The Value of Education
- By solomon2day
- On 16/07/2021
- In Special Report
Free and compulsory education from the Primary and Secondary levels is a step in the right direction for those who know the value of education.
The renovation of dilapidated structures in public schools, the building of new classrooms, the provision of functional toilet facilities, water, and fencing all contribute to ensuring that pupils and students have quality education.
Sadly, the stoppage of the payment of WAEC and NECO fees by some state governments, most especially in these times of insecurity and economic downturn, has denied indigent students the opportunity to be educated.
Indeed, the educational system in Nigeria is in deep crises, while vital, literacy indicators point to a deplorable condition.
Most of the schools, in the public and private sectors, have become breeding ground for criminals, trailed by an ever-increasing rate of school drop-outs.
The quality of education has fallen significantly at all levels, just as cultism, gangsterism, ritual killings, and the use of hard drugs have taken over space.
A number of teachers have contributed negatively to the sorry situation, even as the absence of adequate teaching aids and recreational facilities have worsened the troubled state of education in the country.
Poor management, the multiplicity of agencies with duplicated functions, and inadequate coordination are stumbling blocks to available, relevant, accessible, and affordable education, to all irrespective of social and economic status.
Considering the fact that illiterates constitute the majority of the population, immediate and long-term social and economic returns from education remain a mirage.
The question Nigerians have continued to ask is-Do state actors know the value of education?