Africaneducationmonitor: 2014

PROMOTING EQUITY AND STANDARD IN SECONDARY EDUCATION IN KOGI STATE

A PAPER PRESENTED BY MR. OWOYEMI S.O. AT THE STATE ANNUAL DELEGATES’ CONFERENCE OF THE ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS, KOGI STATE CHAPTER, HELD AT KEWON HOTEL, LOKOJA, ON 7^TH MAY, 2014

Courtesies

Preamble

The topic of this paper is most appropriate at this time when attention is increasingly being focused on the child at local and international levels. The UN General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Rights of the child on 2 September 1990, 30 years after its Declaration of the Rights of the child, which affirmed, among other things, that every child is entitled to receive education, “on a basis of equal opportunity…. In a recent review, the UNICEF believes that 25 years after the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), there is much to celebrate…. but today, “old challenges have combined with new problems to deprive many children of their rights and the benefits of development”. To meet these challenges, UNICEF is of the view that “we need new ways of thinking and new ways of doing things” related to the wellbeing of children. It is in recognition of this that the UNICEF has declared 2014 as the Year of Innovation for Equity – to focus the world’s attention on showcasing and developing innovative solutions for children’s well-being. The best interests of the child shall be the guiding principle of those responsible for his education.

Equity

Equity, according to the Merriam-Webber’s online dictionary, has to do with fairness or justice in the way people are treated; it connotes freedom from bias or favouritism. It is a philosophical issue, and people vary in their conception of what is equitable or otherwise. Educational equity describes the extent to which there is fairness in the opportunity children have to receive education. In the developed world, equity and excellence have become key goals in education reform since the turn of the last century. Educational equity depends on two main factors. The first is fairness, which implies that factors specific to the learner’s personal conditions such as gender, race, religion, socioeconomic background and disability do not interfere with his or her capacity to succeed academically. The second important factor is inclusion, which refers to a comprehensive standard that applies to everyone in a certain education system. These two factors are closely related and are dependent on each other for effective attainment of educational objectives.

The growing importance of equity in education is based, on the premise that now, more than ever before, an individual’s level of education is directly correlated to the quality of life he or she will live in the future. Therefore, your desire that our academic system should emphasise equity is well placed because here equity operates, it is recognized that some learners are at a greater disadvantage than others in some specific areas, and arrangements are made to compensate for these learners’ problems and disabilities to ensure that everyone is capable of attaining the same type of healthy lifestyle.

Educational equity is closely related to another much discussed concept in education, that is, equality of educational opportunities. Equality is defined as free access to life opportunities on even terms for everybody; a level playing field where everyone is entitled to the same conditions of access that they can avail themselves of if they so choose. lt connotes that no one person has an unfair advantage. The relationship between the two is that equal opportunities guarantee equity. However, everyone can never be inherently equal.

Standards

Standard on the other hand has to do with a level of quality of performance or achievement that is considered acceptable or desirable. Educational standards are therefore criteria for making judgment or decision about the correctness, rightness, adequacy or otherwise, of the curricular and co-curricular offerings in schools. Usually, educational standards are usually imposed from above by authority figures and institutions like the Federal and State Ministries of Education and their agencies.

The Federal Ministry of Education has the responsibility for setting national standards, while state Ministries of Education set standards for schools within the State. States may vary in their educational standards only if extant national standard setting instruments permit such variations.

Standards could also be set by custom or general consent. For example, everyone believes that 75% is a good score for any student in any subject, even though that score could turn out to be the least for the group.

Why do we need standards in education?

ln many areas of our life, we expect-and demand-high standards. We know their great value. They help bring out the best in us. When you get on an airplane you want a pilot who has been held to the highest standards of flight training. When you need an operation, you want a surgeon who has been held to the highest standards of medical education. And when you think about the Green Eagles, you know they won’t win gold unless they have trained to meet the highest standards of international football. If we do not hold students to high academic standards, the result can be low achievement and the tragedy of children leaving school without ever having been challenged to fulfill their potential. Establishing high standards allows everyone in the education system know what to aim for. Standards allow every student, every parent, and every teacher to share in common expectations of what students should know and be able to accomplish. Students will learn more when they know that more is expected of them, in school and at home. And standards will help create coherence in educational practices from one school to another.

Standards are both normative and prescriptive inputs into policy formulation. They serve as guideposts for schools, teachers, parents and students. They are used as tools to focus on what is taught at each level and in each subject. Educational standards are important because they help to set the tone and goals of the school. Without standards, there is no way to ensure that children are learning what they should, and as they should at the appropriate level. Standards serve as yardsticks for evaluating the education system, the work of the school and the performance of each child. Standardized tests are given each year to measure whether students are learning according to standards.

Current trends

The trend in developed countries today is that educational standards are consciously and rigorously established as part of what is termed Standards-Based Education (SBE); a systematic approach to improving instruction and learning in public schools based on the assumption that all students can achieve to higher levels by:

· Setting high expectations for all students

· Defining clearly stated standards

· Teaching to support the achievement of all students

· Development and use of standardized test to measure learning outcomes among students

· Holding schools and students accountable for their performance

Where does Kogi state stand in terms of Equity and Standards in Education?

