Stakeholders in the education sector have stressed the need for private sector involvement in the education sector, advising that they should look beyond the usual government lip service to a key sector like education.
Operators in the education sector observe that Nigeria’s education system has been in decline.
World Bank in a recent study alluded to employers complaint that the quality of graduates produced by both university and secondary schools has dropped, especially their communication skills.
The study affirmed that improvement in communication skills and the use of computers and other information technology equipment by graduates will help to increase their productivity.
Analysts have observed that allocation to the education sector, whether at the federal or state level, falls below the United Nations Organisation for Education, Science and Culture’s recommended 26 percent annual budgets, a threshold which the world body stated must be crossed for the sector to be revived and possibly grow to meet current needs.
Currently, Nigeria allocates 7 percent of its budget to education, leaving a huge funding gap which is reflected in inadequate facilities for both students and teachers, and lack of proper maintenance carried out on the available facilities.
Rahamon Bello, former vice chancellor, University of Lagos, is of the opinion that to actualise the goal of integrating ICT into the education system, governments need to provide basic infrastructure and training at the primary school level.
Bello observes that adequate and quality education are essentially important for students at the elementary and secondary levels as they will help to imbue in the students a high level of scholarly drive preparatory to going for further studies.
According to him, “tertiary institutions will consequently be populated by people who are at least prepared to face the rigours of university education. Unique initiatives such as investments in ICT facilities in primary and secondary education will go a long way in preparing the students for higher education”.
The Economic Commission for Africa has indicated that the ability to access and use information is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for development. Unfortunately, many developing counties, especially in Africa, are still low in ICT application and use. Computers with internet access will help to plug this gap.
Pre-school, elementary, secondary and vocational schools are regarded as the building blocks of society’s education system, a situation that makes it imperative for such areas to be given greater attention. In 1999, the Federal Government introduced the Universal Basic Education (UBE) programme aimed at providing access to quality basic education throughout Nigeria.
Ibidapo Obe, an educationist said that using the thriving impact information and communications technology (ICT), play, private sector participation in education development through the right investment will enhanced the quality of education and empower students with up-to-date knowledge and information that will place them at the same level to compete with their peers from other parts of the world.
He further said emergence of private sector investment especially in the move for improvement in ICT education nicely falls in place with the Federal Government’s policy with regard to information and communications technology in the education sector.
Analysts are of the opinion that access to the Internet and education will place a number of pupils on the same platform as their counterparts in other developed countries, helping to ensure that they do not suffer learning disadvantages even though they live in a developing country.
On his part, Pai Obanya, chairman, Council of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), encouraged the private sector, especially corporate organisations to continue to support the initiatives that properly empower and educate the Nigerian Youth.
In his opinion, the educational sustainability and growth of Nigeria as a country and as a people depends on the ability of the private and public sectors to join hands together in a bid to up-skill the Nigerian youth.
