Ahead 2019 calendar year, industry experts in the education sector have listed character building, political will, resolution of bottleneck with Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), among others, as conditions necessary to boost education sector.
They observe that the education sector in Nigeria in 2018 faced numerous challenges that affected it general performance, adding that discipline is very important in attaining any significant achievement in human capital development.
According to them, at the moment, Nigeria is at a cross road, instead of our present educational system helping to propel us forward in development, we face a gloomy picture of decay because of wrong ideas and teachings that made “self” instead of the “society” as a centre of development.
Tolu Odugbemi, former vice chancellor, Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUTECH), says, “Education is a tool for development if properly handled from childhood to adulthood through various systems – primary, secondary and tertiary levels.”
Odugbemi notes that in 2019 character building must accompany any form of learning in the various levels of education so that products of these institutions will to be relevant to society development.
He calls on managers of the economy to reassess their strategies to rebuild our societies by refocusing our values on positive and virtuous traits, which a robust education sector provides.
According to Odugbemi, “In 2019, I desire to see a Nigeria that is in the forefront of scientific and technological achievements that will advance the standard of living of Nigerians.
“I want to see a country with proud and cohesive people and where appropriate values and attention are placed on key sectors such as education, health, human rights and security by government.”
To him, “The investment in these key areas and in particular, the educational sector, will go a long way in bringing a future and a hope for this generation and future generations.”
Isaac Adeyemi, an educationist and former vice chancellor, Bells University of Technology, Otta, Ogun State, observes that the issue of leadership in our education sector needs to be reassessed and reappraised in Nigeria.
He is worried that successive governments have failed in providing good and effective leadership and appropriate policy directions for the relevant sectors, education inclusive.
Adeyemi points out that there are supervisory bodies (School Boards, Governing Councils, Committees on education, set up to monitor growth and development of education in our schools and institutions of higher education.
He is worried that in the past years, some members of such supervisory bodies are generally uninformed of their duties, and responsibilities attached to their offices. Some work very hard for excellence while some see being in such bodies as opportunities to ‘make it.’
“Projects meant to be supervised by their supervisory bodies become ‘projects’ they execute with nothing to show for it at the end of the day. Even the funds for execution of projects are usually thought to be ‘money for sharing,’” he notes.
On what he expects in 2019, the former university don said Honesty, hard work and expression of all good values should be brought back as attributes of good citizens, not the acquisition of wealth by any means that are not decent and honourable.
He further calls for the implementation of a workable code of conduct amongst various professional groups related to the education sector adding that once this is done, education sector will thrive.
