Education and the future of Nigeria

With reports of over 21,000 of 33,000 primary school teachers in
Kaduna failing recent assessment tests, one must wonder about the
future of education in Nigeria. This is not the first time that we
are receiving reports that teachers in Nigeria have woefully failed
assessment tests. The problem of quality of teachers is not a
problem only in public schools. Even in some private schools where
parents pay an arm and a leg in tuition and other fees, some
teachers are not qualified to teach children. Some teachers, even
in their incompetence in the subject matter they are teaching, have
the audacity to traumatise children in their teaching methods.

Primary education is the foundation for all education. Nothing
can be built on a weak foundation. As a product of public primary
education in the late 1970s and early 1980s, I can attest to the
quality of public schools at the time. I attended a Universal
Primary Education model primary school. The standards and
expectations in academics and character, were very high. Today, I
would not send my child to the same school. Class sizes have
ballooned, and quality of teachers have declined. During the
holidays, most teachers I knew in the public-school system had to
go through teacher training. I don’t know if that is still the
case.

There is no magic to improving our educational system. It takes
resources, consistent policy, and sustained dedication to reverse
the decay in our educational system. The Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development conducts the Programme for
International Assessment tests. The PISA, which is administered
every three years, tests 15-year-olds in 72 countries in the areas
of Maths, Reading and Science. The 2015 results showed Singapore in
first place for all three areas.

Singapore got its independence in 1965, and has had a consistent
education policy, sustained over decades. The first and main
strategy was to invest heavily in the quality of its teaching
force. The objective was to raise the prestige and status of
teaching and to attract the best graduates to teaching positions.
Today, teachers are recruited from the top 5% of graduates in a
highly-centralised system. All teachers are trained at the National
Institute of Education to ensure quality control.

Another country that consistently features on the top 10 of the
PISA results is Finland. In a YouTube broadcast on the channel,
TopTenz, Host Simon Whistler lists the Top 10 Reasons Finland has
the World’s Best School System. Briefly, some of the reasons are as
follows:

“Top-notch teachers with extensive training” – teachers in
Finland are highly regarded, on the same level as lawyers and
doctors. A master’s degree is required for teaching.

“High levels of teaching autonomy”–teachers are given wide
latitude to develop innovative teaching methods and strategies as
well as determine the content of their lessons.

“Ample funds to help weak students catch up” – the emphasis in
the Finnish system is equality. Poor children, and special needs
children are provided with the support they need to catch up and
keep up with other students. The nationwide objective is to achieve
equity and that flows into the educational structure.

“Teachers don’t teach to the test” – there are no standardised
tests until students get to their final year of high school.
Teachers have flexibility on what to focus on which allows for them
to take into consideration the human aspect of teaching and
learning. One size does not fit all in learning and teachers have
enough latitude to take that into consideration and give individual
students the attention that they need.

“Kids start school late” – kids start school at age 7 in
Finland. Before that they are in day care and pre-school where they
focus is on experiential learning, not on reading or writing. They
do not start learning to read until age 7 when they start
school.

“Joy and play are part of the curriculum” – there is a Finnish
saying that, “Those things you learn without joy you will forget
easily”. The learning atmosphere is more relaxed. There is little
to no homework assigned; and kids have 15-minute breaks at least
four times a day.

“Everyone attends public schools” – there are very few
independent schools in Finland and even those are subsidised by the
government. Because every child attends public school, everyone is
invested in the success of public schools.

“Finnish kids have bright futures tailored to their strengths
and interests” – 93% of students graduate from either a vocational
or academic High School. At age 16, children choose between a
vocational programme which prepares them for work in different
fields or to go on to a polytechnic, or an academic programme which
prepares them for university. Forty per cent of students choose the
vocational route. Whether they go on to university or polytechnic,
study is paid for by the government.

The top reason given for why Finland has the World’s Best School
System is, “Equality amongst schools.”

There is one key thing to note from both Finland and Singapore:
in both countries, the focus is on elevating the quality and
prestige of teachers. Both countries also dedicate the funds to
actualise their vision for their educational systems. We cannot
wish for better foundational education without deploying the
necessary resources to provide the structures and human resources
required to reverse the decay in our educational system and prepare
a generation that is expected to contribute to the development of
Nigeria. It will not happen by magic. Change in the educational
system can only happen by sustained and dedicated effort.

