Review & Outlook: Education In Osun; Gains, Reverses And Suggestions For A Rebirth

MANY definitions and useful quotations on education abound. One that speaks to the relevance of our discuss is “The creation of a sound mind in a sound body” (credited to Aristotle and his teachers). Another is “Education is the most powerful weapon with which you can change the world“- Nelson Mandela.  

For education to produce a progressive, productive society and deliver sustainable prosperity, it needs to deliver Competence (Skills), Character (Omoluabi, Ethics) and Innovation (Continuous improvement), or in other words, CCI.

For several years until 2011, there is no indication that education in State of Osun delivered on any of these. It is no longer news that based on data provided by WAEC, the best performance in West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in State of Osun for credit passes and above in English, Mathematics and five other subjects from 2006 to 2010 was 15.68%. Vocational education was at its lowest ebb. Gangsterism, thuggery and indiscipline, openly displayed in the society, permeated the schools. The infrastructure in many of the schools were dilapidated and not supportive of serious learning. Such environments could not breed innovation.

When those in schools are not learning, it compounds and encourages out of school children. However, poverty and ignorance of parents – more of ignorance than poverty – are the biggest enemies and major causes of having children of school age out of school.

Out of school children in large numbers is an epidemic and great danger, because children out of school pose dangers in the future to those children in school and the whole society, just as we see with Boko Haram and similar tragedies all over the world.

Having campaigned to “Promote Functional Education” with a “Vision to eradicate the frustration of youths, caused by education that does not lead to employment” and the plan to “Focus on functional education; education that makes one useful to one’s self and society”, the government led by Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola declared an emergency on education in 2011 to correct these anomalies. (Ref: “My Pact with the people of the State of Osun”)

He went to town like a man possessed, almost fanatic and as written elsewhere, he endeavoured that the governance of State of Osun under him, transcended the level of “Schooling for the People”. It operated at the level of “Quality World Class Education for All” with a vision of “Sustainable prosperity in individual life and society.”

Government built world class model schools – Elementary, Middle, High and Vocational – delivering the right environments for learning and culture. It brought sanity. The Principals and Head Teachers reported that no parent wanted his/ her child sent out of any of those schools. In fact, no child wanted to be involved in any inappropriate behaviour that could earn such tough sanctions.

More than three thousand teachers were employed and deployed to schools. To ensure quality teachers were employed, an initial recruitment examination which was suspected to have been compromised was cancelled and Joint Admissions Examination Board (JAMB) was recruited to conduct a fresh one.

Another six thousand graduate teachers (and assistant teachers) engaged through the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) Teacher Corps were deployed to schools. Training and capacity development became priority for teachers, Heads of schools and Principals. 

Principals and School heads were empowered to “govern” their schools and share responsibility for performance. Performance evaluation of schools, after WASSCE results were released, were jointly conducted to strengthen areas of weaknesses.

Through the school feeding programme O-Meals, that won several international recognition and other activities in support of education, State of Osun recorded highest school enrolment, reducing out of school children.

 

Through the Community Based School Management Committees (Boards, Councils), the Quality Assurance and Morality Enforcement Agency and Education Marshals etc., parents and society were partnered with for success. Partnerships were set up with educational administrators with international experience and with universities for administration of schools.

Beyond schools, an ethical reorientation based on Omoluabi ethos was introduced into the society.

The efforts paid off. The results – as confirmed recently from the reported speech of the Chairman of the Education Summit 2023 of the current government – confirmed it. All the positive indices went up. A new dawn had set in. The signs of progress in education were all around.

Unfortunately, through acts of omission and commission, quite a number of these efforts have been abandoned, discontinued or reversed even though there were comprehensive documentation for reference. Direct and indirect access of enquiry to those involved previously could also have been employed to seek better understanding.

The results of performance in education in State of Osun after these reversals are also public and available on Nigerian Bureau of Statistics portal, beyond any political misrepresentations.

