Nigeria’s Public Schools: Reflection Of Leadership Crisis
In retrospective to historical fact, Dr. Tokunbo Dosunmu – Awolowo and her sibling, senior sister (both daughters of Chief Obafemi Oyeniyi Jeremiah Awolowo) attended public schools with other pupils from the downtrodden families in Ibadan in the fifties.
An exemplary leadership indeed!
Today, what is the state of public schools in Nigeria and, can any of the political actors running the affairs of men boldly come out to say his or her children are pupils of our mostly dilapidated public schools across the country?
Are the so-called administrators of our education system not intentionally diminishing the value of our public schools for them to make financial gains from the creation of many mushroom private schools in the country?
Suffice it to say, is education, a social cost for the benefit of all citizenry towards true nation building today not for a profit making venture, including some of our education administrators?
Is our education system not poised to continue to suffer a great set back in the hands of visionless and purposeless leaders?
Is there not a great parallel line between the leadership qualities of our late sage, Chief Obafemi Jeremiah Awolowo in the sixties (golden era) and many of our so called clueless leaders of today.
May the God of our ancestors have mercy to send us natural leaders that will reset our educational system that is currently in a very bad shape, particularly the public schools. Amen.
Are the students, who today are out of school because of economic hardship not increasing by the day?
Who will save Nigeria from this quagmire?
Is President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT) and his kitchen cabinet doing the needful to address the deficiency in our public schools?
Also, in a poverty stricken society, how many parents can afford to send their wards to private schools?
When are we going to make it mandatory as a policy or law that, one of the conditions to serve in any government capacity is that, your children or, grand children must attend public schools without exception? And then, let us see if our public schools will not be a better place for all citizens.
Moreover, will the children of those the society denied education or vocational training not in future be the fodder for all sorts of criminal activities while their environment becomes the breeding ground for all kind of social menaces that would bring all sorts of calamities such as; armed robbery, kidnapping, banditry, 419 (fraudsters), ritual killings etc, which in turn, have a negative impact upon the few children of the so-called elites that emerge as well trained lawyers, doctors, engineers, pharmacists, teachers and business owners?
What kind of society are we building in Nigeria of today?
In the final analysis, is our nations educational policy and its attendant implementation truly in tandem with the 21st century, industrial revolution and digital age?
People should ask questions and the ink in my pen will not get dry as I will continue to ask questions. It does not matter whose ox is gored. I come in peace!
What a country!
-David Adenekan is the Editor of Shekinah International Magazine and a media consultant. He is also the secretary of Afenifere Diaspora USA. He writes from Chicago Illinois.
Nigeria’s Public Schools: Reflection Of Leadership Crisis is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
