The Association for Formidable Educational Development has called on the Nigerian government to reconstruct the education system in such a way that it will proffer solutions to the country’s challenges.
Speaking in Lagos at the fourth African Education Conference, titled, ‘Reconstructing for inclusivity and purpose,’ National President, AFED, Mr Orji Emmanuel, explained that it was important to reconstruct education to solve problems and be purposeful.
He said, “Nigeria has been existing for over 60 years, yet our education is not meeting our needs, it is not solving our problems. Every nation must plan its education to ensure inclusivity. We need to reconstruct to ensure what people face at the workplace is the same thing we teach them in school. Why can’t we make our education to be tailor-made to fit our purpose? we have been educating without purpose.”
A former Special Adviser on Education to the Ogun State government, Mrs. Ronke Soyombo, who spoke on ‘The government and the real challenge in the provision of functional education for the masses,’ maintained that functional education encompasses everything learners needed to function well in a 21st-century job.
“It involves how every child can be developed not only in academics but his/her interactions, and other skills and we should also look at every stakeholder, what training are we giving the 21st-century teacher, how are we taking care of their parents because not all the teachers around have the training needed for this alpha generation.”
She also called for a review of the curriculum even up to the tertiary level.
Also speaking, Head of Programmes, DAWN Commission, Abiodun Oladipo, said he hoped to see more collaborations among school owners in the South-West States.
Dr James Fadokun of Partnership for Learning for All In Nigeria, also insisted that there was a need to retool the curriculum with digital literacy.
Mrs Scholastica Abass who represented the wife of the governor, Dr Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu said the Lagos State government had contributed to the development of education in the state.