NIGERIA EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM AT THE CROSS ROAD: A CRY FOR RETURN TO MISSIONARY

 TOLU’ ELUSIYAN 

As mortals, our earthly pilgrimage that commences from the womb inevitably ends in the tomb. However, in the course of this pilgrimage, man often formulates ideas and values on a permanent basis. And because he will die one day and would not like to be forgotten, a need then arises to initiate a medium through which these values will be passed to the next generation. Essentially, this is to ensure that there is order in the society. This transmission of values from one generation to another is what we commonly refer to as education.

It is an established fact that education has a significant role to play in national development. In fact, it is the starting point of development because it is the vehicle with which knowledge and values are conveyed to their destination, that is, the individuals who are to acquire such knowledge and values.

A close look at Nigerian society reveals ineffectiveness, inefficiency and insincerity in the various aspects of human involvements-leadership, politics, construction and maintenances of infrastructure and so on. Nigeria is blessed with variety of educational institutions which are supposed to be domes for teaching and learning, enlightening and enriching of experiences for social efficiency and ultimately where persons come in contact with knowledge. The end result of such confrontation with knowledge is literacy. Literacy is not just about reading well and writing well. It is all about intellectual order, which includes creative knowledge, development of personality, information, social efficiency, mental and moral discipline and social responsibility.

The problem of value is fundamental to the causes of inability to realizing the ideals of education in Nigeria. This problem of value includes the deficiency in recognition of the dignity of human person and respect of the human dignity, dignity in labour and social responsibility. Thus, the leaders, the university authorities, teachers and students suffer from these crises of value.

From the domain of the university authorities- academic and non-academic, the cherished principles and ideals of university are lost, resulting to admission scandals, bribery and graft, victimization, sexual harassment of female students, extortion and so on. Thus, there is misplacement of priority. From the part of the students, the crises of value have led to various illicit, immoral and anti-social behaviours. Accordingly, there are gross examination malpractices, cult activities, armed robbery, theft, and lack of seriousness, prostitutions and other anti-social behaviours. There should be corroborative efforts of the government, the leaders, parents and students to change this condition. We need quality higher institutions that turn out viable graduates with creative knowledge and perspicacity as expressions of intellectual order; and this is also applicable to our secondary schools as well.