- To resuscitate the sector, Okebukola called for improved access to basic education through reduction in the out-of-school children, while demanding an increase in investment to make the learning environment friendly.
Former Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Prof. Peter Okebukola, has predicted an upward movement in the standard of education, if the country could carefully implement reforms tailored towards the revitalisation of the sector.
Okebukola, in a keynote address titled: “The place of and state of education in Nigeria’s development: Imperative and urgency of reform”, presented at International Colloquium to mark 80th birthday of ex-Registrar of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board, Prof. Olu Aina, held in Osogbo, listed 130 plagues that caused the bones of quality education to dry up in the country.
According to him, poor quality training that end up producing teachers with low content knowledge of their teaching subjects, poor attitude of students to school work, parents shamefully aiding and abetting their children to commit examination malpractices, low investment in education and low education qualification of personnel heading vital positions among others had jointly led to the rot in the country’s educational system.
To resuscitate the sector, Okebukola called for improved access to basic education through reduction in the out-of-school children, while demanding an increase in investment to make the learning environment friendly.
He also said mismatch in the competences of graduates with labour market expectations should be corrected, as conscious efforts should also be made to rid the curriculum at all levels of education of junks
Commenting in turns on Okebukola’s paper, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, Afolabi Imoukhuede, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation and Youth Employment and Prof. Funmi Togonu-Bikersteth, called for collaborations and positive projections to resuscitate the sector.
In their separate remarks, Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, extolled the leadership qualities of Prof Aina and urged Nigerians to emulate his philanthropic nature.
