IT is a well known fact that education contains the essentia ingredients for the advancement of any society (the preservation of lives of members, maintenance of social structure, promotion of social change and development).

History has shown that from ancient times, societies have benefited immensely from well-executed educational plans (where education is tailored to match the realities and need of the times).

In pre-colonial Africa for instance, education which was carried out mainly through informal means produced young individuals who were able to fit properly into the respective societies because there was no separation between education and productive activities.

In Nigeria today, it does not appear as if education occupies the pride of place that is given to it in other societies. If indeed education plays such important roles in the nation as attested to by history, why then does the Nigerian nation not take this all important sector seriously and give it all the attention it deserves?

Are we in Nigeria so out of touch with reality that we have failed to appreciate the fact that education remains the only means by which societies lay solid foundation for their future?

The above questions and many more have been bugging my mind after reading disheartening reports in the media in the past weeks of how really bad things are in the sector.  If indeed these reports are anything to go by, then the future of this country is in dire strait.  Nigerian education has fallen to ruins and no level is being spared.

In the past half decade or so, there have been reports of dismal performances by students in the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations nationwide.  Year in, year out, reports of mass failure in national examinations do not fail to reach us.

This past year’s (2011) statistics on these national examinations have been particularly disturbing – West African Examination Council, WAEC, recorded a dismal 30% pass (including Maths and English) in the exam; the National Examination Council, NECO, on its part recoded distant 10% pass.

This year’s (2012)Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations, UTME, results did not also fail to follow the trend of woeful performance as only about 50% of the candidates scored up to 50%  and above (of the total mark).

Reports of half-baked graduates being churned out of our tertiary institutions also abound.  Media reports are awash with stories of ill-equipped graduates.

The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, publicly admitted that indeed all is not well with our educational system when he was reported to have said recently at a convocation ceremony in one of the Eastern Nigerian universities that no Nigerian university is among the top tier providers of tertiary education in Africa, not to mention globally.  This situation is alarming.  Yet we have not stopped to ask ourselves why this steady pattern of decline in the quality of education in our dear country.

Even as bad as things seem, the government of the day does not appear to have any clue on how to halt this drift.  The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, at the Civil Society/Stakeholders Conference recently in Abuja confirmed Federal Government’s inability to contain the situation when he reportedly lamented about the non- commensurate achievement (in the sector) after over N13 trillion spent on education by government between 1999 and now.

Why is FG appearing so helpless?  Are there no agencies of government that can ensure prudent use of funds released for specific purposes?  At this rate, can we afford to allow the endemic problem of corruption (that has bedevilled all sectors of our economy), destroy our educational sector while we fold our hands and watch?

In another forum (this time at a fund-raising luncheon of the University of Jos), the SGF announced again that the FG can no longer fully fund public universities in the country.  Recall also that the FG has also proposed to hand off the management of the few Unity Schools (FG owned secondary schools).  Right now our public primary schools are being (mis)managed by the LGs.  Pray tell me what then is priority of our government, if not education?

To safeguard the future of this nation, we must demand that our representatives in government live up their responsibilities.  We may need to remind our government (in the three tiers) that the provision of education to its citizens remains their primary responsibility and that they cannot shirk this responsibility.   A cursory look at the situation reveals that the neglect of public school system at the foundation stage is at the root of the low quality education obtainable in this country.

I make bold to say without any fear of contradiction that the few young Nigerians who have been recording brilliant results and achieving success in their various fields of endeavours are mostly products of private primary and secondary schools.  But in a country where a greater number of the populace are poor how many parents can afford to send their children to these expensive private schools.

Beyond the public relations’ packages in the media for some states governments, (on how much they have improved education in their states), a close look at the real situation on ground reveals otherwise.  Except for a very few states in the country, the condition of public schools is pathetic – lack of conducive learning environment, lack of learning materials and aids, dilapidated structures and classrooms.

Mrs. EDO ODUEME, a public affair analyst, wrote  from Lagos.