Education in a broad sense is a process by which an individual acquires any physical and social capabilities demanded by the society to function.
\nIn an ideal sense, education is an ultimate value. It is an agent of change. It is to a nation what the mind is to the body.
\nThe single most significant took of social control for national development is found in the education of a nation be it formal or informal. In ancient Greece, the cradle of western scholarship, education was a highly functional searchlight beamed on the community. It transcended into reading and writing.
\nDevelopment, on the other hand, is a progressive unfolding of the potentialities of a given reality. As it applies to human beings, it is the integration of the various natural, physical and acquired human potentiality.
\nThe essence of education whether formal or informal is to produce a person who will be a useful member of a society. According to Sane F. Dogle, it must engender in the individual a disposition of personal autonomy, responsibility and relevant forms of life thought and action.
\nThe word relevant as used by her is the matter of cultivating individual interest and potentialities, while autonomy stands for a person who is able to judge, act and think accurately as well as rationally. For me, education standard is supposed to be designed to suit the requirement of a society.
\nAccording to history, our leaders then foolishly allowed the British gain access to us by way of helping to resolve a chieftaincy dispute in Lagos.
\nAs if that was not enough, leaders also succumbed to their idea that all locally produced goods should be exported to their country to be turned in to finished foods. Meanwhile, these finished goods were imported to Nigeria, sold to us at an exorbitant price and the money gotten being used for the development of their country.
\nThe most painful aspect is that our leaders have still not learnt their lessons ‘from their past mistakes.’ If I may ask, was there an already existing system or structure before this group of people came in and if yes, why did they scrap this structure?
\nThe genesis of the compounded problems we have in Nigeria started from here. Judging from the first post Independence National Educational Nigeria Conference on Curriculum Development organised in 1969 by the Nigeria Educational Council with the following resolution, provision and expansion of educational facilities to ensure education gets to the doorstep of every Nigerian child.
\nNoble policies or resolution means nothing without implementation. How can one measure the progress of what is not implemented. If only the National Educational Council (NEC) would be able to implement the resolution of the 1969, we would be singing a sweet tune about our educational system today.
\nOn the contrary, the NEC set a wrong precedence for non-implementation of educational policies and a lip service of the vital sector of national development.
\nThere has to be constant review of our curriculum at all levels. There should be adequate supply of materials and other resources. Our schools need qualified staff and equipped libraries.
\nIn my own opinion, the government and officials who are well committed and passionate about education in the age of globalisation should ensure adequate funding and monitoring, research and development on education for sustainable development and full participation of the private sector both corporate and NGOs.
\nI believe that if the Nigerian Corporation had been fully involved in the running of our education system, as they should be, it won’t get this bad. The higher education sector is in desperate need of repair, especially in the area of visionary leadership, adequate funding and other resources such as well equipped libraries and other tools should be provided for learning and safe secured environment.
\nWe can all have our inputs in a better educational system. Education should not be a business for making fast money for those ill-equipped private schools. Our public schools should be given better facilities and tools for learning. There will always be unscrupulous people who know nothing about educating youths that will exploit the people.
\nThe government should weed out the quack schools or institutions as soon as possible. Improvement in our educational system will continue to generate diverse ideas, views and opinions. One common denominator is the fact that infrastructure of our educational system and various implementable educational policies have to be effected.
\nGovernment should monitor, review and update as required by the political and socio-economic needs of the country. In this age of information and communication technology, our education system at all levels should not be found wanting.
\nGift is an intern with The Tide<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Education in a broad sense is a process by which an individual acquires any physical and social capabilities demanded by the society to function. In an ideal sense, education is an ultimate value. It is an agent of change. It is to a nation what the mind is to the body. The single most significant […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[22],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n