Don seeks overhauling of education system

A senior lecturer at the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka, Dr. Ayotunde Adekunle has advocated general overhauling of the county’s educational system as a panacea for the ailing sector.

He made the recommendation while delivering his speech as the guest speaker at the 16th Valedictory Service and Prize-Giving Day of Good Shepherd Schools, Meiran, Lagos recently, advising that emphasis be laid on the development of manipulative skills at every level of the country’s educational system.

Speaking on the topic: “Rethinking the Nigerian educational philosophy in a postmodern culture: A case for values, virtues and vision,” Adekunle decried the undue emphasis on paper qualifications in the country, saying if the system must move forward, certificates should be de-emphasised as emphasis should be on performance.

“What is wrong with our educational system? There is parental influence on the choice of career by their wards with little or no considerations for the academic aptitudes of such children. There is a mismatch between educational policy formulation and implementation as well as inadequate funding of education.

“Another thing wrong with the system is that there is irrelevance of school curriculum to the world of work and inadequate access to education. The problems of illmotivated teacher, inadequate supervision of schools and corrupt society are also factors militating against the system,” he stated.

To salvage the situation, Adekunle recommended that there must be adequate funding of the educational system, re-orientation of the Nigerian masses; non-interference of parents in the choice of career of their wards; provision of effective guidance and counselling services in schools while curriculum should be made to be relevant to the demands of the industrial sector so as to make graduates of institutions fit into the world of works,” he suggested.

Director, Good Shepherd Schools, Dr. Bayo Oyeyemi said the school was graduating 86 students from the senior secondary school 3 and 100 from the junior level, while 18 pupils were graduated from Basic six, appealing to the SSS 3 graduands not to derail from the morals they had been taught in school.

The Vice-Chairman, Agbado Oke-Odo Local Council Development Area, Dr. Shola Akande warned the graduating students against the danger of joining cultism when they get to higher institutions of learning.

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