaration on education should ensure that our schools look good and beautiful both from outside and inside; therefore, special affection should be created for students so that they can feel school is better than any place, including their homes. Let us not forget that the future of every society lies on the quality of education of their children and citizens.
9. Increase of recreational activities in schools: Findings from our assessment confirmed the dearth of recreational activities in almost all schools in Yobe State. This alone can affect the interest of our students in their pursuits of knowledge. The government should invest in recreational facilities in the schools in order to keep the minds of the students well attached to school environment. Through inter and intra games and competitions, the minds of the pupils and students would be kept sound and fit, and would give them good health to absorb knowledge and creativity. School games and play should be promoted for better results in developing intellectual capacity of students in both primary and secondary schools.
10. Revival of the roles of traditional rulers and stakeholders in education: The traditional rulers, as custodians of culture and religion, can play a centre stage role in increasing the quality of our education system. They assist in championing campaign for increased school enrollment and attendance, motivation of teachers posted to rural areas and assist in making the teachers feel welcome in the communities. The traditional rulers and community leaders in the villages can play good advisory roles in addressing some of the challenges mitigating the quality of education. A forum should be created for the traditional leaders, the community and Parents Teachers Association (PTA) and other educational stakeholders to be regularly meeting. Such meetings among education policy drivers would create a kind of synergy for effective and quality teaching in the various communities.
11. Continuous partnership with other donor agencies: The state government should continue liaising with national and international agencies and organisations such as the UNICEF in improving facilities and teacher quality. A strong partnership should be created with agencies such as the British-Nigeria Education Trust and Leggart Trust that are yet to register their presence in the state.
12. Special Target Groups: In addition to improving teacher quality, conducive teaching and learning environment and effective teaching learning materials in the primary and secondary schools, the following groups and individuals should be targeted:
i) The Almajiri / Tsangaya System: Mainstreaming our traditional Qur’anic and pursuit of Islamic knowledge is key to getting it right on educational reform in the state. The Alarammas, traditional leaders and other community leaders should be engaged by experts in both western and Islamic education so as to create an acceptable formula where the tsangayas can inculcate both Islamic and western education.
ii) The Nomads: The State with its large nomadic population would be missing a large chunk of eligible children who also have the right to be educated if they are neglected. An innovative, practical programme should be worked out to ensure the children of nomads (Fulani, Kwayam, Shuwa Arab etc ) are given the opportunity to develop their full human potential through education.
iii) Physically challenged: The deaf, dumb and blind and other persons with disabilities should have special schools where they can learn to read and write and acquire the basic skills. A directorate of special education should be established in liaison with the department of education of Yobe State University.
iv) The products of Almajiri schools: Those Almajiris’ scholars who want to advance into conventional schools should be supported to get into formal schools based on their capacity and ability. Special School for this group can be established in each senatorial zone.
v) Children Orphaned by Insurgency: Children who lost their parents and guidance due to Boko Haram insurgency needs special support to address their post-traumatic experiences to prepare them to be learning ready. There should also be a deliberate support policy from the government particularly on the children’s education requirements.
vi) Street Hawking Children: Poverty is one of the impediments to acquiring education in our society. Children of less privileged in urban areas and rural communities are fully engaged in some economic activities of trading and selling of goods and services. Such children who became bread winners of their families suffer this exploitation of child labour at large affect their educational training. The government needs to make a special package for educating such children children to reduce making them vulnerable to the consequences of illiteracy.
CONCLUSION
By and large, we can reach new milestone of success for secondary and primary education if the government and people would continue to show commitments and pay good attention to matters bordering on quality education. The journey is challenging, but patriotism, dedication and support from all the stakeholders would, no doubt, take us to glory of producing citizens with quality education.
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