Nigerian Academy of Education calls for state of emergency on education

The Nigerian Academy of Education (NAE) has called for the declaration of state of emergency in the education sector because it affects all other sectors.

The president of the academy, Prof. Kabiru Isyaku, who made the call on Wednesday during the academy’s 38th Annual Congress in Abuja, tagged, “Nigerian Education System: Past, Present and Future,” said local,  federal and state governments are doing things without synergy. 

“We are supposed to have synergy in education. So, if we have an emergency, clearly there will be demarcation and there will be smooth development. 

He said the National Policy on Education was last reviewed over 10 years ago.

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“Issues like the status of education in the constitution, structure, funding, relevance of the current curriculum, evaluation and certification should be addressed comprehensively enough to cover all levels and everything to do with education with all stakeholders, since education is the responsibility of all,” he said.

Speaking on other burning issues in the sector, he said it is very discouraging for qualified or prospective teachers to see many schools highly populated by non-teachers, while thousands of qualified ones are jobless.

He also demanded that the salaries and other entitlements of the personnel in the educational institutions should be released as and at when due.

“These salaries should be adequate enough to allow the teachers have peace of mind to concentrate on their various jobs. It is high time the NTEP was fully implemented,” he said.

The academy also urged the federal government to appoint boards and councils of various parastatals under the Ministry of Education  for the bodies to function properly and according to the law.

A member of the academy, Prof. Sylvester Onoja, said education is in danger in Nigeria and needs to be rescued.

He said: “Unfortunately, education is the key that opens all doors to development but education is being toyed with and  handled by people who really have no business there.

“I think that educationists should take charge of the Ministry of Education, there’s no doubt about that. For now, those who are in charge are those who really have no training in how to advance education.  Education should be rescued. Education is in danger.”

Prof. Onoja said Nigeria should take politics out of education, adding that people are trained to impart knowledge and they should be allowed to do so.

“Politics should be taken out of education. The round pegs should be put in round holes. Educationists should be in charge of the Ministry of Education, just as it is in the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Justice,” he said.

Meanwhile, the event sees to the investiture of 29 members and honoured the Executive Secretary of TETFund, Arch Sonny Echono, and Chief Mrs Justina Chukwu for their outstanding contributions to the development of education in their various communities and Nigeria in general.