The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria places education on the concurrent legislative list. This gives each state the power to make laws to regulate certain aspects of its education system. One would therefore expect significant differences in educational practice from one state to another in terms of equity and standards. Like the Yoruba people say “arun t’ onse Aboyade, gbogbo Oloya lonse” that is, Aboyade,s afflictions are common to every Oya worshipper. This is why my handling of this topic is generalized for Nigeria as a whole.

Legal Framework for Standard and Equity in Education in Nigeria

The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, the Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the National Policy on Education (2008), the 4-year Strategic Plan for the Development of the Education Sector 2011-2015, and the Universal Basic Education and other Related Matters Act of 2004 all form the legal basis for education provision in Nigeria. Other normative/legal instruments incude:

1. The Child Rights Act which most of the 36 state legislatures have ratified.

2. The National Policy on HIV/AIDS for the Education Sector in Nigeria;

3. The National Policy for Integrated Early Childhood Development in Nigeria; and,

4. The National Policy on Gender in Basic Education.

5. The mandatory establishment of the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) in all 36 States of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja

All these documents regulate public and private initiatives in education delivery in Nigeria, and dwell extensively on matters touching on equity and standards in the nation’s education industry. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria for example provides the basic legal framework for the education of the Nigerian child. It guarantees the right of the child to the same education opportunity available to other children at all levels. It also provides the legal basis for the three tiers of government to participate in the responsibility for the establishment and maintenance of minimum standards at pre-primary, primary, secondary and teacher training outside the university system on the shoulders of the Minister for Education throughout the Federation. Standards-setting at the university level is vested in the National Universities Commission (NUC). It is to the 4-year Strategic Plan for the Development of the Education Sector 2011-2015, however, that we must turn for an insight into Nigeria’s aspirations for ensuring equity and standard in our education system.

The Nigerian 4-year Strategic Plan for the Development of the Education Sector 2011-2015 dwells extensively in Section 2 on Access and Equity, and in Section 3, on Standard and Quality Assurance. It is clear from the content of the Plan that government is aware of the challenges facing the development of education in Nigeria, has mapped out strategies for overcoming them. Unfortunately, beautiful as the proposals are on paper, we have little to show by way of concrete achievement even though the terminal date of the plan is just about a year from now. Like everybody knows, this is the problem with Nigeria-beautiful plans, poor execution.

Constraints to equity in education

Socioeconomic differentiation and inequality: Children from higher socioeconomic status (SES) background have better opportunities than those of lower SES. Higher SES parents can afford things like private schools, private tutors, and holiday coaching classes to improve their child’s chances of succeeding. This puts such children at an unfair advantage and distinct class barrier. Perfect equality does not obtain in any society. Thus, hierarchy in social and economic status, standards of living, capacities for effective demand or purchasing capacity for goods and services, uneven spread of facilities and opportunities are common in every society, especially in developing countries like Nigeria. Consequently, a significant number of children would normally be left out from the mainstream of educational or other developmental opportunities. This is where government comes into the picture. If there is no intervention by the state, the gap between the better off sections of society and the weaker sections in regard to access to educational opportunities and the profits that flow from the same would go on increasing.

Cost of education: The cost of education in Nigeria is undoubtedly high even in states that provide free education. Poverty is the greatest constraint creating of a “level playing field” for all students in Nigeria. High-achieving low-income students do not have the means to attend selective schools that better prepare a student for later success. Because of this, low-income children do not even attempt to apply to the top-tier schools for which they are sometimes more than qualified.

Lack of the political will and corruption: someone once said that Nigeria has everything about its development well figured out. The problem with us is the political will to translate our objectives into concrete achievements. And even when a modicum of this will is demonstrated, prevailing levels of corruption swallows up the manifestation of our heart desires.

Community Level Obstacles relates to any bias in education arising outside the school environment including child labour, lack of parental involvement, harmful practices like child marriage and predetermined gender roles. School and Education System Level Obstacles include lack of investment in quality education, inappropriate attitudes and behaviours, lack of female teachers as role models and lack of gender-friendly school environment are all factors that promote gender inequity in education.

In order to actualize our dreams for an equitable education system, there is a need to vigorously pursue a no-child-left-behind approach to education provision: and the ultimate solution to inequity in education is free education at all levels. If that is not immediately feasible, scholarship and other forms of assistance should be given to the truly indigent students. The irony of our scholarship system is that the children that need it most have the least access to it, no to mention that the amount doled out is grossly inadequate. In addition Kogi State Ministry of Education should take urgent steps to:

1. Mainstream Early Childhood Care Development Education into public school. We need to develop and enforce a comprehensive ECCDE curriculum. Standards of scholastic achievement evaluation procedures should be established. Kogi State is currently doing very little in this regard.

2. Open new schools/Expand facilities in existing ones

3. Make public schools competitive with private ones

4. Revisit private schools’ law. New standards should be established and rigorously enforced for opening new schools. It is unfortunate that most of the private secondary schools in Kogi State today do not merit being described as schools.

