The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), branch chairmen, National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Congress of Nigeria University Academics (CONUA), vice chancellors and a Visitor to a university have stressed their positions on the President Bola Tinubu’s approved system-wide policies to comprehensively overhaul the education sector. Bisi Olaniyi, Southsouth Bureau Chief, Frank Ikpefan, Sunny Nwankwo, Adekunle Jimoh, Damola Kola-Dare and Victoria Amadi report.
During electioneering and since his swearing-in, President Bola Tinubu has on many occasions reiterated the commitment of his administration to make more resources available to education sector and also ensure poverty did not prevent any Nigerian from obtaining quality education at the highest levels.
By virtue of this stance, his government has made education a top priority. Last week, the President approved system-wide policies to comprehensively overhaul the education sector to improve learning and skill development, increase enrolment and ensure the academic security of the nation’s children.
The planned education policies were captured as DOTS, an acronym representing: Data Repository, Out-of-School Children Education, Teacher Training & Development, and Skill Development and Acquisition.
According to the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Ajuri Ngelale, there is a paucity of coordinated, verifiable and authentic data on all aspects of the education sector in Nigeria, which is critical for planning.
Therefore, Ngelale noted that the President approved the conduct of an extensive census of all schools in Nigeria from primary to tertiary level, their conditions and live-in facilities, proximity to one another, educational infrastructure, and others. The president also approved that there should be a census for all teachers in Nigeria, their qualifications, training support received, etc, a census on all pupils and students in primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions, gender, exam grades and others. The system-wide policy will further enhance the education and training of the nation’s out-of-school children.
“This information will guide federal and state interventions for teachers’ training and development as well as overall support. It will also provide data on gender ratio (boys and girls), their specific learning needs, and who is in school or who has dropped out based on daily monitoring with year-by-year reporting,” the president stated.
In interviews with The Nation, stakeholders in the university communities and others spoke on their expectations from the president’s plan to comprehensively overhaul the education sector.
Osodeke: we need overhaul of education budgetary allocation
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, said: “The government should completely overhaul the budgetary allocation to education. What we have this year is just a single digit for the sector but other countries in Africa are in two digits – 15%, 18% and even 25%. That is what we want to see the Federal Government do. Some state governors are already giving as much as 25% to education. The governors of Oyo, Enugu and Abia states allocated more than 15% to education. That is the first thing to do because education is the key to everything.
“Unfortunately, the past government wasn’t interested and we have not seen a significant change from this present government. With the first budget, we thought it was going to be different. But it is the same trend.
“The government should allow university education to run on its own without being tele-guided. From the little money universities generate, they are being asked to remit 25% of it. When did universities become a revenue generating agency? The government should cancel the idea of universities becoming revenue generating agency and remitting money to government.
“The government should reach an agreement with the union on how to increase university lecturers’ take home to attract lecturers from all over the world. That is missing. There is no African country you will go to that you will not see a foreigner teaching. But when you come to Nigeria and you enter a university, no matter how big it is, you can hardly see a foreigner teaching in that university. This is why our universities are not properly rated. When a professor earns less than $300 a month, who will come and take such a job? That is the crisis.”
We have been expecting these, says NAAT President
The President, National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, said the union appreciates the president for prioritising the education sector.
“We appreciate the president for prioritising the education sector. That is what we have been hoping for all these while. I want the president to know that if there is anything to be done to the education sector and it will have effect, it is funding. This is because there is a lot of infrastructural decay in the system. The universities are not properly funded.
“The universities are in a sorry state. Students are hanging in the windows to receive lectures. The laboratories are not operational; there are no equipment. Equipment that are supposed to be used by two or three students are used by close to 100 students. Technologists are forced to divide these students into streams and this is taking a toll on technologists that are working in the universities.
“We want government to prioritise education because the development of any nation cannot go beyond the standard of education of that nation. So, we want government to prioritise it and fund the sector adequately,” Nwokoma.
CONUA: a well- thought out plan
The President of Congress of Nigeria University Academics (CONUA), Mr. Niyi Sumonu, described the plan as a well-thought out plan.
“It is a welcome development and I think the Federal Government has started on that with respect to the Tetfund Tertiary Education Research funds, where they have a data repository of undergraduate projects at any level of tertiary institution, colleges of education, polytechnics and universities. Also, Ministry of Education has started gathering data too.
“We are encouraging the government to not drop the baton in the middle of the ocean. All stakeholders should have their eyes on the long-term goal. It should not be aborted midstream. If we have information on out-of-school children, we have information on how many teachers require training and development, how many we have trained, the numbers of students that have acquired skills development and the number of students who have not, it will help us plan for now and the future. All hands of stakeholders should be on deck.”
UNILORIN ASUU hails Fed Govt’s education policies
Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ilorin (UNILORIN), Dr. Alex Akanmu, hailed the education policies of the Federal Government.
Dr. Akanmu told our correspondent that the union has keenly followed the present government’s positions and policy drive in revamping education sector.
“So far, there is a resemblance of seriousness and genuine desire to reposition the sector for effective delivery. Just two days back, the minister announced age of 18 as prerequisite for admission into higher institutions of learning. It is not new for those who are students of history. This is a good step to match development to be able to face the world of challenge in our institutions.
“What the govt is yet to announce is accommodating 6-3-3-4 system. What is the gap plan for waiting period like vocational skills or ICT training or checkmate the rush from primary schools? Is this policy only applicable to public institutions or rule will be bent at the private institutions also?
“The government plans for teachers’ development and support; data repository, out of school children’s education and training and, skill acquisition for all levels are well-appreciated. What we should be told now is how far with the guidelines or packages to ensure successful implementation of these intentions?
