Senator Ibrahim Shekarau, a former two-term governor of Kano State, Minister of Education, a permanent secretary in the Kano State Ministry of Education, principal, teacher and lawmaker, in this 30-minute interaction with Trust TV’s Mannir Dan-Ali, speaks on burning issues in the education sector.
I want us to dwell on your earlier career as a teacher and later as Minister of Education. Currently, there’s controversy surrounding the Minister of Education’s stance that children must be 18 before they enter university. Many believe he’s introducing something new. What’s your take on this?
Well, I think it’s important to give some context so people understand where I’m coming from and that I’ve been part of this all my life. As you mentioned, I’ve been a secondary school teacher and a principal for 13 years in some of the most prestigious schools in Kano. I’ve also held leadership roles, serving as the state secretary and president of the union of secondary school principals, and later as the national president between 1988 and 1992, leading over 8,000 principals in Nigeria.
From there, I became a zonal education officer, director of planning in the Ministry of Education, and eventually the permanent secretary for seven years before becoming governor and Minister of Education.
So, you’ve seen it all when it comes to the education sector?
Exactly. That’s why I’m providing this background-so people understand that I’m familiar with the National Policy on Education. What the current minister is saying isn’t new. It’s been in place through various reviews of the National Policy on Education.
What people might not understand is that the curriculum, from primary school all the way to university, is designed with the age of the student in mind. For example, the six-year primary school programme is intended for children between the ages of six and twelve.
The pupils, right?
Exactly. In the past, when we attended primary school, it was a seven-year programme. That was followed by five years of secondary school, and if you came in at age six, that brought you to 17. Then, if you added two years of advanced studies-the A levels-that made you at least 18 before entering university.
Even when the policy changed to the current six years of primary education and six years of secondary education (three years in junior and three years in senior secondary), you still end up at 18. The structure may have changed, but the terminal point of 18 years of age remains the same.
But some parents seem to want their children to finish school early.
That’s problematic. Passing exams doesn’t equate to being educated.
The syllabus at primary, secondary, and university levels is designed with a specific age group in mind. The examination bodies like WAEC, NECO, and JAMB base their exams on this syllabus. But many parents believe that if their child can pass an exam, then they’re ready for the next level.
If you drill a 12 or 13-year-old on past exam papers, they might pass, but that doesn’t mean they’re an educated secondary school graduate.
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And also, maybe psychologically, children might not be mature enough to be independent at university?
Exactly. They may not be mentally ready. This doesn’t mean we don’t have exceptional or genius children. In fact, in Quranic schools, we have 10- or 12-year-olds who have become Hafiz of the Quran. However, the education system is designed with the average child in mind. While there are exceptions, the majority follow a general developmental path.
I’ve heard complaints from parents that if their child passes WAEC or NECO with top grades at 16 or 17, they’ll have to wait a year or two to enter university. Even if a child passes WAEC at 13 or 14, the curriculum they’ll encounter in university is tailored to the mental capacity of someone aged 18 and above. This isn’t a new idea.
The Federal Ministry of Education likely needs to clarify this more.
I’ve seen media outlets misquoting the minister, saying that no one can take WAEC or NECO until they are 18. That’s not the issue. Taking the exam is different from entering a specific academic level. For instance, children can take the common entrance exam for secondary school while in primary school.
Which is what many parents are doing, right?
Exactly.
How do we accommodate those exceptional, gifted children you mentioned? What special arrangements could be made for them?
Former Minister of Education Jubril Aminu introduced measures to address this issue.
Like the gifted children’s school in Gwagwalada, Abuja?
Yes, exactly. I’m not sure if it’s still operational, but I remember back in 1977 or 1978, the then military governor of Kano State, Col. Sani Bello, introduced Special Science Secondary Schools, such as those in Dawakin Kudun and Dawakin Tofa. These schools identified the best students through aptitude tests and interviews, selecting the brightest minds for special training.
Both state and federal governments could continue programmes like these to ensure that exceptionally talented children aren’t held back.
These students could be identified in primary or secondary school, and while they may receive accelerated education, it doesn’t mean they’ll skip years of schooling without proper guidance.
Does that mean they could enter university before 18? I’ve seen stories circulating about a 17-year-old who recently finished a PhD abroad.
Those are the kinds of exceptional cases you’ll occasionally see. But I firmly believe 18 is the ideal age for entering university. Sure, you may have someone going to university at 15 or 16 and graduating with first-class honours. However, in most cases, students who enter university before 18 might not be fully prepared to grasp the entirety of the curriculum.
Many students who excel at exams before 18 may have simply been drilled using past question papers. This doesn’t necessarily mean they’re well-educated. Also, many state governments aren’t adequately regulating private institutions, which often push children through the system faster than they should.
Is this because of weak inspection?
Absolutely. When I was Permanent Secretary of Education in 1994-1995,
I had to close down many private schools due to poor standards. We conducted thorough inspections and found that some private primary schools were registering students for the common entrance exam from class four or five, without going through all the necessary years.
Worse still, some of these schools didn’t even have a conducive learning environment.
And then there are the so-called “miracle centres” that consistently produce the best results.
Exactly. We discovered many private schools lack qualified teachers.
