2013 REVIEW : EDUCATION OR WHAT ?

The year 2013 could qualify for the worst year in the Nigeria education sector in recent times judging by incidence that bewildered the sector, including loose of life on a scale never seen before. Far from violence, strike actions, controversial reforms, politics and corruption, mishaps among others, the education sector made relatively less gain in the last 12 months calendar. In this review, the events of last year are group under five (5) headings, these are:

 

Strike actions

Violence, deaths and destructions

Reforms, policies and politics

Initiatives and gains

Challenges

Strike actions

The year 2013 would be on record as the year of strike in the Nigeria education sector. Throughout the year, major unions at all levels of education had one or multiple cause to threaten and or embark on strike actions to draw attention to their struggles. Highly publishes of these strikes was the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) and Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) strikes.

The ASUP strike is still ongoing while the ASUU strike that lasted for six (6) months was suspended just two days to Christmas. The demand of the union (ASUU) was simple - Federal Government of Nigeria should implement the 2009 agreement it entered into with the union. For a summary of the 2009 agreement click here. Several failed negotiations were held to resolve the crises, but the breakthrough came only when the Nigeria president personally intervene in the matter and the crisis was resolved within weeks with the signing of an MoU.

The ASUP strike was equally called to address the many issues affecting the public polytechnics including the welfare of the teachers, but so far, the crisis has dragged into 2014 without and in sight.
Also in 2013, the threat of solidarity strike by the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) in support of the ASUU "struggle", though was never carried out, there were however, several strike actions by many state chapters of the union for different reasons. Among others, there were strikes in Sokoto, Benue, Bauchi, Taraba and Edo states which grounded academic activities for a lengthy period of time.

And as if not wanting the year to end without being mentioned in the "book of 2013 strikes", the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) declared - just few days to end of 2013- an indefinite strike to commence in the new year(2014). Their demand was equally simple - the FG should implement the 2010 FG-COEASU agreement to address challenges in the public schools.
In a nut shell, ASUU was on strike, ASUP is still on strike, NUT was on strike and COEASU has declared an indefinite strike and the overall effect was that academic activities at all levels of education did not run as it should - more or less in stagnation.

Violence, deaths and destruction

So much for strikes in 2013, last year equally witness an unprecedented level of barbaric acts of violence which disrupt academic activities to a great length. Though much of the violence were largely localized to the Northeast region of the country, but its effect  rippled across the nation. The terrorist group Boko Haram which is opposed to Western education claimed responsibility for most of the violence.

 

In an hallmark of barbarism, the group, armed with rifles and petrol bombs made a pre-dawn attack on a boarding school in Yobe State killing 29 students and a teacher, some of the victims were burnt alive and some other were shot at close range as they attempt to escape. The incidence led to closure of public schools in the state for months. But barely two week after the schools were reopened, the terrorist again laid siege on the College of Agriculture in the state, killing several students most of whom were asleep in their dormitories when the attack began. Several buildings were also set ablaze. The school was thereafter shut down for no less than 10 weeks. There were other "smaller" attacks on schools, teachers and students in other states in the region.

Another tragic event was the road accident of June 13 that took the life of five students. The students were executive members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) who were on their way to Uyo to negotiate peace between the students and management of the University of Uyo following a riot that erupted in the school. Bad road was attributed to the cause of the accident.
The nation also lost an education activist and academician in another road accident- Prof. Iyayi. He was killed in a motor accident involving his car and the convoy of the Kogi State governor. The literary icon was on his way to attend an ASUU executive meeting at Kano State when the unfortunate accident occurred.

Though much of the last year violence and death are largely associated with the greater insecurity in the country, but no doubt, the education sector took a fair hit. Students, teachers and examiners were attacked or killed, classes, offices, dormitories and other infrastructures were equally destroyed. In one of numerous reactions, the examination body WAEC, did not conduct examinations in several centres fearing for the security of its personnel and unless security is improved, exams may not hold in many more centres.

Reforms, Policies and Politics

2013 for the education sector was also a year of controversial reforms and policies. Most controversial was the Osun State education reform or reclassification, the Lagos state ban on hijabs in public schools and the new Basic Education policy. Unfortunately, the controversies over these reforms or policies centred on religious ground.

The Osun state government in its policy of improving its education system introduced a reclassification of its education system which entails the re-grouping and merging of schools in the state. Most controversial of the policy was the merging of schools. The policy was to see to the merging of some public schools in the state, some of which are faith-based schools. Such as merging of a Christian faith-base schools as Baptist Schools with non-faith based schools that might include hijab wearing Muslim pupils attending the school.

As soon as the policy was being implemented, some Christians in the state under the leadership of the state's chapter of Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) embark on a protest. The Christians protest was against coeducation with Muslims and wearing of hijab in their faith based (public) schools. As such some schools were temporarily closed down due to the agitation and protest by the Christians.

Another controversial policy was the Lagos state ban on hijabs in public schools. Announcing the ban, the state's commissioner of education state that " the state has ban the use of hijab in public schools, the students can only wear hijab during salat...".
The policy caused dissatisfaction among Muslims in the state and a series of protests by students and Muslim groups were held to challenge the new policy. In its condemnation, one group NACOMYO states that " it is not only condemnable but also unacceptable by the Muslims in the state".

In a different scope, the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) also condemned the new Basic Education Policy proposed and approved by the National Education Research and Development Council (NERDC). Contentious in the policy was the merging of both Christian and Islamic subjects with other subjects, effectively reducing the importance of both subjects.

In politics, in-fighting in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) cost the former Minister of Education her job. She lost the portfolio along some other ministers in a cabinet reshuffle by the president. The sacked ministers were allies of "rebel governors" opposed to the leadership style of the president in the PDP. Unfortunately, the cabinet reshuffle came as negotiations were ongoing to resolve the ASUU strike crises that had crippled academic activities in public universities across the nation.
Prior to being sacked, Prof. Rukayyat had secure an executive approval for a controversial examination malpractices punishment for offenders. Under the new act, examination malpractice wil fetch offenders five years jail term or an option of 200,000 Naira fees. Considering the standard of education and infrastructures in the country, many commentators describe the new act as being insensitive to the challenges faced by teachers and students alike - which are the root cause of exam malpractices.

Initiatives and Gains

Asides controversies, violence and strike actions, the education sector did witness pockets of gains. One initiative that gained international attention and award was the Opon Imo - tablet of knowledge- initiative introduced by the Osun state government. The Osun state government took home a UN educational initiative award for the project and was widely commended for introducing mass electronic base learning in the country.

The federal government of Nigeria also spend billions of naira in establishing Almajiri schools nationwide, particularly in the Northern states. The schools which will blend the traditional form of Islamic education with Western education is hoped will cater for the millions of children who are out of school or are engaged in only Islamic education.

Challenges 

Some other challenges faced in 2013 weren't peculiar to the year, they includes, poor infrastructures, examination malpractice, mass failure in national examination as well as unemployment. Like in previous years, there were disturbing headlines of mass failure of national exams in the nation's dailies. It has become a trend that no longer surprise readers. The problem is just a glaring picture of the many challenges facing our education system.

And lastly, the problem of unemployment persist. Our education system has produced and continues to turn out "un-employable graduates". Many remain jobless either for reasons of the course they studied -for which there are limited space in the job market - or by the virtue of what employers termed "half baked graduates". Its thus not uncommon to see potential employer seeking years of experience from a graduate.

 

In conclusion, 2013 was certainly a turbulent year for the education sector and unless the agitations of teachers are addressed, there may be a repeat of the likes of the 2013 strikes in 2014 as well.