Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has called for free and compulsory primary and secondary education across the 36 states of the federation.
The VP added that the policy should have a legal backing of the national assembly as well as financial support of the Federal Government.
The founder of American University of Nigeria, Yola (AUN), who delivered the 2012 Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Memorial Lecture at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on Saturday, said such development will ensure that more Nigerians complete secondary school education.
Speaking further, he stated that “But it should not be implemented the way we typically go about these things. A target date should be set to allow for data collection and proper planning. We need to know the impact that such a policy will have for enrolment, school space and other resources, number of teachers, their availability and training, the impact on the demand for tertiary education and the cost of all of these.
“We should then have a system in place that provides adult education for those who missed the boat in the past but would like to get an education. This is what serious countries do in order lift up most of their citizens and provide the needed human resources for their economic, social and political development. We should then allow fees to rise slowly in the tertiary institutions to help pay for the badly needed improvements in infrastructure and quality.”
“While a university in the Niger Delta or Lagos may see an urgency in having a world class maritime program, one in Yola or Bauchi may prioritize information technology or agriculture while yet another in Jos or Enugu may prioritize Geology or Metallurgy as the case may be.”
“Whatever the case, it should be for local political, bureaucratic, business and educational leaders to make such informed decisions.”
He observed that a healthy competition in the field of education among various states and localities will be a “boon for Nigeria’s development,” adding that “they are more likely to quickly adapt their educational processes and programs to suit changing local needs, within the context of the dynamic national and global economy,” he said.
“I propose that we should seek not just to solve the problems for today but do so with our eyes also trained on the future,” Atiku said warning, however, “we must not adopt our usual fire brigade approach.”
He suggested a policy direction that needs to clearly identify and regularly follow clear principles and steps in the formulation of educational policy.
Atiku lamented that the long years of military rule led to the “abandonment of process and procedures in the formulation of educational and other development policies in Nigeria.”
He called for proper planning on educational policy stressing that “politicians and political leaders in government can articulate policy goals and directions, but the planning and implementation of educational policy and programs should be left in the hands of professionals.”
The Turaki Adamawa advocated for a more rigorous teacher recruitment while training, reward and evaluation be used as a means to attract the best hands into the sector.
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