The education system of any country or society is its bedrock, it is the foundation laid for generations to come.
Before we go any further, let us define the word education. Education can be defined as the transfer of knowledge from a source to a receiver, it could be done formally and informally.
Sources of informal education include parents, society, media, experiences, etc. While, formal education has to do mostly with a school setting, where teachers are trained and paid to deliver knowledge and groom students.
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What Makes a Good Education System?
A good education system doesn’t just involve the formal setting alone, as we are always quick to think. A good education system involves both settings.
Nigeria runs a formal education system of 6-3-3-4, with barely any system for informal education. Yet, many individuals go through formal education and at the end of the day have nothing to show for it.
Currently, Nigeria’s unemployment rate stands at 5% as of Q3 2023, according to the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics. Of which consists of a large chunk of well-educated adults.
So what is the problem?
Pitfalls of The Nigerian Educational System
The Nigerian formal education system unconsciously imbibes the mindset of employability alone in its learners, as opposed to the mindset of both employability and job creation. A lot of formally educated folks will only result in job creation after a series of failed attempts at employment, which should not be the case.
A good education system bestows upon its learners a flexible mindset while making room for them to learn innovative and high-paying skills.
Many Nigerian Universities have included skill acquisition as part of their curriculum, but lack proper policies to implement such acquisitions. Students are made to pay a fee for skill acquisition, yet they benefit nothing from it.
Our education system must be thoroughly grounded. The ability of education to provide a source of livelihood and not just a source of income is proof of good quality.
While it’s good to inculcate high-paying and innovative skill acquisition as part of formal education, talent discovery, and grooming which is largely considered informal should not be left out.
Many of the world’s richest today, are individuals who we refer to as artists, it could be musical, painting, drawing, dancing, acting, and many more. Which is an area that Nigeria hasn’t tapped into so well.
A lot of individuals on this side of the world are born with the best of these talents and our education system is yet to make enough room for proper grooming of such gifting, which has become not just a source of income but of livelihood in many parts of the world.
No one profession is more special than the other and people would pay for a well-groomed talent that serves its purpose.
This piece won’t be complete without making mention of the last concluded Olympics in Paris, in August this year, where lots of sportsmen and women went home super-rich from the medals they had acquired. We weren’t featured in quite a number of sports, I believe we have all the talents but many haven’t been properly groomed.
Our education system must seek to be thorough and inclusive, so that the aim of education, which is, to develop an individual’s intellect, creativity, talent, problem-solving, and innovative skills are achieved.
The rigid formal education that the Nigerian education system has adopted cannot by itself cater to the teeming population in the country, therefore we must look into harnessing resources from many other areas including human resources.
We are yet to enjoy the benefits of a good educational system because we do not have one. A perfect blend of the formal, along with that which is largely considered informal would go a long way.
Parents and society, on the other hand must seek to encourage and groom talents that are observed in their children at an early age, as much as they sponsor their formal education. It should be simultaneously developed.
Schools should teach the act of harnessing such talents to serve its purposes on global stages. This will not only serve as a source of livelihood but will also give a sense of fulfilment, and create job opportunities while nurturing younger generations.
Conclusion
There is a lot that education can do for any society if the education system is properly positioned and thoroughly handled.
Read also: Nigeria’s Education System: A Review Of The Past, Present, And Future.
