The Chairman, Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mr Ishaya Akau on Tuesday said numerous public holidays had contributed immensely to the decline in the nation’s education system.

Akau, said this in a remark at a one-day workshop on “ Raising Integrity Standards in Schools on the Conduct of Examination in the Nigerian Educational System,’’ organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA), in Kaduna.

“ If you look at the world over, children spend about 900 hours in a year in school. The average in some areas is 700 hours, but in Nigeria, it is 400 hours.

“How can you expect a child that spends only 400 hours a year in school to perform as much as a child who spends 900 hours?’’, he queried.

The chairman said Nigeria has too many public holidays and ceremonies that affects the school system.

“ We have too many public holidays, too many ceremonies, schools are closed because there is a funeral or the principal is taking a new wife.’’

He also blamed the attitude of Nigerians of condoning corruption.

Akau cited the reaction of people of the state in 2009 when 3, 000 teachers discovered with fake certificates were dismissed.

“When they were dismissed, there was a lot of hue and cry as if it was the government that had committed the offence and not those who had forged certificates to teach our children.’’

He commended the state government and NOA for organising the workshop, saying it would help to raise awareness on the dangers of examination malpractice.

The SUBEB chairman called for value reorientation, attitudinal change and the restoration of integrity standard in the education system.

“ We want you to take it to all local governments and all the institutions, because these are the places where some of these challenges happen most.’’

He advised parents, schools and other stakeholders to assist in the fight against examination malpractice, as it had negatively affected the standard of education in the country.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workshop was attended by religious and traditional leaders, teachers, students, school owners and other stakeholders. (NAN)