With reports of over 21,000 of 33,000 primary school teachers in
Kaduna failing recent assessment tests, one must wonder about the
future of education in Nigeria. This is not the first time that we
are receiving reports that teachers in Nigeria have woefully failed
assessment tests. The problem of quality of teachers is not a
problem only in public schools. Even in some private schools where
parents pay an arm and a leg in tuition and other fees, some
teachers are not qualified to teach children. Some teachers, even
in their incompetence in the subject matter they are teaching, have
the audacity to traumatise children in their teaching
methods.

Primary education is the foundation for all education. Nothing
can be built on a weak foundation. As a product of public primary
education in the late 1970s and early 1980s, I can attest to the
quality of public schools at the time. I attended a Universal
Primary Education model primary school. The standards and
expectations in academics and character, were very high. Today, I
would not send my child to the same school. Class sizes have
ballooned, and quality of teachers have declined. During the
holidays, most teachers I knew in the public-school system had to
go through teacher training. I don’t know if that is still the
case.

There is no magic to improving our educational system. It takes
resources, consistent policy, and sustained dedication to reverse
the decay in our educational system. The Organisation for Economic
Cooperation and Development conducts the Programme for
International Assessment tests. The PISA, which is administered
every three years, tests 15-year-olds in 72 countries in the areas
of Maths, Reading and Science. The 2015 results showed Singapore in
first place for all three areas.

Singapore got its independence in 1965, and has had a consistent
education policy, sustained over decades. The first and main
strategy was to invest heavily in the quality of its teaching
force. The objective was to raise the prestige and status of
teaching and to attract the best graduates to teaching positions.
Today, teachers are recruited from the top 5% of graduates in a
highly-centralised system. All teachers are trained at the National
Institute of Education to ensure quality control.

Another country that consistently features on the top 10 of the
PISA results is Finland. In a YouTube broadcast on the channel,
TopTenz, Host Simon Whistler lists the Top 10 Reasons Finland has
the World’s Best School System. Briefly, some of the reasons are as
follows:

“Top-notch teachers with extensive training” – teachers in
Finland are highly regarded, on the same level as lawyers and
doctors. A master’s degree is required for teaching.

“High levels of teaching autonomy”–teachers are given wide
latitude to develop innovative teaching methods and strategies as
well as determine the content of their lessons.

“Ample funds to help weak students catch up” – the emphasis in
the Finnish system is equality. Poor children, and special needs
children are provided with the support they need to catch up and
keep up with other students. The nationwide objective is to achieve
equity and that flows into the educational structure.

“Teachers don’t teach to the test” – there are no standardised
tests until students get to their final year of high school.
Teachers have flexibility on what to focus on which allows for them
to take into consideration the human aspect of teaching and
learning. One size does not fit all in learning and teachers have
enough latitude to take that into consideration and give individual
students the attention that they need.

“Kids start school late” – kids start school at age 7 in
Finland. Before that they are in day care and pre-school where they
focus is on experiential learning, not on reading or writing. They
do not start learning to read until age 7 when they start
school.

“Joy and play are part of the curriculum” – there is a Finnish
saying that, “Those things you learn without joy you will forget
easily”. The learning atmosphere is more relaxed. There is little
to no homework assigned; and kids have 15-minute breaks at least
four times a day.

“Everyone attends public schools” – there are very few
independent schools in Finland and even those are subsidised by the
government. Because every child attends public school, everyone is
invested in the success of public schools.

“Finnish kids have bright futures tailored to their strengths
and interests” – 93% of students graduate from either a vocational
or academic High School. At age 16, children choose between a
vocational programme which prepares them for work in different
fields or to go on to a polytechnic, or an academic programme which
prepares them for university. Forty per cent of students choose the
vocational route. Whether they go on to university or polytechnic,
study is paid for by the government.

The top reason given for why Finland has the World’s Best School
System is, “Equality amongst schools.”

There is one key thing to note from both Finland and Singapore:
in both countries, the focus is on elevating the quality and
prestige of teachers. Both countries also dedicate the funds to
actualise their vision for their educational systems. We cannot
wish for better foundational education without deploying the
necessary resources to provide the structures and human resources
required to reverse the decay in our educational system and prepare
a generation that is expected to contribute to the development of
Nigeria. It will not happen by magic. Change in the educational
system can only happen by sustained and dedicated effort.