To solve a problem, you need to understand the root cause and not just the effects. Unfortunately, not many people in government – whether career civil servants or public servants – care enough to seek to have enough understanding. Managers of education do not even care to update themselves on the currently applicable Policies on Education.

For example, to solve the problems of attitude to learning and out of school syndrome, you need to understand the sociographics and demographics of the average parent with children in government schools, their vulnerability and their challenges. Most of the outspoken elites don’t have their children in government schools; they took them out several years ago, to private schools. Many of their prescriptions are based on assumptions.

Adult education, reorientation and campaign on ‘’Responsible Parenting and Parental Responsibilities’’ (RP&PR) – in partnership with Traditional rulers – is part of what is required to change and uphold the narrative on education positively.

Learning outcomes of children, their character, literacy, numeracy, critical thinking, acquisition and application of functional knowledge should be the objective and priority issues in education in State of Osun rather than programmes and projects.

The first language to train every child in elementary school in State of Osun to read, understand and comprehend is Yoruba. It is after the child is able to read, write and comprehend in Yoruba appropriately that they should be introduced to English language. This is how it is in the National Policy on Education and the Omoluabi Policy on Education.

Quality teachers in adequate numbers are non-negotiable. Vacancies identified with a teacher/pupils analysis that was done were scheduled to be filled. Since 2018, several teachers have retired. OYES that contributed six thousand graduates to education has been dissolved. A fresh teacher/pupils analysis needs to be undertaken across all classes from pre-school to senior school. Teachers should be engaged to fill the need. There cannot be quality learning without quality teachers. It is a disservice to the pupils and to God to politicise the appointment of teachers over quality.

Competence and Character, not politics, state or tribe should inform the appointment of teachers. Aregbesola conducted three different examinations and had to use the Joint Admissions Examinations Board (JAMB) for the third and acceptable one because civil servants, politicians and those in charge tried to compromise the recruitment in favour of their friends and relations. 

Principals and Heads of Schools need to be empowered and must share in the success and failures of their schools. The process of choosing principals should be through rigorous, empirical and quality producing tests, appraisals and interviewing systems. It should not be based on automatic promotions and seniority alone. The best teacher may turn out to be an incompetent principal and making him or her a principal becomes a double jeopardy; the loss of competent hands in the classroom and the fostering of incompetence on the management of the school.

Books and Learning aides are non negotiable. Every child should have books.

It is important to complete uncompleted school projects, including the Model High School in Iwo and the nine Technical Colleges around the state. They also need to also equip them for learning, with resourced laboratories for science, technical and vocational education. It is also advisable to outsource the maintenance of these world class infrastructure to competent professionals; principals, teachers and pupils are not professional infrastructure managers. 

Monitoring, evaluation and supervision are extremely important, along with application of effective Management Information Systems. Continuous appraisal of pupils, teachers, principals, school heads and supervisors is required. The rot in the Nigerian education system – including State of Osun – is so bad that even pupils in elementary schools are “assisted in cheating” by teachers, so that the fact that the pupils are not learning is not promptly discovered.

Continuous capacity development of all involved in education and an encouraging reward and recognition system will help in the path to success and sustainability.

It requires about twenty years of continued visionary commitment to education for excellence to prevail and permeate all the strata. State of Osun needs visionaries who have understanding of the real issues mitigating against quality education and also have the courage and commitment to deliver.

Where there are farsighted leaders, governance is a continuum. Good governance transcends politics and leaders are not ashamed to consult with their predecessors to understand the vision behind actions. Again, the government led by Aregbesola left comprehensive documentation in handover notes and development plans.

Education is expensive. Ignorance is catastrophic. 

• Kolawole Wasiu Omotunde-Young
• P.S. On previous views on Education in Osun, you may also see the following: Quality and Politics of Education in Osun (Osun Defender Oct 11, 2020), Aregbesola’s World-Class Model Schools; Only the deep can call to the deep (Osun Defender Sept 8 , 2023).

 

• The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author. They do not represent the opinions or views of Osun Defender.