By Sunday Akanni Alade

He lamented that it is unfortunate that, all the concerned leaders at the corridor of power paid lips service as a tool in finding a lasting solution to the falling standard of education right from the foundation level to the topmost level in the country.

The dysfunctional education policies, by the concerned leaders in authority could as a result of lack of political will and poor leadership on the part of governance as a major problem in education.

The ineffectiveness of leadership has resulted in poor implementation of policies, mismanagement of resources and failure to exercise responsibility and apply sanctions has orchestrated the corruption as cankerworms eating deeply into the foundation thereby threatening the good quality education enshrined in the Universal Basic Education under the Child Rights Act 2003 signed into law by Olusegun Obasanjo the ICON of our time.

The nonchalant attitude of parents/guardians towards their Children/wards education negatively cannot be over emphasized as it affects the attitude of Children toward school, negligence and ignorance of parents/guardians on Child’s Rights and inadequate community ownership and contribution to education has hindered the progress in education and weakened the foundation of Childhood Education.

The question at stake is how many parents/guardians have been prosecuted and convicted for the violation of Child’s Rights Law as a deterrent to others? None. And what happened to the money pumped into the system, how many governors have been made to account for the counterpart funds made available by the Federal Government and why must some of the State governors divert money specifically made for UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION [UBE] Project to another project thereby jeopardizing the Childhood Education and mortgage the futures of these future leaders?

A total complete overhauling of Education Sector with a view to restructuring the framework of UBE project is long overdue for the betterment of both present and unborn generations.

Kudos to His Excellency, Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el- Rufai for his research work carried out on the falling standard of education that deeply rooted from the unqualified teachers that found their way into the system through the back door in which over 21, 000 of them discovered to be sabotaging the effort of government in the area of provision of Child’s Rights Law in line with good health and good quality education to all the Children of school age in Nigeria relative to UNIVERSAL BASIC EDUCATION PROJECT.

It is a plain fact that, many of the recruited teachers into the government teaching service commission today never passed through the teacher’s orientation as they rode on the back of political office holders meaning that their recruitment was politicized at the detriment of our future leaders.

The hell was about let loose over the sack pronouncement of governor on the affected teachers by the National Union of Teachers [NUT] that supposed to cover its face with shame over the harbouring of unqualified teachers as members in its fold, too bad, and Human Rights Activists, too, jumping up in defense of these quack teachers that suppose to be behind bar alongside their collaborators who had helped them to secure the teaching job at the detriment of these future leaders.

So many questions were asked by the concerned citizens on the state of the future leaders like; what future leaders are we expecting to succeed us? Can NUT be classified as a serious professional body for absorbing unscreened members into its fold? Otherwise, why must it defend those teacher members found wanting in their careers? What supposed to be the role of Human Rights Activists particularly in atmosphere of creating a better world for the Children and youths through sustainability, social innovation and synergy?

Because Mallam Nasir el – Rufai, the governor of Kaduna State believes in a vision of sustainable futures for the Children, designs innovation practices to promote Child well-being and collaborates to create an inspiring vision for Childhood. Owing to this fact, why should people perhaps of questionable characters want a man of the aforementioned pedigrees be crucified or persecuted for protecting the Child’s Rights Law and bringing back the lost glory in education sector? Kaduna State governor, once again, well done, for clamoring bright future for every Child and the nation. Childhood Education and Health Empowerment Foundation [CEHEF] Board of Trustees, Management and Staff have indeed nominated you for the Award of ICON of our Time due for presentation to you at the appropriate time.

Unfortunately, some of the parents were found to be begging for leniency on these saboteurs ignorantly for their reinstatement not considering the future of our nation and the bright future of every Child that suppose to be on the front burner of the governments in education for all.

Is it to fight for the Child’s Rights or quack teachers? What would be the state of these future leaders in the nearest future, would it be a blinkered or bright future if those teachers are reinstated?

Perhaps, this would be an eye opener to other State governors to carry out a similar research work on the implementation of education policies with particular reference to UBE Act 2004. It is high time the unqualified and irrelevant teachers be sent packing their bag ages from the system at least, for the purpose of education good solid foundation beginning with the building a quality Childhood Education on it and others follow in line with 6 -3-3-4 system of our education as the best in the whole world.

What type of structure is expected to be seen on not too solid foundation? Definitely, a structure that cannot stand the test of time as corruption would no doubt cause the wind to blow it away.

This scenario cut across every State in the Federation except we are not sincere with ourselves; the time for declaration of state of emergency on education is now and not tomorrow in the interest of posterity.

And with the sincerity of purpose, the local governance on education, relevant Media, CSOs, parents/Teachers Association [PTA] relevant Stakeholders viz; Community members, NGOs, the private sector and general public should work towards the actualization of UBE project by monitoring and evaluation of the implementation its policy.Citizens should collectively inculcate a culture of reporting deficiencies, failures and anomalies in the education system through the media and other communication channels to act as a push factor for proper implementation of education policies. Government should provide appropriate, physical and emotional climate for students to learn. Such as modern classrooms, chairs, toilet facilities, etc.

Teachers’ Registration Council [TRC] and other education regulatory bodies should be overhauled for proper monitoring of the system. In particular teacher education should be drastically improved and performance monitored.

Recruitment of qualified teachers should not be politicized and promotion of teachers should be strictly based on merit.

Introduction of subject teacher in primary school will no doubt enhance good quality of education as regards learning and assimilation on the part of students thereby raising the standard of education, and engaging these subject teachers as contract staffs on one year probation before being intergraded into the teaching service commission this will not only make open the stuff they are made of but will also eliminate corrupt malpractices in the system. And this could be taken as an open proposal for new down on Childhood good quality education by CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND HEALTH EMPOWERMENT FOUNDATION [CEHEF] to enhance bright future for every Child and the nation.

• Engr. Sunday Akanni Alade is the Founder/Chairman, Childhood Education and Health Empowerment Foundation [CEHEF]