Education:Access and Quality in Nigeria memo

Have you ever walked into a school to find children sitting on bare floor or on grasses to receive lessons? Many times, I question why the standard education in Nigeria is depreciating instead of appreciating. There are very little or no resources in the schools. The quality and access to good education is lacking. It is so unfortunate that most public/government schools have been completely abandoned by the government if not for the intervention of some charity and development organisations. The answer to the question above is not far fetched. Private schools have taken the place of public schools while the public schools have been left in their deplorable state. The rich and those who are able to afford private schools, send their children there, while others send their children outside the shores of the country to study. However, how long will we have to put up with these poor standards of our education system? I am looking forward to when the commitment to the development to the education system in communities will be one of the criteria for electing candidates into government regardless of the position they are vying for. I think the whole idea of government leaders sending their children to private schools and outside the country is not helping as this makes many of them nonchalant about the system. i am always happy when I and my friend learn about the successes of School Based Management Committees (SBMCs)in some communities. Since communities can not wait for the government for everything, it is good to learn about some of the efforts of these SBMCs in taking ownership of the schools in their communities, re-building dilapidated structures, sourcing for funds and equipping the schools with resources. I am looking forward to when our education system will grow to the level of competing amongst the world’s best schools and institutions. When we will have political leaders, who will not only be concerned about their own political ambitions but also make the problems of the education sector their problems while working towards the improvement of the sector and access to quality education for all.