By Abdulkadir Hassan Danjirgi
Stakeholders have described education as an inalienable human right, a public good and responsibility, as the world marks International Day of Education.
Our correspondence who interacted with the stakeholders on the significance of the Day reports that every twenty-fourth of January is set aside by the United Nations to celebrate international Day of Education.
Speaking to Radio Nigeria on the significance of the day, an educationist with the Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Professor Abu Ozegya Egwa said the Day was first established in 2018 by the United Nations resolution to recognise education as an important social service provided worldwide to inculcate in people core values and creative ideas to become responsible members of the society.
Professor Abu Egwa who is the Dean, Faculty of Education at the University described education as a discipline that is concerned with methodology of teaching and learning in Schools or school like environment, engaging people in reshaping the society to achieve sustainability in global peace , stability and progress.
The university Don encouraged parents and guidance to enroll their children regardless of their means as required by the Universal Basic Education Law Section 73 sub section 35 to give children free education at their tender age.
Professor Ozegya blamed the decay in the education sector on incompetent teachers at various levels of education that has made it mandatory for government to engage only the services of qualified and Registered teachers to change the narrative for better outcomes
Highlighting some of the basic challenges affecting the education sector to includes, nonprovision of modern techniques and instructional materials, the Dean, Faculty of Education stressed the need for educational policies to be matched with adequate funding in all public schools as recommended by the United Nations and the universal basic Education law to attain effective teaching and learning.
The Director Academic Planning, Isa Mustapha Agwai the first Polytechnic, Lafia, Doctor Dauda Ibrahim said, education is not all about classroom experience but a pool for acquisition of skills, knowledge and discipline that enable one to disassociate self from all vices to become reasonable and responsible persons to impact the society positively in all spheres of life
The academic planner called on the Nigerian government to as a matter of urgency, halt the disparity in the certificate centered grades acquired by students saying, it embarrasses the nation when subjected to real life test.
Also speaking on the Day, a Head Mistress of a Private School in Mararaba Akunza in Lafia, Mrs. Anisa Ahmad Atase, called on parents and guardians to leverage the theme for this year’s celebration to enroll their children into schools without discrimination.
Mrs Ahmad Atase further appreciated the effort of government at all levels for introducing the Agile programme that makes it mandatory for the Girl child to be taken out of the street, as she made a case for exposure of schools to more instructional materials and modern teaching techniques in accordance with best global practice in the education sector.
The theme for this year’s International Day for Education is “the role of youths in co-creative education.
Edited by JOEY Anzaku
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