The term free Education was introduced into Nigeria sphere by late Chief Obafemi Awolowo As he stated when addressing the Nigerian Union of Teachers in 1947, education is the process of physical and mental culture where by a man’s personality is developed to the fullest.
Although Article 6 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human right had stated quite categorically that “every one has a right to education. Education shall be free in the Elementary and Fundamental stages. The British Govt which had Jurisdiction over Nigeria as a colonial Power did not extend that right to Nigeria as a matter of policy, the delivery of formal education to Nigeria was haphazard and was left largely in the hands of Religious bodies mainly Islamic in the northern part and Christianity in the southern part.
In 1999 the Federal Government under the Leadership of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo introduced the Universal Basic Education, the Scheme has some aims which include
1: Provide free compulsory Universal Basic Education for every Nigerian child of school age.
2: Reduce Drastically drop-out rate from the formal school system through improved relevance
3: Cater for drop-outs and out of school children e.t.c
Fast Forward to the Present time off course over the years we have had circumstantial and accidental leaders rather than societal/ideological leaders. This leaders in order to gain cheap Popularity end up with empty and less substantial promises which FREE EDUCATION is part of just to get vote and get there. But the question QUESTION IS : WHAT IS FREE ABOUT THE EDUCATION? , HOW IS EDUCATION FREE?
The Mistake most of our leaders do make is they don’t look at policies that affect the populace and how does such policies affects the social reality viz ar viz the Economic challenges on ground. And I dare say any policy that does not have a Human face no matter how beautiful. Such policy it is a total Failure
Most states if not all states Establishes Free Education but does eliminating school fees alone signifies FREE EDUCATION? Take a walk to Nasarawa State the Govt claims to be engaging in Free Education but it is public knowledge today that most schools that usually collect a PTA (Parent Teacher Association) levy of #1,000 have now increase their levy to over #2,500, is that FREE EDUCATION OR EDUCATION SUBSIDY?
Another Hullabaloo Educational Policy which moves in Line with “FREE EDUCATION ” Is the recent announcement by the New State Governor of Mr President State (Kastina) where he said all public school teachers should enroll all their pupils in public school “a good as a matter of fact Perfect policy but as usual Misguided” this was the same Governor that set up a committee that brought a report on the actual state of Government schools in the state and one of their findings shows that School teachers in most public school lack convenience room (toilet) talk more of other necessary facilities, in all honesty if and I repeat if I am a school teacher and my school don’t even have a toilet that I can use to ease my self why in Allah name would I bring my own Child to such School?
Let’s take stroll to Kaduna Sate, it is public Knowledge that the present Gov Mall ” Mai Rusao himself” promised to take his own WARDS to public school as a means of encouraging the development of public school to meet up with its private counterpart, well sir we are in the 2nd week and we are yet to see any Pictorial or Video evidence to show that your WARD have resume in any public school even though we know they would be put in the best public school available in Kaduna State but we are yet to see and we are waiting to see sir (Keep the good work).
To understand the Implication of what am trying to highlight here let’s stop at the CENTRE OF UNITY, 80% of Public Schools in the FCT when I mean public schools am not talking of the well Furnished public school in ASOKORO,MAITAMA AND EVEN WUSE, AM TALK OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN DAKI BIU, GWAGWA,JIWA, IDU, KARMO, JAHI KARMAJIJI, MAGAJIPE just to mention a few most of them have a staff strength that is mostly PTA teachers and funny enough the FCT too claims to be adhering to the FREE EDUCATION POLICY, If the education is free then where do they expect the Head Teacher or School Principal to pay the PTA staffs?
If most school are understaffed how do we expect to get the best out of a teacher when he has a class of 60 student per Teacher?
