The previous year will go down in the annals of our society as the year of the trending of the absurd fads and churned out on monthly basis. No fewer than twenty witless bawdy sayings by our youths overran the social media in what they dubbed a catch cruise languages. Perhaps, of the most offensive of them all was blurted out by one of the Nigerian music artiste who but for reasons clearly harbored by his disciples surprisedly short himself to fame with his brand of undidactic verses. To him, there is a bad news for students, that “school nah scam”, he pungently concluded. Determined to crown his efforts, he strived assiduously to ingraft his message on a device for permanence and easy retrievability.
For a sane person to engage into such faux paz , howsoever ameliorating the reasons and conditions that informed the uncalculated cruise words, insults the educational collective sensibilities of millions of Nigerians. “School nah scam” is too great a phrase capable of nudging the vulnerable to educational cul-de-sac and apathy. The only defense peddled around by his fans are that the deteriorate status of Nigeria educational system justifies the obvious. On a calm munching on this position, one may be tempted to share bed space with them but to what extent?
The frills of qualitative education and research investment on citizens by responsive government are numerous to mention. Good education engender creativity and diverse thinking capacity in students transforming them into solutions pros. Students are equipped to liberate their cerebellum from conventional pattern of reasoning and author a different line of thought thus asserting independence and nurturing originality of ideas contrary to anachronistic garbage in garbage out learning method. Students deserve freedom to shoe-horn themselves in the thinking milieu of Michelle Obama, former American First Lady, in her seminal book “Becoming” . She said” I look back on the discomfort of that moment and now recognize the more universal challenge of squaring who you are with where you come from and where you want to go.”
It is not only a deep-seated understanding of the prospects of literate nation but also readiness of the government concerned to overhaul the academic system to reflect the twenty first century educational trajectory and maximally utilizing technological innovations in study programs.
This has been the case with the Governor of Enugu State, His Excellency Rt. Ugwuanyi, who since his clutching the state lever has ensured that every sector of the economy received indelible imprint of his pragmatic delivery of dividend of democracy.
Ugwuanyi has through the Chairman,Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board (ENSUBEB), Chief. Ikeji Asogwa, the magnanimous proud son of Iheaka Nsukka, carried out a holistic recreation of Enugu State educational management. A diligent observer of the embracing reforms in academic curriculum, extra-curricula programs, enhancement of further up-to-date studies to teachers to upscale teaching capacities coupled with large provisions of study materials to aid both teachers and students would effortlessly corroborate that we now have two stories for posterity on how Ugwuanyi reshaped and restructured primary and secondary schools in Enugu State.
The ENSUBEB Boss in one of his interviews, stated that with the commitment and support of his Excellency, ENSUBEB has reclaimed and completed nearly ninety three(93) abandoned uncompleted schools inherited and have constructed new ones especially in remote villages where there was previously non under Ugwuanyi’s government. Also on record is the provision of a staggering number of 1034 school blocks, modern classroom desks and seats distributed ; substitution of blackboard for modern white board across the 17 local government.
The healthiness welfare of students again took a considerable space in the ENSUBEB budget as well-graded landscapes large enough to accommodate sundry sporting activities by students, sporting wears ; balls for various play and goalposts are made available to every school cutting across the 17 local government.
What is more, the rudimental factor that features gravely in this success tale of making schooling quite alluring and non excruciating for pupils is the prompt payment of salaries to teachers as at when due and other incentives to inspire more results. When students are tutored to be masters of their fate by immersive educational enabling environment and in their hands thrusted the requisite knowledge and skills to conquer, a new nation emerges.
Governance is getting the best hands on the job and Chief Ikeji, the Ide 1 of Iheaka as a seasoned administrator has kept the spirit unflagged. He has demonstrated his technocratic savvy in various sectors of economy he finds himself from superintending Enugu State Housing Development Corporation to ENSUBEB recording breakthrough after breakthrough.
BIBIAN ANEKWE NEWS..ADDED..Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today
Written by
IKEMSINACHI NWA-ONAH
A Political Analyst
Media Team Member: Enugu di n’akachukwu movement
