REFORM IN OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AND THE RIGHT OF CITIZENS TO QUALITY EDUCATION

A vulcanizer came to fix my neighbors tyres, he can with two young boys of about 10years and 12years respectively during school hours, this touched me and left me with no choice than to engage their boss in a conversation on the need to encourage the parents of those boys to at least enroll them in a government school, then they can resume work after school to learn whatever skill they desire since that is what the government is clamoring for.

Education has remained an instrument of change and national development, a social process and medium for acquisition of relevant knowledge, skill and attitude for survival in a changing world which Nigeria should not be left out.

Educations is a human right that should be accorded to all human beings solely by reason of being human, several international human rights instruments provides for education as a fundamental human right which includes Universal Declaration of  human rights (1948),Article 17 of the charter on human and people’s right(1981),Section ii of the 1999 constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria.

The rate at which quality education system in Nigeria is becoming history is alarming and the government does not pay adequate attention required in that sector forgetting that the success of every developed or developing countries depend solely on the youths which are the future of the country tomorrow.

In western countries, America and Britain for instance education is free, citizens attends government schools and 90% of the population attends public schools because it is not just free and good but hardly can a private school meet up with the standard put in place by the government unlike Nigeria where people will rather put their children in a two bedroom apartment and unregistered school than attends government public schools.

There are no basic infrastructures, poor or no laboratories in the school for students to experiment when need arise, no good and up to date libraries, no chairs and tables, poor chalk boards and so on.

Educationist are not well paid, they owe them salaries in arrears which usually leads to strike in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions take for instance the ongoing four months strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the inability of the federal government to reach an agreement with them so that they can go back to classroom.

There’s need to reform the educational system at all level primary, secondary and tertiary institution by providing basic infrastructures,the educationists need to be properly paid, they should encourage them to go for training that will keep them updated, awareness in rural and urban areas educating the parents on need and advantage of sending their wards to school, make law in this regard and punishment for any parent that does not send their child to school or sends them to hawk during school hours.

Thank you.

Oyenike Alliyu-Adebiyi Llb(hons)BL