Proprietor of Jemibewon International Academy and former Minister of Police Affairs, retired Gen. David Jemibewon, tells SUCCESS NWOGU that quality of education at the foundation level will determine the worth of development in a nation
What is the solution to mass failure of students in NECO and WASC examinations?
The trend is not good for Nigeria’s development. There may be many factors responsible for such failures. Such include unprepared and bad foundation from primary schools, the students not having textbooks and not studying hard enough. Parents could also be at fault for failure to follow up the progress of their children’s academic work.
What are the solutions to the problems you have mentioned?
We must ensure that good schools exist and more solid foundation at primary level. Also there should be more conscientious approach by teachers and greater attention and interest by parents as to how their children get on in the school.
Should NECO and WAEC be merged?
During my time, it was only WAEC that we knew of. Having two examination bodies has an advantage, because if you do not do well in one, you can then probably do well in the other or even in the two. I do not see anything wrong in having the two bodies. Maybe the operation is what is not good enough. Then what to do is not to jettison the programme but to look at the reasons why it is not working well and make corrections.
Should government do more to advance education in Nigeria?
There should be more funding for education and teachers’ knowledge should be updated. Some of the teachers are not qualified. If a teacher is not qualified and he is teaching, then he cannot do the right thing. Government ought to look into that. Many things are wrong with the educational system.
Do you agree that the standard of education in the country is falling?
Most parents or grown up people tend to give the impression that education was at a higher standard when they were young than what it is today. But children today will also likely have something to say in the future. It depends on how one looks at it. When we were in school, our knowledge was limited to our locality except those who did Geography and had knowledge about other parts of the world.
But today through the Internet, children can access or communicate with people in other countries. That is a kind of education that we never had. So it is difficult to say that the standard of education has fallen. But if it is true that it has fallen, then it means that almost everything has fallen. Our way of approach to politics is certainly not as polished as when the country gained independence in 1960. People now engage in driving and acquisition of wealth. This was not what we had immediately after independence.
Is quality education at the basic level bedrock for national development?
Quality education is important for national development and that is why I set a standard for my school. Any reasonable person who wants to start anything should not aim at the lowest but the highest level. You will always equate yourself or aspire to attain the highest level. As a country, it will be ridiculous to say that we want to be like the poorest country. We should aim to be like the most developed countries such as the US, Great Britain, Germany and so on. I want to believe that it should be the same thing for any human being who has a standard and also wants to set a higher standard. I would want my school to be such that could be comparable with any quality school anywhere in the world. We motivate students to develop with diligence their intellectual, creative, sporting and social endowments through complete cognitive, affective and psychomotor developments, thereby turning them into well-balanced adults.
We train our students to be honest. We have zero tolerance for examination malpractice and we seek to promote respect for cultural diversity and religious differences.
How would you describe your experience as a school proprietor?
In terms of cost, it is an expensive venture to be a school proprietor particularly in a rural setting like mine where people will want everything free. The school fees paid now is nothing to write home about. But those factors are not enough to discourage any individual who wants to contribute to national growth.
I want to believe that the situation today cannot remain the same as time goes on. Training the youths is a delightful thing because when you see them growing up and they appreciate efforts being made to develop them, one feels satisfied. The experience is varied. It has been a great pleasure.
Why did you decide to site the school in rural area instead of an urban area where it could be financially lucrative?
The location of the school is where I come from and whatever I have become started from there. If all the urban centres in this country are developed and the rural areas are not developed, then Nigeria cannot be said to be fully developed.
If you want to produce citizens of equal hope and aspirations, then the basis of assessing them ought to be the same. It will be ridiculous to give the impression that the only place that will be developing should be the urban centre. Since the rural areas constitute part of the country, it should also be developed.
People feel that tuition in primary and secondary schools, especially those privately owned, are high? What is your opinion?
It is difficult for me now to assess that, except I have sufficient information. Of course, no good and quality thing comes cheap. If you want a good thing, you must spend money on it. The schools are not for charity and they are not compulsory. I do not see any problem for those children whose parents can afford it. There are public schools where people can send their children to. There are some schools that I know where teachers do not go on strike and there are some others where teachers go on strike six months in a year. People who now want the best education for the children can now choose between private and public schools.
What is the solution to cultism in secondary schools?
It is a shame to have such at that level. It boils to the fact that some parents and teachers are not showing enough concern and attention to children. Also some children are also not showing great enthusiasm in their studies. It is a reflection of the low level to which our society has fallen. There is hardly anything that works well in this country anymore. Otherwise, I cannot imagine a primary or secondary school boy being involved in cultism. It is a tragedy! Efforts should be made to ensure that it is corrected. The idea of child abuse should be clearly defined. Things that will help children become good citizens ought not to be seen as child abuse.
What is responsible for indecent dressing among school children?
I think these children need parental care and supervision. But somehow, I see sometimes, that we tend to get ourselves confused. When some children are disciplined for wrong doings, it is often regarded as child abuse but when these children misbehave, some people claim that it is as a result of lack of parental care. I do not know where we must draw the line on what is child abuse and discipline.