RIGHT DIRECTION / STEP
Before we start prophesying Free Education and other Educational Policies, there are Basic requirements that needs to be put in place first:
1: More Staff: Public schools need more Staff, not just staff in their Numbers well-trained staff not just any body with a NCE or Education Certificate
2: Educationist: Educationist should be given priority and other person who wants to be in the teaching LINE should go and get a PGDE in education first
3: A wholesome Enabling Environment : Schools need to be developed to meet up to present challenges and standard, example take a trip to my State the Present Governor renovated schools into what they call ultra Modern Schools in all the L.G.A, but one STRIKINGLY Familiarity or similarity with all the schools is that they are all situated in the high way of either entering or going out of the respective L.G.A. Well if you doubt me take stroll to Kofar House Secondary school in Dadin Kowa, Prison Road Keffi or better still go to the Primary School In Yelwa all in keffi then come and compare them with that on the Highway when entering Keffi from Abuja, you would understand what I mean.
4: Teaching Aids: Teaching Aids needs to be put in place, if as at the Period of General Sani Abacha schools where using chalk Board I wonder why after 20 yrs we still have public school using Chalkboard in their various classes, let’s not talk of the Health Hazard chalk causes on the teacher (they too need to be paid Hazard Allowances too) this chalk that are being use the various school heads are the once saddle with providing this chalks because we all know the ones provided by the government can’t cover for the whole term and yet they seat in their comfortable chair and issue out Educational Policies like ” FREE EDUCATION”
4: WELFARE: OFF COURSE everything we do is all about the (BENJAMINS) Money, staff welfare needs to be improved (now they would say naija is broke, if naija is broke keep your policies aside till when naija is Buoyant) if ASUU (who also to a large extent all this policies also affect) can hold Government to ransom for more pay,if Health sector can say they want better working Condition, if CBN and NNPC and other juicy Agency earn high Pay I wonder why our School Teachers won’t be given such Priority. Countries like Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom give Education their Utmost priority I wonder why our state Governors won’t do such
5: Discipline: it’s highly unfortunate that today what most parent that went through public schools and saw different mode of punishment which made them better people in the society today would tell you they don’t want such for their kids, Discipline needs to be reintroduced into our system starting from the Staff down to the Pupils.
We can take a cue. From a Civilian and a soldier life pattern in the society and you will know what I mean
END NOTE: For us to truly say we have introduce Educationional Policies that would benefit the entire society we need to shift our focus to the attainable and not Political statements.
OTHER ISSUE
The SIRENS AND THE AUTHORISE USERS
The Nigeria Police Force issues a list of authorise persons allowed to use this Siren but as usual beautiful policies but lack true intent, if the NPF say certain individuals are not allowed to use the Sirens then my question is
1: what have the Police done to curtail the Sales of this Gadget to ordinary users? Just like we have the tinted Glass issue
2: the Police men attached to this government Personnel who gives this people the officers? the Public? Or the Police?
In all honesty the list which the NPF showed us certain personnel such as the Custom CG, Civil Defence CG, FRSC Boss, Immigration Boss, DSS Boss And even our Emirs, are the Police now telling us that if we see all this people’s convoy passing and blowing their Sirens we should not give way? Like Seriously!! MEHN my fellow Nigerians for your own good if you see convoy blowing it’s Siren give way ooo, if not na your body go tell you,If you doubt me ask Mrs Lois what the Governor of Nasarawa state Convoy did to her and her car just some few days back in akwanga – Nasarawa Eggon Road ( Many have Gone)
Rather than show us list of people permitted to use Sirens the NPF should withdraw their Personnel from most of this people after all Mr President have even given such order, withdraw them especially from those Chinese and Indian Contractors all over the place doing anyhow.
As for the other Security agencies send letter of Notification to them informing them of the directives and we Nigerians would expect them to adhere to it after all we said we are In The period of CHANJI, So I believe they would abide by it except if the CHANJI NA FOR MOUTH.
Allah save us from Us
GOD BLESS THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.
Adamu Auta could be reached through his Twitter Handle : @adamu318, E-mail : adamuauta388@gmail.com
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