There are strong indications that the education sector in Nigeria is being ‘threatened’ by social values that place more emphasis on money and materialism to the detriment of education in the country.
Over the years this has ‘threatened’ the level of education and led to a situation where the country’s economy is under strain as there seems to be a shortage of value-added teachers, as opposed to those who love the money and materialism
The entire country is feeling the brunt as there is a shortage of qualified teachers at the primary, secondary and university levels, leading to a shortage of experienced and proven administrators to fill strategic positions at the local, state and federal levels in Nigeria.
Pastor George O. Odunoye, CEO of the St George Groups of Schools, located at the Ashimolowo bus stand, along the axis of the Ifo Lagos-Abeokuta highway in Ogun State, dropped these hints during an interview. with our correspondent yesterday in his office.
This writer points out that the school has two arms: St George Foundation School and St George Comprehensive College.
Speaking on whether or not the level of education in Nigeria is falling, Pastor Odunoye said that the standard remains the same, but some critical factors have contributed to the treatment in the education sector over the years.
His words: “In the past, teachers and traditional rulers were worshiped and respected, as they were considered educated and therefore well-informed.”
But, today, the rise of money bags and the subsequent cult of money, which has become social values that are not right, has left education, merit, and manual work in the background, he said.
Odunoye, a former Guardian newspaper journalist, publicity speaker and consultant, further explained that most teachers in public schools are trained and qualified, but are not doing their job due to poor control system and weak supervision.
“The Ifo local government area in Ogun state, where my school is built, has more than 1,000 private schools. Some of the schools are registered and approved by the federal government, the various examining bodies and the state government, while that others don’t.” .
“Yes, some private schools, in an attempt to complement the efforts of the government at various levels to maintain and even exceed the standard of education in the country, hire non-education graduates, who could be molded and oriented to fit the education sector”, he said.
His words: “Let me tell you the truth that most students do not like to choose education courses as their first choice and this over the years has resulted in a deficit in the number of trained and qualified teachers in the country “.
Therefore, there is no one to teach aspiring accountants, doctors, engineers, businessmen, administrators, etc., and the country’s economy is suffering.
According to him, most of the top-tier private schools across the country have the facilities, while the public schools have trained and qualified teachers and both the private schools are regulated by the ministry of education at various levels.
At my school, discipline and the fear of God, not the worship of money, are the watchwords, and we don’t compromise with them.