The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, General Muhammadu Buhari, has restated his determination to revamp the education sector through rebranding and re-orientation, if elected.
This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Mondayby the Director Media and Information of the Buhari Support Organisations, Dr. Chidia Maduekwe.
The statement outlined the challenges the education sector was facing and how it would be tackled.
According to the statement, Buhari promised to restore the past glory of education in Nigeria and instill discipline in all schools.
The statement said: “The first step to arrest this situation is re-orientation or true rebranding.
“Students should study hard to get their high grades and not through bribery vis-à-vis sorting or other kinds of examination malpractices and corruption.”
The statement said parents could help by encouraging their children to cultivate reading habits, give them financial support and stop giving assistance to their wards to engage in examination malpractices.
The presidential candidate in the statement listed the challenges facing the sector as underfunding, indiscipline, shortage of qualified teachers, corruption and lack of trained teachers.
The statement added: “Report has it that some of our young ones have been forced into prostitution and some other nefarious activities to fend for themselves.
“Schools can no longer set targets for admission to conform to their facilities due to corrupt practices.
“The government has the responsibility of safeguarding the rights of its children to sound education and should be vigilant over the ability of the teachers and the standard of teaching.”
The statement also quoted Buhari as promising free education, free meals in schools, decent accommodation and involvement of teachers in school-related decisions.