- The governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai, has described Nigeria’s policy on education as outdated
- He said it was in need of immediate and holistic review
- He suggested a policy that would recognise and adopt one of the languages spoken in the country as a medium of instruction in the nation’s institutions
Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state has called for a review of Nigeria’s policy on education.
Speaking on Monday, April 30, while delivering the 4th Distinguished Guest Lecture of the University of Medical Science, in Ondo, the governor said the policy was outdated and needed immediate and holistic review which was necessary to prepare young Nigerians for the challenges of the 21st century.
According to him, in view of the present-day realities and emerging issues affecting the education sector, the current education policy was deficient, Premium Times reports.
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He said: “I think that fundamental reforms are needed in education and I think what the Federal Ministry of Education needs to do is to lead in reviewing the national policy on education, which is already forty or fifty years old.
“In my view, it is out of time; in the twenty-first century so much has changed in education, but there is a need to sit down and get experts in the subjects to look at what is happening in the educational policies of countries in the world: what is changing.
“Professions are dying and new ones are coming up. Our curriculum and policies on education are all grounded in the twentieth century, while we are in the 21st, there is a need for a holistic review of that.”
El-Rufai called for a policy that would recognise and adopt one of the languages spoken in the country as a medium of instruction in the nation’s institutions. “Should we still be teaching from primary to university in English Language?” he queried.
He cited China as an example of a country which teaches its people from primary to tertiary institutions in their own languages. He said they have gone to space and will soon overtake America as the largest economy in the world.
"Is there something we can learn there? Are we slowing down our development by insisting that the only language of the educational communication is English?
“They are dominant force in ICT, defence yet they are taught in Chinese. “This national policy should look at issues like this and come out with policy on education that will prepare young people of Nigeria for the 21st century because right now the education we are giving them may not be fit for purpose for 21st century to compete globally,” he added.
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Governor El-Rufai said education had been developed in Kaduna state since he became governor. He said this was possible through the enactment of laws that made education compulsory in the state.
Some months ago, NAIJ.com reported that Governor El-Rufai, said about 21,780 out of 33,000 teachers failed the primary four test administered to test their competence by the state government.
He said: ''We tested our 33,000 primary school teachers, we gave them primary four examination and required they must get at least 75 per cent but I am sad to announce that 66 per cent of them failed to get the requirements."
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Source: Naija.ng