Steps toward achieving high standards in education in Kogi State

1. Quality Assurance: Professionalization of the practice of education quality assurance. The team monitoring and supervising schools must be properly equipped, and adequately staffed with experienced officers. They should also be properly motivated. We also need to intensify capacity building school managers, supervisors and quality assurance practitioners.

2. The ministries of education should come up with an Education Standards Policy for each of the curriculum areas. Measurable levels of achievement should be established for learners, and the appropriate instruments for assessing and evaluating learning outcomes should be developed.

3. Rehabilitation and development of teaching-learning support services: The role of an Education resource centre in this regard can never be overemphasised. Kogi State is one of the few states in the North that has not established an education resource centre. lt is gratifying to know that the Ministry of Education is leaving no stone unturned in this respect.

4. infrastructural decay: In spite of huge annual investment into education, facilities are in short supply and over stressed: laboratories, libraries, etc

5. Adequate attention to teacher-related issues: This is the core of the problems associated with raising standards in our schools, issues such as recruitment, training and retraining through in service training, teachers’ welfare, professionalization, implementation of the teacher salary structure, and making teaching attractive by elevating the status of teachers in society. Incentives like housing, car loan/refurbishing loan, national honours and merit awards, are focal points. lt is generally recognised that the quality of our education can never be higher than the quality of the teachers. A situation in which whole sections of our education system is shutdown for the best part of a year because the teachers are on strike is most unacceptable, demeaning and disgraceful to the education system. And this is why today, there is an insatiable demand for private schools even though we know that most of them are money making ventures for investors. The Teachers’ Registration Council of Nigeria, the National Teachers’ Institute and other teacher-related bodies should come up with concrete proposals and strategies for revamping the image of teachers in Nigeria.

6. Adequate funding for building new schools and reequipping existing ones: Perhaps the greatest challenge facing Nigeria and making it difficult for good quality education that is capable of bringing about sustainable development is inadequate funding by federal, state and local governments. The UNESCO recommendation of 26% of national budgets should be taken seriously.

7. Intensify the deployment of information and communication technology education. E-learning is gaining currency all over the world: e-library, virtual learning environments, computer-supported collaborative learning(CSCL) Web 2.0, even handsets, i-pads, tablets, and other mobile devises are increasingly playing significant roles in the education system worldwide. Some of our existing stereotype just have to be thrown overboard.

The steps that could be taken in tackling the challenges of Education in Nigeria include:

· Implementation of the UBE Act and ensuring that all forms of school fees are abolished

· Dealing with the quality issues including size of classes, number of teachers and provision of materials.

· Massive investment in infrastructures in all levels of education

· Promotion of child friendly school environment

· Respect and protection of the rights of children in school including protection from violence in schools especially of the girl child.

· Review of school curricula to promote critical and relevant learning

· Proper governance of schools and implementation of Schools Based Management Committees

· Tracking of resources to ensure proper, adequate and accountable utilization of resources budgeted for education.

Conclusion

I am very grateful to the leadership of Kogi State Chapter of ASUSS for the honour done me by asking me to address this august gathering of the shakers and movers of the education industry in Kogi State. I also wish to express my sincere gratitude to this Association for the honour done me when I retired from the service in August 2013. We are immensely proud to be associated with ASUSS, and

in particular, with its leaders. The thrust of the presentation is that I whole heartedly identify with your concern that equity and standards be entrenched into our education system: that all children should have access to quality education within an equitable system. Schools should be places where children's rights especially those of girls and other rnarginalized groups, are respected, injustices are challenged and lives transformed. Education helps children to acquire the confidence and knowledge necessary for accessing and making use of information that can improve their lives. To actualize these loft objectives, however, we need to stop playing lip service to education. Policy pronouncements guidelines are only means to an end, and should not constitute ends in themselves.

More importantly,

teachers must be honoured,

must be honoured, must be honoured,

teachers must be honoured in our schools every day.

Long live the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools.

Aluta continua, Victoria ascerta.

Solidarity for ever.

Africaneducationmonitor

Saturday, June 14, 2014

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FACES AT THE AFRICAN EDUCATION MONITOR'S LECTURES

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Saturday, June 7, 2014

Faces At The African Education Monitor's Lectures Across Nigeria

Faces At The African Education Monitor's Lectures Across Nigeria

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FACES AT THE AFRICAN EDUCATION MONITOR'S LECTURES ACROSS NIGERIA

Friday, June 6, 2014

Faces at the African Education Monitor's Lectures across Nigeria

PROMOTING EQUITY AND STANDARD IN SECONDARY EDUCATION IN KOGI STATE A PAPER PRESENTED BY MR. OWOYEMI S.O. AT THE STATE ANNUAL DELEGATES’ CONFERENCE OF THE ACADEMIC STAFF UNION OF SECONDARY SCHOOLS, KOGI STATE CHAPTER, HELD AT KEWON HOTEL, LOKOJA, ON 7TH MAY, 2014