The Nigerian Academy of Education (NAE) has called on the Federal Government to handover all 115 unity colleges to states with comprehensive conditions.
The NAE President, Prof. Kabiru Isyaku, made the call in his welcome speech at the 38th Annual Congress of the Academy in Abuja on Wednesday.
The theme of the Congress is tagged: “Nigerian Education System: Past, Present and Future”.
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Isyaku described as aberration the running of primary and secondary schools by the federal government, insisted that this does not happen anywhere in the world.
He also called on President Bola Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in the education sector in order to holistically address the rot and decadence in the system.
“The federal government, at this stage of the country’s development, should not directly run secondary Schools. Instead, government should only be in charge of policy and quality assurance.
”Thus, all federal government colleges should be devolved to the states with comprehensive conditions,” he said.
He further revealed that the National Policy on Education was last reviewed over 10 years ago, saying that the declaration of emergency would allow government to assemble experts for the policy review.
He added that it would also help to critically address issues like status of education in the constitution as well as structure, funding, and relevance of the current curriculum.
He said that the issues of evaluation and certification should be addressed comprehensively enough to cover all levels and everything that has to do with education.
Isyaku, observed that currently, there is no synergy between the Federal and State Government that could enhance smooth development of education in the country.
He called for adequate remuneration of personnel in educational institutions while ensuring release of their salaries and other entitlements as and when due.
In a Keynote address, Prof. Nok Maicibi of the Faculty of Education, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, bemoaned the high level of corruption in management of educational institutions in the country.
Maicibi argued that even though education is faced with the problem of poor funding, the major challenge is the misappropriation of the little resources allocated to the institutions.
While speaking on the decline in quality of teaching and learning in schools, he noted a trend were teachers in most schools teach students for examination instead of teaching for knowledge.
He explained that has also fueled sharp practices were marks were no longer earned by students but bought with money or sex for marks among other unwholesome practices.
The event witnessed the induction of 26 new members and elevation of three deserving members to the Fellowship level.
The Executive Secretary,Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono was honoured by the Academy in recognition of his outstanding contributions to development of in Nigeria.
