CISLAC PRESS STATEMENT
In the last three decades, Nigerian government has systematically
neglected the education sector. Presently, education sector can be considered to
be near comatose. The sector suffers incessant strike actions from Academic
Staff Union of University, Non-Academic Staff Union, Students Union and Labour
Union. In recent times, the existing strike actions have been complimented by
the emerged massive massacres of Nigerian students. This deplorable situation
has reached a crescendo, demanding immediate intervention by the government and
relevant stakeholders.
The Nigerian educational sector has become an open field harboring
corrupt practices that rankles among players such as policy makers, bureaucrats
in various educational ministries and school officials responsible for the
school management, parents and students. The sector is marked by
infrastructural decays, inefficient and poorly skilled teachers, and
dilapidated school structures etc., fueled by general apathy by government to
education.
The quality of education students received under this dreadful
atmosphere is highly appalling. The standard dropped to the extent that the
minimal score for Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, has
drastically dropped to 180 as against 200 out of 400 total score in the years
back. It is an open secret that students hire machineries to pass standard
examinations in secondary schools. Invigilators are also not left out in this
gruesome cesspool of corruption; as they are rumored to be paid to enable
machineries write exams for students.
Also, some schools’ principals and teachers engage machineries
improve their schools’ academic performance in the examinations. Affluent
students go to the examination council/board to buy high grades. Some
unscrupulous lecturers force students to buy hand-outs as criteria for passing
their course. Administrative staff also compound issues for students by
withholding students’ results to force their hands to bride or show
appreciation to them before their results can be released.
Unethical behavior
in the school has forced female students into prostitution, as they use their
bodies to lure lecturers for favors; while male students resort to cultism as a
means of protection. Students pay bribe to be given admission to universities.
This begs the question of the quality of Nigeria future leaders.
On regular basis, national and state governments cut down on
educational funds making education appear unimportant to economic growth. For
instance, UNESCO recommends 26% budgetary allocation to the education sector
but in reality education sector receives less than 4% budgetary allocation in
Nigeria and this varies from state to another.
The troubling realization is that the government allocates more
money to ex-militants than any other sector including education. This
government apathy to education practically justified the reason for looting of
the education funds. From all indications, inculcation of knowledge is no
longer the primary focus for being an educator anymore
It is a wonder that the 130billion naira requested by ASUU from
the Federal government is still under contention in the face of the country’s
high cost of governance, which is said to be the highest in the world.
The recent face-off between the Academic Staff Union in both
Federal and State Universities can be described as the toughest blow so far for
Nigerian Students. For the past 92 days, (still counting) University students
have been at home and school activities are disrupted.
The youths are the future leaders of tomorrow, if the educational
system which should prepare the youths during their formative years for better
future is reeking of corruption; there is need for concerted efforts towards
sanitizing the system.
As the world marks World Teachers’ Day today it becomes pertinent
for Nigerians to have a sober reflection on where we got it all wrong and put
mechanisms in place to retrace our footsteps.
CISLAC therefore calls on Nigeria to join hands with other world
bodies as Transparency International launches Global Corruption Report:
Education, to put our house in order and safeguard the lives of our future
leaders.
CISLAC further calls on the Federal and State Government to
immediately resolve the impasse between it and Academic Staff Union of
University, ASUU by honouring the agreement reached between it and the Union
since 2009.
CISLAC believes that if the government can stop wastage and
duplication, the 100bn annual requests by ASUU should not be a burden to a
government that claims to have interest in improving educational standard in
the country. Pre-emptive measures should be taken to tackle futuristic
industrial actions. Our young people should not be subjected to needless long
term idleness.
CISLAC also calls on the Federal and State Governments to exhibit
some element of professionalism in the establishment and registration of
schools at the basic and secondary levels. Proprietors of private schools
should be those that studied Education courses in the tertiary institutions.
Their certificates/professional registration certificates with the proposed TCN
should be a major criterion.
CISLAC further calls on the Federal Government to take adequate
steps to establish a National Commission for Secondary Education (NCSE), as
Secondary Education component of our education system remains the only
component without a Commission. This Commission will perform, in the secondary
education system, similar functions the National Universities Commission (NUC)
is performing as quality assurance agency on the Universities.
CISLAC also calls for policy change in the management of the
Federal Unity Colleges (FUCs). Their management should be removed from the
Basic and Secondary Education Department of the FME and put under the proposed
NCSE. It has been found out that most of the shortcomings noticed with the FUCs
are traceable to the FME.
The appointment of their Principals should be tenured and teachers
in a particular College should be made to partake in the process that will
produce the Principal from among themselves through voting. There is the need
to bridge the infrastructural gap between the FUCs and state government schools
in the country. While it is agreed that FUCs are models for secondary
education, state secondary schools should be modeled close to the FUCs in terms
of infrastructure and equipment
CISLAC also demands that the Federal Inspectorate Service (FIS) be
demerged fromthe Federal Ministry of Education and brought under the proposed
National Commission for Secondary Education. Furthermore, the Teachers
Registration Council (TRC) should be delinked completely from the Federal Ministry
of Education, (FME). It is an anomaly that a professional body is a parastatal
of a Ministry. The body should be autonomous of government if it must truly
protect the integrity of teaching as a profession.
CISLAC demands better accountability on the part of school
administrators, parents and student. Disciplinary measures must be taken to
curb the rising nature the impunity in the school system.
CISLAC calls on students to eschew violence and uphold peace for a
better tomorrow.
Signed:
Auwal Ibrahim Musa (Rafsanjani)
Executive Director
CISLAC
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