3 October 2019
First public schools were poorly constructed. Those very strong had a background of being established by missionaries. Afterall their children are not there.
Then politics is introduced into the recruitment process and as such a mixture of those who have nothing to do in education found their way into the teaching process. Afterall their children are not there.
Furthermore they forgot completely about instructional aids and other learning equipments. The laboratories and libraries were just either none existing or not equipped. Afterall their children are not there.
Those assigned to supervise, see the job as a tool to issue query and be sorted out at the end of the day. It does not concern them. Their children are not near there.
Then they made laws that are stringent to school managers not to be innovative. Even from the imprest, their visit must be fuelled by the school manager.
The examination bodies are the worst culprit in the destruction agenda. Each visit by a syndicate or supervisor from these bodies is expected to be reciprocated by cash or hell will be let loose.
The teachers then respond by first sending their own wards to private school where they suspect they could at least have a good teaching and learning environment, and then activate examination malpractice formula that will project the school they teach to the world as doing well.
This cycle have been repeating itself since the late '80s when Nigeria lost out on its educational plans. The result is very alarming.
School leavers with credit in English language cannot read the Bible during Sunday school class. School leavers with credit in English can't fill simple forms on their own. These poorly fabricated student end up in tertiary institution where they sort their way through and are now employed to teach or manage our collective future.
For the past five years, the best and the last five finalists of Cowbell Mathematics Competition are usually from first grade private school where the elites have their kids.
The effect is gradually telling on us all. Once your secondary education is poorly framed, your survival is only by the grace of God.
It will be fine the day all in authority send their children to public schools. Do a mental check, mention one governor (El Rufai apart), one commissioner, one permanent secretary, one director, one local government chairman whose children are in public schools in Nigeria.
(Note) the standard of the unity schools is slightly better and improved. Some top government officials could manage it.
The bottom line is that we have pretended for too long. Our failure is pronounced by the quality attention we give to education. Who did we offend?
Mike Udam is a Nigerian public school teacher and social commentator