“What is the level of critical stakeholders’ involvement in planning, execution and appraisal? When is the takeoff time and modalities?”
Unijos stakeholders seek autonomy, effective funding
The University of Jos Vice Chancellor, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, while speaking on the subject, said: “On the plan of Mr. President to overhaul or reform the education sector, honestly, as the vice chancellor of the University of Jos, we have so much expectation from Mr. President. And of course, I will speak on just two or three things.
“Number one. The current funding model of universities in particular, is flawed. It’s not sustainable. It’s not sustainable at all. So, of course, with the overhaul plan of Mr. President, we are expecting that the funding model of universities will change and the funding model should be in such a way that there is a cost to education, because indeed there is cost to education.
“Number two is the autonomy. The Acts that created the universities do provide autonomy. But the autonomy is more of a mirage now. The autonomy of the universities has been taken away somehow. But the model that we’re seeing at the moment is that universities are not able to replace lecturers at the time that they are needed. And it is that real autonomy that we expect to see.
The last one, of course, is the issue of entitlement mentality that we have in this country. Students that go to university will have come from secondary schools and they would have been paying a minimum of N100,000 per term. Cumulatively, they would have paid N300,000; meaning N100,000 per term and N300,000 per year.
But, the same students and even the parents who are paying for this will look at paying N100,000 in a university as a very costly fee. So, I think that mentality will have to change. I think all stakeholders will need to really come together towards ensuring that we are sustainable in our tertiary institutions. We are looking forward to seeing how the student loan scheme takes off and I hope and I believe and I’m sure, we have a lot of faith with that. We hope that it will pick up very, very well. And those, who were not able to pay, will have access to education.”
‘Fed Govt should guarantee equal access to education’
Also speaking, Unijos ASUU Chapter Chairman, Prof. Jurbe Joseph Molwus, said: “Well, I expect the president to first and foremost respect established laws governing funding of education at all levels and to also be mindful of the constitutional mandates requiring government to guarantee equal access to education at all levels for Nigerian citizens, regardless of their status or class.
“We as a union, we are against the student loan. We prefer that government should provide grants to students rather than enslave them through a loan that they may not be able to pay back throughout their entire life. We also expect that President Tinubu should restore or bring back the hitherto, to dissolved governing councils of federal universities so that full functioning can return to our universities. As it is, there are so many things that cannot be done smoothly because the governing councils have been dissolved and they are not in place and their tenure did not finish before he dissolved them. And to ensure that, there is a good welfare package for all workers in the educate sector. I say!, in capital letter in the education sector” he said.
UNIBEN ASUU Chairman: there must be respect for the University Act
The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Benin (UNIBEN) chapter, Dr. Ray Chikogu, called for improved funding of the education sector, and non-interference in the internal running of universities.
“There must be respect for the University Act, thereby not imposing alien policies. There is need to respect university autonomy and academic freedom, while the continued non-existence of governing councils in federal universities should quickly be addressed.”
UNIBEN’s chairman of ASUU also stated that the Federal Government should not pretend as if all was well in the education sector.
‘President must Pursue 2024-2027 education roadmap’
A Professor of Law, Prof. Ernest Ojukwu, urged President Tinubu to ensure that he pursued the 2024-2027 Education Roadmap published last year as he plans to reform the country’s education sector.
Ojukwu noted that whatever that the President needs to move the country’s education forward in the next three-four years were well-articulated in the published document.
“All that the President needs are contained in the published 2024/27 education policy roadmap that’s already with the federal government.”
Caleb varsity founder lauds Tinubu’s interventions
Also, Director, Caleb Group of Schools and Visitor, Caleb University, Imota, Lagos, Dr. Oladega Adebogun, praised President Tinubu for his interventions and notable positive developments in the education sector since he assumed office.
Adebogun, who is a prominent stakeholder in the education sector, having founded the Caleb Group of Schools in 1986 and Caleb University in 2007, scored the Tinubu administration very high across all cadres – primary, secondary and tertiary.
In a statement by Director, Public Relations, Caleb University, Imota, Lagos, Mr. Abimbola Olulesi, he highlighted notable policies of the government, such as the signing into law of the Student Loan Bill to create equal opportunities for all Nigerians to acquire a tertiary education
He equally appreciated the high-level of responsiveness of this administration to the yearnings of the ASUU by removing Federal Universities from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and migrating them to the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
He also hailed the president for twin policies on Out-of-school children and training, which already have about two million beneficiaries and teachers’ development and support, which is expected to bring technology and digitisation to teachers and learners at all levels.
He equally applauded the establishment of a National Education Data System and Skill Development for all levels of Education, Teacher Training and Support Nationwide.
On the president’s new policy, he said: “The system-wide policies are aimed at comprehensively overhauling the education sector to improve learning and skill development, increase enrolment and ensure the academic security of the nation’s children succinctly captured as DOTS – Data Repository, Out-of-School Children Education, Teacher Training & Development, and Skill Development & Acquisition.
“These bold spirited and outstanding interventions of the Tinubu-led administration in education, which is in congruence with the renewed hope agenda, will protect the future of our children and that of our country,” he added.
A welcome development, says Olawale
Citing education as the bedrock of national development and transformation, Tutor General/Permanent Secretary education District IV in Lagos, Mr. Osinaike Olusegun Olawale, is of the opinion that the move is a laudable one and a welcome development.
He suggested that the government should concentrate on early detection and practice of identified skills, more access to vocational and technical education, including establishment of music and sports academies, professionalism of the teaching profession and improvement of their welfares, and making education to be skilled-based and not paper certifications.
