Stakeholders in the nation’s education sector have expressed divergent views on the current administration’s efforts in developing the sector on its third anniversary in power.
May 29 is being observed as Democracy Day and a public holiday to commemorate the country’s return to democracy since 1999.
The National Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria said a lot of grounds needed to be covered in the sector particularly as regards funding.
Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, the 2nd Deputy National President of the association, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Lagos that inadequate funding still characterised the sector at all levels.
He noted that apart from Sokoto State no other state had been able to allocate 25 per cent of its budget to fund education.
He said: “I still see activities in the sector as untidy. There is no way we can move forward as a people if we keep neglecting this sector.
“Rather than do the needful in the sector, some state governments are bent on increasing tuition fees in their universities and polytechnics which has led to students’ demonstrations and unrest in such institutions.
“This has constituted a major setback to both the students and their parents, especially in the face of the economic situation in the country.”
According to him, teaching and learning condition in the various tertiary institutions still require intervention of the authorities.
The NAPTAN official aid without good accommodation effective teaching and learning could not take place if the teachers and students “are not well rested or comfortable, especially in the face of growing insecurity in the country”.
He said: “Government must look at providing organised hostel projects in the tertiary institutions especially by encouraging private sectors to participate.
“For instance, in most universities only about 40 per cent of the year one and the final year students are usually entitled to accommodation.
“Again, the Education Tax Fund should be hugely invested in providing conducive teaching and learning environment in our schools.
“Government must also seek to end the issue of brain-drain in the sector as it is constantly loosing scholars for reasons of poor remuneration and lack of research grants.”
Ogunbanjo said government at all levels should also intensify efforts in encouraging the teaching of Mathematics and other core science subjects in schools especially at the primary and secondary levels.
According to him, research has shown that there is a dearth of teachers in Mathematics and science subjects such as Physics and Chemistry.
He noted that in putting the machinery in place for the production of more science and Mathematics teachers, government should ensure that only professionals with the requisite qualifications duly registered with the professional body are recruited.
He said: “Teachers on the other hand must ensure that they upgrade themselves constantly because as you know, we are in the digital age.”
The Academic Staff Union of Universities called for an increase in the budgetary allocation to education by the federal government.
The ASUU National President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, said education remained a catalyst for the development of any economy and called on the government to intensify effort in the development of the sector.
Ogunyemi said: “If we collectively want to move to any desirable height as a people, we must begin to work towards tackling the various challenges bedeviling the sector.”
However, the Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, said the current administration had not done too badly.
He said notwithstanding some challenges, the administration could not be adjudged as not being responsive to the development of the sector, but could be better.
He said: “In terms of research and infrastructural development, I think government can do better.
“Right now, I can say the sector in the past three years is still work in progress.
“We need to focus more on research because it is through research that we can solve local problems.
“If government can support most of the first generation universities with equipment that will enable them focus on various areas of research and it will also enhance capacity for more research outputs.”
In his contribution, the Rector, Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, Femi Omokungbe, also called for increased funding of the sector.
He said: “There is need for more funds to be injected into the sector. For instance, infrastructural development of the campuses has been through TETfund. We need more money for the development of libraries and others.
Omokungbe lauded the federal government for its interventions in resolving strikes by the unions in the higher institutions.
He said: “Government, through dialogues has reduced the rate of strike in our institutions, but there is need for more timely and proactive steps to prevent industrial action toward uninterrupted academic calendar.”
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