IDOWU EMMANUEL OLUWASEGUN
U14MM1135
Nigeria runs a federation system so the Nigerian education system is overseen by Ministry of Education. The federal government controls public schools while state schools are controlled at the regional levels. The education system at the federal level is managed by the Ministry of Education. This includes management of federal universities and schools. State public schools and tertiary institutions are controlled regionally by the Ministry at the state level. This implies that the standard of education across states differs depending on the quality each state can deliver.
Problems of education in Nigeria
Public education problems in Nigeria are so many but we’ll try to highlight the major ones. We have prepared a list of problems in education for your attention. Poor governance and management One thing that has crippled most sectors in Nigeria today is poor governance. The educational sector is not an exception. The government's attitude towards crucial problems of education, especially its quality, is lackadaisical. This situation can be noticed on every level of government. Basic universal education suffers most because primary education is neither fully controlled by the federal government, nor by the state or the local government. Poor funding and neglect of the education sector Education in Nigeria is poorly funded. United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recommends that 26% of the nation’s budget should be allocated to the educational sector. This way, the educational sector will have a good impact on the national development. According to the analysis done by a leading media outlet “Daily Trust” in 2016, the joint expenditure of the federal and 33 state governments on education is 8.44% of their total budget for the year. Also, there is a huge gap in the funding of education at the different levels of the government.
Corruption Corruption in Nigeria affects every sector of the government including the educational sector. This occurs in the educational system an a high rate at every level. Taking bribes is practiced not only by politicians but also by people in the educational system including school authorities. Funds meant for education infrastructure, salary payments, maintenance, and running of schools and institutions are being diverted and mismanaged. Also, the collection of bribes by lecturers and teachers is not a secret anymore. According to the report by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), corruption is endemic in Nigerian Universities today and there is a lack of political will to deal with it. Poor infrastructure and training facilities Most schools and institutions in Nigeria are in very bad conditions. In most states, the teaching environment is not conducive. The buildings are in bad shape and most of them lack teaching materials. Schools lack practical or technical facilities. Lack of standard and up to date practical facilities makes education to be rather theoretical and quantitative than qualitative.
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