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In the early 1960s and ’70s, education was chock-a-block with committed and competent men who were primarily occupied with raising and training the future breed of leaders. The government was involved in training sharp minds to attain prioritised goals in life. Not until the megalomaniac of Nigerian politicians, who were mainly school dropouts without any certificates or credentials. A lot of them came into power through forgery and impersonation. Then, education was taken over by the mission and private individuals who understood that quality education is the foundation of a successful life. Ever since, public education has been met with scepticism, and private schools have been deemed superior to public schools. Governor C. C. Soludo grew up in the village of Isuofia in Aguata, attending Uga Boys High School, where he became a senior prefect in 1978. From there, he proceeded to the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, where he obtained first-class honours in economics in 1984.
21st-century learning and skills are geared towards helping the students acquire life skills. These essential skills are necessary for life, work, and citizenship. The goals and learning objectives of modern education are focused on future students’ outcomes. Principals and head teachers in Anambra State have been instructed to admit every child in their schools without collecting a dime. The Solution Government is not bent on the obsolete UBE, Basic Education Act; rather, it’s changing the narrative of opportunities given to every child in Nigeria, not just Anambra State. Our culture has accepted false narratives and succumbed to deception—nothing is done in government schools.
Apart from the employment of over 8,000 qualified teachers, and offering free education, the governor has sporadically increased the funding for education in the state. The far-reaching consequences of the unaccustomed and ceaseless hikes in petrol prices have led to massive dropouts from school by teens and young adults whose carers and sponsors could hardly afford one meal in a day. Many children are roaming the streets without anything to lay their hands on due to the outrageous APC economic reforms. Anambra has 263 public schools and 769 private secondary schools. Most of the newly recruited teachers are specialised technical and IT skills teachers meant to incorporate the SDGs in the classrooms.
Life and career skills help students to adapt and be flexible as they enter the workforce. Many young men are back to the teaching profession in the country to use evaluations and classroom activities in moulding the students. Education is at the heart of sustainable growth. It’s changing from knowledge delivery to skills and content development. There’s a vital shift in education, and students do not just write exams; competency in skills assists them in navigating the process. Unemployment is rife in Nigeria, and Anambra State has enhanced technical colleges for skilled manpower. There are 12 registered colleges with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) in the state.
Reality has been suppressed, and we now accept fiction as facts. Some have been persuaded by political platforms to give up increasing control of their lives. The media undermine and mock the value of our trust and the traditional providers of education. Things once labelled theories are now taught as absolute truth in our educational system. Society has believed the lies and fallen under the spell. While reacting to “complete free education from kindergarten to basic to senior secondary, the principals and headteachers hammered on running costs, logistics, administrative expenses, and school maintenance. Governor Soludo responded by saying, “I will provide.”
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This is the unheeded secret in Anambra State at the moment. Great learners are listeners, and may you have Godspeed as you rush to register your child in a government school. We are a nation in need of truth, and if we reject the truth, we will live under a lie. Repositioning the educational standards in Nigeria has started in Anambra State. Enrolling your child in public schools in Anambra State offers numerous opportunities and benefits, from quality education to community involvement and career development. We have to watch our reactions to the hardship imposed on us by the federal government so that we may not lose at both ends. We cannot change our past; we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.
Obiotika Wilfred Toochukwu; St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Awgbu.
