A nation’s wealth or poverty is a function of what it produces, distributes and consumes as goods and services, which depends on efficient use of the factors of production particularly the productivity of its citizens and the efficiency of its education system, experts say.
A value-based education system drives sustainable labour productivity. According the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), labour productivity refers to the quantity of labour input required to produce a unit of output and high labour productivity could be an important signal of the improvement in real incomes providing insights to policymakers regarding trends in unemployment, job creation and wages with implications for higher economic output and poverty reduction.
Data from the NBS show that in 2015 Nigeria’s labour force was in the region of 77 million people with Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of N94 trillion and total hours worked were 131 billion hours with labour productivity of N718 per hour. Although labour productivity increased to N714 in the third quarter of 2016 from N638 in the second quarter of 2016, and N768 in the same quarter of 2015, it increased by 12 percent on quarterly basis but declined by 7 percent year on year.
“It takes education to make citizens more competitive and productive. When the majority of a nation’s citizens are engaged in low level production activity then there is serious trouble. Nigeria’s story is indeed a case of an economy that has stagnated over time due to the quality, nature and delivery of education” said Oby Ezekwesili, Nigeria’s former minister of education at a recent education convention organised by the Meadow Hall Foundation, in Lagos.
“We need to evolve an education system based on values, such as self-sacrifice, character and other timeless values. Our education system needs to develop nation builders possessed of character, steep in capacity and crowned with competence. Simply put our education should boast of wholesome individuals” added Ezekwesili, 53.
According businessdictionary.com, values are important and lasting beliefs or ideals shared by the members of a culture about what is good or bad and desirable or undesirable. Values have major influence on a person’s behaviour and attitude and serve as broad guidelines in all situations. Some common business values are fairness, innovation and community involvement.
Values-based education is an approach to teaching that works with values. It creates a strong learning environment that enhances academic attainment, and develops students’ social and relationship skills that last throughout their lives.
The positive learning environment is achieved through the positive values modelled by staff throughout the school. It quickly liberates teachers and students from the stress of confrontational relationships, which frees up substantial teaching and learning time.
It also provides social capacity to students, equipping them with social and relationship skills, intelligences and attitudes to succeed at school and throughout their lives.
Reinforcing the need for an education system built on clear set of values, Fela Durotoye, CEO at GEMSTONE, a Lagos-based human capital development company explained that without values an education system becomes dysfunctional.
“The whole enterprise of education is inextricably linked with the development of values and devoid of the potential to nurture values, education losses its heart and soul. No one who attempts to depict the spirit of age in which we live can possibly overlook the importance of education for values” said Durotoye at the recent education convention.
Experts are agreed that peace and security are facing new challenges that could have negative implications if we do not address them positively. The malleable years of youth in schools are crucial. Whatever is learnt and imbibed will determine to how students would live out their lives in future. The concern about value degradation is not new to this era.
Even before independence such concerns were pronounced in policy documents. Policy makers and educators have all along seriously meditated on this concern and have been trying to discern the potential of schooling, pinning their hopes on education to fulfill the aspirations and expectations of the public and the society.
“When I look into the faces of the children who peddle goods and services on the streets, I shudder for the wellbeing of our society, because I see distress and frustration on their faces. What it means is that we are sitting on a ticking time-bomb, our peace and security as nation hang on a balance” said Demola Aladekomo, chairman Meadow Hall Foundation Board at Meadow Hall’s recent education convention.
STEPHEN ONYEKWELU
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