Minister of State for Education, Barrister Ezenwo Nyesom Wike says he is committed to addressing the challenges facing basic and secondary education sub sectors under his purview. In this interview with FRANCIS OTTAH AGBO, the Minister declares that it will no longer be business as usual for education sector as the sector will witness a turn-around. He however regrets that the civil servants that should drive the education sector are not committed to their schedules.
What do you think should be done to improve the quality of education in the country?
Some schools aid examination malpractice and the cause of this is the deep rooted corruption in the education sector. This has lowered the standard of education in the country. We have put in place a mechanism which would ensure inspection of schools so as to have credible and independent results. Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) can partner with us in this drive but the corruption I talked about has also eaten deep into other sectors such as the NGO. Even NGOs write organized and fake results. A lot of NGOs compromised. So much sentiment is brought in their operations. We are working towards ensuring that we improve the quality of education in the country by improving the infrastructure base and teacher quality with the view to strengthening education at the foundational level in order to have a better tertiary education.
For the first time in recent time, we want to insulate politics from the running of education. In this regards, we shall ensure equitable distribution of schools, infrastructure, teaching and teachers aids for the good of our country.
Sir, at present students who choose second choice in their unified tertiary matriculation examinations are not considered, any steps to redress this situation?
I know there is first choice and Second choice of universities and if you don’t meet the score of your first choice, and if such scores fall within the second choice you can go to the second choice. That is how it should be.
But the painful reality is that if Nigeria as a nation does not overcome corruption, it may be difficult to properly reposition education especially primary and secondary education. How do we resolve the problem of corruption which has eaten deep?
Seminars, retreats, conferences have been held on corruption and so much funds spent, yet corruption persists. When will this stop?
Organising conferences on corruption is the easiest way to divert public funds. Why we shall work hard to ensure that the right thing is done in the education sector especially in the admission of candidates not all candidates who write matriculation examinations will be admitted for lack of space.
Recently, WAEC released two conflicting results. What step have you taken to resolve the problem?
I called the head of WAEC, and asked him to tell the nation what has happened. I discovered that the problem was lack of communication. There was no deliberate attempt to circumvent anything; but lack of communication is the problem. People may have the impression that something wrong is going on. I n the past, there used to be cancellation of results and so on. Nigerian is a difficult place but we must learn to take certain actions to reposition the sector and Nigerians would see many of such actions from the ministry. In future, offending schools can be blacklisted for say 10 years and students for 5 years. By such action, everybody will sit up. But people may not like it but we must do it because that is the right to do. We must take such actions to show that government is serious.
One of the major challenges facing the education sector is the inability of successive ministers to implement policies. What should Nigerians expect under this dispensation?
Frequent change of leadership is responsible for the unfaithful implementation of policies. When new ministers or official come on board, they tend to evolve new policies and tend to abandon existing ones. This is wrong but this is the trend in Nigeria. We shall continue with any good programme or policy in place before our appointment. We will make sure policies are implemented. The professors are saying the same thing all the time. If you see what is happening in unity schools even the president will weep.
Having said this, civil servants are the drivers and implementers of policies. Civil servants can make you not to move an inch. Look at the budgets. Ask what will be the vote – most of them are on frivolous matter which cannot impact on the sector. Permanent secretaries, directors, vote billion of naira for recurrent expenses but when it comes to capital project, little or nothing is voted and this is not good. No country develops if so much goes into recurrent expenditure while capital is not budgeted for.
Take the 2011 budget. Are we sincere to ourselves? We should have committed civil servants. No matter how you shout, a lot of things are hidden from the minister. Up till now, many things are still hidden from me. We lack committed civil servants to drive education sector and the entire bureaucracy!
The Federal Unity Schools are in a state of disrepair, what is the government planning for these schools?
We want to take the unity schools and repair them in phases – take two or three federal schools in a zone – say 18 schools in a year. If this is done we will solve the infrastructure problem. The president will want to improve the infrastructure. There is a concrete four year strategic plan to develop education and the Unity Schools are well covered in this plan. By the time we embark on this phased development of Federal Unity Schools, in four years, we would have completely transformed 72 schools to serve as a model for secondary education. These models will assist states and private individuals develop quality schools for Nigerian children.
What about the challenge of funding in the system?
What is happening to the little resources available? Without education, nothing can work in the whole nation. It’s the rock.
Operators of the sector must ensure judicious use of the available resources because funding is not always enough. Simple Economics teaches that our needs are many but the resources to satisfy them are scanty. Lets manage the scarce resources to run education effectively.
Some states are yet to access their UBE funds. What is the problem?
Such states are yet to pay their counterpart funds. But we have started intensive consultation and advocacy and these states are ready to respond positively. We are discussing with governors under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum to ensure that something positive is done in this direction. Primary school is basic. With good products, they will affect secondary and tertiary education. Things are going well in Rivers State – where a committee was set up. There is no primary school in the state without library or without computers. If you get it right from the basic, you will get it right in the secondary school. This is why people are now leaving private schools to public schools in Rivers. Education in Rivers State is now a model for others. It is through education that poverty and insecurity can be minimised.
One important step we have taken is that the Federal Government is developing schools for the almajiris and other less privileged children. We have started constructing over 100 schools for these Nigerian children across the nation.
Without teacher motivation, nothing can be achieved in the long run. What is the government doing in this regard?
Houses have been built for teachers, given different motivations to attract them into the classrooms. President Jonathan is committed to the welfare of teachers, been a teacher himself and he is ready to commit funds to education. Teaching is a passion; one must have interest and be delighted to be a teacher. Being a teacher is like a curse, but it should not be so. Need for them to have mobility, housing, earn fat salaries like Chemical Engineers, etc. If education is in crisis, there is need to radically deal with it.
Recently, I met with officials of British Department for International Development and Education Sector Support Programme in Nigeria and I put forward a proposal for enhanced capacity building for teachers in basic education level, which they agreed to support. We are reaching out to different groups to ensure that the condition of teachers improves as well as the quality of teachers.
Is the federal government considering setting up new unity schools?
For now, the answer is no. We are battling with improving the quality of existing unity schools and that is our focus. This much I told members of the PTA of Federal Unity Schools when they visited me last week. Our major focus now is to improve the existing schools and bring them up to acceptable international standard.