Bassey: The danger of unequal education

THERE are millions of children all across this nation who attend government primary schools. Statistics from the new Roadmap for Nigerian education sector has shown that there are 54,434 public primary schools in the country and 24,422,912 pupils in all the primary schools (www.nigerianmuse.com,2009). This was reported in 2009, based on figures obtained from a 2006 National Personal Audit of the education sector. Indeed, these figures must have increased by now, citing our ever burgeoning population. The section of our population who attend these government primary schools are obvious. They are the children from low income families in urban areas who cannot afford private schools, the children in rural areas where the majority of our population dwell including a large percentage of the children in the North. I am focusing on government primary schools because the state of these schools betrays the hopes that we have for these children and for this nation.

I teach at a prestigious private elementary school in one of our major cities. The fees at this school is a six-figure amount which is beyond the reach of low-income families. I know the quality of facilities, resources, staff, vision and leadership that drives the school. I witness the social, emotional and intellectual learning that happens every day of school. I also happen to live a short distance away from a public primary school in my neighbourhood where a neighbour’s child attends school. This school is not an isolated case of a poor school but a typical picture of most public primary schools in the country. I have seen many of such in the North while on National service or in my South-South state or wherever else in the country, it is the same picture you get. The facilities are broken and dilapidated, an insult to the dignity and honour God has given the children. The blocks of building are sometimes insufficient for the population such that in one case reported to me, three classes are merged into one. Educational resources may either be non-existent or insufficient and whatever is available does not befit 21st century training. It is either under-staffed or under-qualified staff and sometimes, they aren’t the kind of examples I want to give my children and neither do the officials who employ them.

Therefore, we have children of the same generation but differing in economic status, getting different quality of education and preparation for a future they’ll live and share its resources together. Through its legislation and policy, the government gives access to world-class education to children from priviledged homes while the majority from low-income families under its watch, get the ‘universal basic education’. This is a structurally designed inequality. It is almost certain that the privileged children will gain a huge share of the opportunities and resources of their time because of their superior preparation while the majority with less preparation will settle for the remains. This will further widen the gap between the rich and the poor and escalate the tensions and crises we are grapling with in these times. Moreover, the big question is : will access to qualitative primary education be determined by economic forces or by the will of a just government?

I had my primary education in the late 80s and early 90s in a private school but the older generation professes that government was committed to qualitative education for all in their time. They report that it left little space for private schools to thrive. The question is: what happened to this commitment over time? Perhaps, the commitment to qualitative education for all never belonged to our government but to the missionaries who owned and administrated many schools. They may have led the way and their example challenged government to follow their lead. Thus, when they released their schools to government administration, their voice and vision was no more at the table and the education practice deteriorated dramatically. I believe that poor leadership and corruption has contributed to the state of these primary schools. What vision is a governor working with, when he appoints party loyalists and campaign financiers without educational expertise into SUBEB and LGEA? How will such people provide the robust vision and leadership that brings development ideas and money into schools and challenge headteachers and teachers to push for the best outcomes? Someone has observed that progressive nations organise and invest in education in line with their national vision. I am not aware of a working vision in this nation except for the popular Vision 2020 which to me, is without any genuineness, sincerity, or seriousness of purpose. Thus, where a national vision is missing, the people’s education degenerates or thrives in private visionary enterprise, whatever such vision may be. Furthermore, the state of these schools is a testimony to the evil of corruption that has denied them the funds and quality they deserve.

Surely, the children in private establishments have escaped the limitations that plague public primary pupils. They get qualitative education like their age groups in USA, UK, Japan or China. That doesn’t mean all private schools are excellent, there are a couple of them whose priorities are misplaced. Yet, even such are better options to UBE schools. Just as government leaders prefer foreign hospitals to the ones they administrate, it is the same with schools. Indeed, they do not recommend the education they provide as it is with health. This is unjust, unfair and insulting to the poor families who use these free primary schools. It is wickedness to prepare large numbers of a future generation for crumbs while members of the same generation get preparation for the tables of oppurtunity and power. It is a historical reality that the peace and prosperity of the privileged will always be chastised by the pains of locked-up potential and unfulfilled promise felt by those who do not have the same privilege. Government must begin now to provide equal access to qualitative, world-class education for all whether through legislation and monitoring at private schools or building total excellence into its UBE schools. Anything otherwise, will further widen the gap of inequality and propagate the tensions and crises of these times into the future. Government must strive for equal access and oppurtunity to sound and qualitative education for all.

Indeed, it is smart for our economy and global competitiveness to invest every quality and excellence into our UBE schools. The world is ever-shrinking through technology with increasing diversity. Available oppurtunities are no more restricted to time and space. The companies in China or UK are direct competitors with any company anywhere in the world. The products in Europe competes with its equivalents in any nation. Therefore, our economy needs every intelligence, talent, technical skills, and visionary enterprise possible to thrive now and in the future. The faces of the children in our UBE schools all across this nation are the promise of Nigeria. Their faces promise us engineers, doctors, global leaders of business and industry, teachers and professors, intelligent workforce, scientists and researchers, etc. They deserve a UBE education that unlocks their potential and fulfils these promises. There should be no fears or reluctance about pouring every naira we have into their preparation because it is smart investment and good business for government. Government will surely get every naira back plus lots of profit in a few years time when their liberated intelligence, creativity, industry and enterprise provides us lots of taxable income for many years to come. Therefore,education is a financially profitable investment for government.

I have written this piece not only as a teacher but as a concerned citizen. I believe the tensions and crisis we face today such as terrorism, insurgency, militancy or street and park touts are partly due to barren lands left uncultivated by a poor education policy. We cannot afford to continue in this path. Access to sound, qualitative education should not be determined by economic forces but by the determined commitment of government. I have witnessed charitable interventions by religious groups, foundations, NGOs in improving the face of public primary schools. Their efforts give us hope but the most important intervention is at the administrative and policy level which belongs to government. I dream of that day where, wherever you live in this nation, whatever your tribe or language or the God you call, or your economic status, you would have access to a world-class public primary education that prepares you to become a global citizen of the world. I dream of that day when public schools will again take the lead in offering the best education. The time is now.

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