Education Security: Experts call for state of emergency in sector on october 03, 2013 at 12:07 am in education By MUSBAUDEEN SHEKONI For more than two decades now, there seem not to be any sector of the Nigerian economy that has generated much ado and giving much cause of worry in a comparably equivalent degree as the Education sector hence, the condition of the sector formed the bone of contention in the 17th Annual Prof. Fafunwa Educational Foundation Lecture held recently at the National Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island. The lecture title, “Education and National Security in Nigeria,” received comprehensive analysis from Professor AbubakarMomoh, Director General, The Electoral Institute of INEC FCT, Abuja and Dr. Kola Babarinde, Department of Teacher Education, Faculty of Education, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, who gave a bird-eye-view from different but relevant perspectives. Prof.AbubakarMomoh, speaking on “Education and National Security in Nigeria,”observed that we need to understand that, poverty,corruption, health challenges, others, endanger our national security adding that problems in the university and the entire education sector are structural, multifaceted, hydra- headed and deep-rooted. He argued that apart from the fact that the nature of colonial education, its purpose in Africa and foundation of post- independence education development ideologies as predicated upon false definition of development and national security saddle stakeholders who are yet to decolonize the system and fasten it to meet up our indigenous development and securityneeds that are relevant to our challenges with contradictions said, another key problem we have is that our schools are not open to those who cannot afford to go to private schools most of which constitute national security risk. He averred that, “We must go beyond the realist perspective or the state-centric definition of national security to see national security as not just protecting the integrity and sovereignty of a state or those who control administration or the regime to seeing in the context of globalized and transnational world, national security as being citizens’ security, well-being of people and their rights and entitlement being protected and the provisioning of groups, community, religious rights entitlements. I am saying that we should take a totalistic approach to an understanding of what constitutes national security and if national security is seen in this awesome and totalistic frame it then means that National Security is beyond just protecting the boarder and just policing the streets and beyond having armory tank and personnel carrier all around the militarizing the society and militarizing the social life. It is about economic empowerment, it is about protecting the weak, it is about protecting the vulnerable, it is ensuring that they have access to education beyond equal opportunities toabout equal access, without equal access there will be no equity and without equity there can be no justice. “So long we say that majority of the people should not and cannot access education that they have to pay for it, it means that a lot of our people will continue to wallow, they will continue to be excluded and they will continue to be vulnerable, meaning that they are being disempowered which means in my own view that we are not yet prepare for the challenges of the 21st century in a situation where many countries of the world are already talking about the 22nd century,” he added. Also speaking, Dr. Kola Babarinde, whose talk centered on “The Role of Education in National Security,”in attempts at addressing the questions earlier raised in his lecture plan, that how well is the Nigerian education system and how adequate can it play it roles in the survival of the security of the Nigerian state, said “Whatever a nation hopes to achieve whether good or bad, it should put it into the education system, education system deserves serious policies and implementation support, security is a major prerequisite to development and education the key that can unlock the door. He noted that the industry that is very devoted to the production and development of thinking which is education sector, when you pay lips service to it as is the case now, you are destroying it, adding, “It is time to declare a state of emergency in the Nigerian education, saying we have to seek active collaboration from all stakeholders and abandon the heart digested policy that has kept our education and development down.” “We must recognize that we have serious problems in the industry therefore bring various stakeholders to focus on policy, analyze and conceptualize the way forward and funding is also sacrosanct.” The three with best PhD thesis,Dr.Tolulope Victoria Gbadamosi of the University of Ibadan, (first) Dr. Diana Ada Agbo of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (second) and Dr. Mohammed Alison Jajua of ObafemiAwolowo University, Ile-Ife (third), were presented awards. Speaking with Vanguard Learning, Dr.TolulopeGbadamosi of the University of Ibadan, who emerged first, said “I return all glory to God for giving me the opportunity because it just came as a surprise.” Dr.TolulopeGbadamosi specializes in Social Studies Education especially, Environmental Education. Meanwhile, Prof(Mrs) Adelabu, deputy governor, Ekiti State who chaired the occasion said the contribution of Prof Babatunde Fafunwa who could be better described as the father of education in Nigeria to the educational landscape is unbeatable. Adding that, “The Fafunwa foundation was specially established to sustain the good legacy of the foremost educationist bequeath to us so that his dreams for academic excellence in Nigeria will be kept alive and this is being animated today through the annual lecture on education and the given of an award to best students in indigenous languages and with the best PhD thesis from selected universities across Nigeria.” She urged people to contribute to the foundation to keep the work and concluded that the objectives of the foundation to better education in Nigeria is waxing stronger. READ MORE ON****vanguardngr/2013/10/education-security-experts-call-state-emergency-sector/
Posted on: Sat, 05 Oct 2013 09:51:15 +0000
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