5.0
FINDING, RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS.
Hiving
gone through some educational philosophies of Mathew Lipman, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe,
John Locke and Dr. Michel Eneja, and the Nigerian Education Reforms, some
challenge to the Nigerian educational [system/reforms] were discovered. The
following are the challenges and the suggested strategies for overcoming the
existing deficiencies with a view to bringing stability and progress in the
Nigerian educational system.
5.1 SCHOOLING
WITHOUT THINKING
The pedagogical type of education
our colonial masters gave us, in which they taught Nigerians what they called
the 3Rs- Reading, writing and Arithmetic is still in us Nigeria today.
RECOMENDETION
Our educational system should include the 4th
R- which is REASONABLENESS. To do this, Nigeria should adapt and Andragogical
system of education. This is an educational system of education that promotes
critical, creative and caring thinking in the classroom, so as to teach the
Nigerian citizens reasonable thinking capable of generating meaningful
dialogue. MEANINFUL DIALOGUE provides an ecumenical self-correcting process of
fallibility flexibility. With this ability of self-correcting process, an
individual is always equipped with the most agreeable and pleasant manner to
present a bitter truth to enhance its acceptance for the sake of peace and
equilibrium in our society. With this type of genuine dialogue, all the factors
militating against our democracy would be flushed out, to give peace and
progress chance to reign in Nigeria. Reformer, believes in using reason to
search for the truth rather than simply accepting the opinions of the
authorities or be subject to superstitions. The grand norms of the African
Thinkers (University) would be of much help in this regard.
5.2 STATIC
EDUCATIONAL CURRICULUM
The type of absolutizing, perfectionist curriculum
used by our colonial master is still in use today. In some places of the
country, teachers dre made to teach without a well depend curriculum is, to say
the least, a professional misconduct.
RECOMMENDETION
The educational curriculum-whether
at the Nursing school level, should be redesigned to help the participants to
operate at Higher-Order-Thinking (H.O.T) level. This would help the
participants to cultivate a moral renovating educative method that involves
critical, creative. And earring Thinking in a community of Inquiry (COI) –in
search for the authentic truth and meaning. this can also be achieved through
the introduction of the Adragogical educative process of the African Thinkers
University into our educational system at all level.
5.3 SHORTAGE
OF SKILLED TEACHERS
There is the persistent shortage of
teachers, especially in the science and vocational oriented disciplines. This
is a challenge to our educational system.
RECOMMENDATION
Education is a dynamic process which requires constant
review and reassessment of its practice, methods and services. The teacher,
being the key-figure in this process, must be able to cope with the demands and
changes inherent in the education system. In order to keep pace with all these,
the teacher would require periodic up grading, refresher and other improvement
causes generally referred to as IN-SERVICE courses. This is essential for the
well-being of the education system in our country. On shortage of vocational
teachers, there are millions of Nigerian (s) who are skilled in farming, wood
work, radio and television repairing, auto-mechanic, masonry etc. who are
either literate or semi-literate-working as artisans-many of whom are good
teachers in their own rights, particularly in technical fields. These few
existing teachers in schools to assist in teaching vocational courses their
knowledge can be blended with the teachers’ theoretical perspective this can
continue until enough skilled teachers are produced.
5.4 LACK OF SPACE TECHNOLOGY
The two big science-space technology and under
technology-determine the economic and military power of a nation. Any country
without these potentials is classified as under-developed.
RECOMMENDATION
Nigeria
should Endeavour to join the space club in order to reap from the immense
benefits which the space science promises for a better tomorrow.
The National Space Research Development Agency
(NASRDA) which has been established in Abuja, should be well funded in order to
be more functional.
The University of Nigeria Nsukka, has been designated
one of the approved national centres for basic space sciences. Enough fund
should be provided for these centres for a meaningful progress and development.
The money so provided should be prudently spent.
A new space policy and program should be approved by the
Nigerian Federal Government, with a view to making all these efforts materialize
and the project centres well funded.
Nigerian citizens working under foreign governments
like America, Britain, and many others, should be invited to return home to
help develop our own technology here in our country.
5.5 WRONG
CONCEPT OF FREE EDUCATION
There is the general misconception that everything about
free education should be free- including the provisions of school uniforms;
textbooks, meals, traveling cost and other personal experiences. Education is
hardly free because resource inputs are always needed and some one has to pay
for them in one form of the other.
CONTROL
The government at all levels,
individuals and groups of individuals should help the schools to embark on agro
based projects as finance yielding ventures such as:
(a) Cassava
farms with garri, starch and tapioca (Abacha) processing units
(c) Rice farms with rice milling and
packaging processing units.
(d) Fish farms with cold storage facilities.
(e) Groundnut
farms with storage and groundnut oil processing facilities. This can be a
source of learning and employment for the students.
The federal Government can provide the fund for
establishing all these in the schools, because occasionally this country
witnesses a financial rain fall from a variety of sources, like crude oil
sales, and recovered loots from the past government officials. For example, in
200, the soiss government promised to release to Nigeria the $618 million (N90
billion) starched in her various banks by one of Nigeria’s past leaders
(Vanguard Dec. 2003 p. 14).