The report that Nigeria has the highest number of out of school children in the world, has once again buttressed the need for the Federal Government to address the issue as a national emergency, so as to reverse the dangerous slide to illiteracy.
IF the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, were to be asked what national problem is the least likely to be addressed in the next five years, the agency would perhaps point at the near absence of the a vibrant, progressive and qualitative educational system in Nigeria.
This is because the United Nations agency believes that the nation accounted for almost a fifth of the world’s out-of-school children. This startling revelation, was made known by Kate Redman, Communications Specialist, Education for All Global Monitoring Report, EAGMR, of UNESCO.
According to her, the amount of aid to basic education Nigeria received in 2011 was 28 per cent lower than it received in 2010. She said new statistics showed that 57 million children were out of school globally in 2011, which was a drop from two million in 2010.
Redman further said that assistance to basic education had decreased for the first time since 2002, adding that the world must move beyond helping children enter school to ensuring that they learn the basics. While this did not come as a surprise, following the undisputed consensus on the level of decadence in the sector, many are worried that a nation with an unbroken history of educational reforms, could be ranked as having the highest out-of-school children globally.
For instance, findings by Vanguard Features,VF, showed that educational reforms predated the nation’s independence, as the then colonial government of Sir John Macpherson, initiated reforms in 1954.
A national crisis
Buttressing this, a report by an educationalist at the Federal College of Education (Technical), Gusau, Dr. Bello Gusau, titled: Educational Reforms in Nigeria: Successive Years of In-consistences and Confusions said: “Nigeria has witnessed several educational reforms which started at pre-independence. It was to the credit of Nigerians notably agitators for self- rule that led the British colonial rulers to change the educational system in operation in 1954 from 8-6-2-3 system that is eight year primary, six year secondary, two year higher school certificate and three year university to a new system 6-5-2-3 that is six year primary, five year secondary, two year higher school certificate and three year university.”
Notwithstanding this history, it is the believe of many that the UNESCO report has succeeded in bringing to global attention the need to regard the issue as a national crisis.
Though the statistics does not appear generally acceptable, the Federal Government has said that it would not challenge the data. “We will not challenge such statistics. What is most important to us is to address the main issue and that is let every Nigerian child be in school, that is our target,” Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Rufa’i said when she received a UNESCO delegation in Abuja.
She said the ministry plans to reduce the number of out-of-school children significantly between now and 2014 as Nigeria has the highest number of such children in the world. The FG’s position notwithstanding, the matter has continued to dominate contemporary discourse among stakeholders, who are saddened by the comatose state of the sector, particularly basic education.
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