Some schools had only two or three teachers, and in some cases, even kitchens were being used as classrooms. Some schools were set up in three-bedroom flats. The abuse of the system is rampant.
This is where the inspectorate-or the quality control unit-comes in, but unfortunately, it isn’t given enough support. When I became Minister of Education in 2014, I found that the quality control unit, which should have branches in all states, didn’t even have a single operational vehicle for inspections.
And has that situation improved?
Not much. We had to make a serious case for improving inspections.
During my time in the education ministry in Kano, we transformed the Kano Educational Resource Centre into a proper quality control centre.
We ensured only experienced teachers were posted as inspectors. If an inexperienced teacher is tasked with inspecting senior, more experienced teachers, the entire process loses credibility.
They wouldn’t be able to perform the role effectively?
Exactly. The inspector wouldn’t have the confidence, and the teachers being inspected wouldn’t respect or heed the advice of someone with less experience. This needs to be addressed.
There’s also the issue at O-levels, where both public and private schools face a shortage of teachers for core subjects. Many state governments are reluctant to hire new teachers, leaving communities to pay stipends to unqualified individuals to fill the gaps. What’s your take on this?
The priorities are misplaced. As a teacher, I can tell you that a school needs two key components: teachers and instructional materials.
With these, you can produce top-quality education, even if you’re teaching under a tree. Yes, classrooms and infrastructure matter, but without qualified teachers, schools are no better than refugee camps.
Governments often focus on building classrooms and providing furniture, which is important, but without teachers, what you have is an empty structure. Yet, the recruitment of teachers is often neglected. Many public schools are severely lacking in core subject teachers like mathematics and English, which are essential for university admission.
Building schools is just one part of the solution. Governments need to prioritise hiring and training teachers if they want to see real improvements in education.
But it takes much longer to produce the right teacher, doesn’t it?
Absolutely. You can’t produce a qualified teacher in six months.
Expanding schools and admitting more students to increase enrolment must go hand in hand with teacher preparation. It’s a long-term process. You need to ensure that teachers are trained properly, which means investing in colleges of education. The minimum teaching qualification now is the National Certificate in Education (NCE), and producing skilled teachers takes time.
Beyond teachers and instructional materials, what about the curriculum itself? Many argue that Nigeria’s education system doesn’t align with the country’s current and future needs.
I think they’re right. The instability in governance has played a significant role in this. One of the key moments for revising the National Policy on Education was in the late 1970s, during the introduction of the Universal Primary Education (UPE) programme. It was a major initiative under the military administration. This was also when the 6-3-3-4 system was introduced, with the first three years of junior secondary school intended to focus on functional education-teaching trades, skills, and vocations, much like the old craft schools. The Obasanjo military government laid the groundwork, ordering equipment from countries like South Korea for introductory technology programmes in our schools. But by 1983, the military returned to power, and those initiatives were abandoned.
So, that’s where the problem began?
Exactly. I was a school principal then. We received machines and equipment, still in their cartons, but the new military government focused on consolidating power rather than continuing the programme.
The first UPE graduates arrived in 1982-83, but the states were unprepared to handle them.
Why haven’t we corrected this issue since then? You’ve even served as education minister-hasn’t the ministry addressed it?
Professionals are present, but policy is dictated by the government in power. If the government prioritises different areas, there’s little professionals can do. For example, the current policy states no university should admit anyone under 18. But even with such policies, the success of implementation depends on political will.
So, we had the equipment but no plans for instructors?
Exactly. We had the machines, but no effort was made to train teachers to use them. As a result, the equipment went unused.
But it’s been nearly 50 years. Why are we still producing more liberal arts graduates than those in science and technology, which are the future?
Some progress was made. At one point, universities were encouraged to prioritise science and technology, allocating about 70% of admissions to these fields. However, whether that policy is still enforced, I’m unsure.
But the data doesn’t support that. Admission figures show that the arts still dominate.
Yes, and the issue remains that less than 30% of students seeking university education get admitted. That’s the reality.
Why are we so obsessed with universities? In other countries, vocational and technical education is equally valued.
The National Policy on Education once emphasised that only those capable should proceed to senior secondary school. The rest, equipped with introductory technology skills, were meant to enter the workforce. However, the middle-level workforce, such as those produced by polytechnics, hasn’t received enough attention.
Is that why we import craftsmen from other countries, instead of exporting our own?
Absolutely. This is one of our main challenges. When I was minister, I tried to address this by setting up a powerful committee focused on two key issues: teacher education and community involvement. We made significant progress and even had presidential approval, but the 2015 elections shifted the government’s focus.
What did you propose?
We developed a programme called Special Programme on Teacher Education, approved by President Goodluck Jonathan. We even planned a summit to address teacher issues, but by then, the focus had shifted to the election. President Jonathan appreciated the plan, but it couldn’t be implemented before the election.
Are you concerned about the National Assembly’s obsession with creating new universities and polytechnics, despite not being able to sustain the existing ones?
It’s about trying to balance demand for access and maintaining quality. But we must manage this carefully. Even at the primary school level, with millions of out-of-school children, we are not prepared.
If all the parents of these 10-12 million out-school-children suddenly decided they wanted to send their kids to school, are we ready?
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