The Federal Government on Wednesday challenged the Forum of Laureates of the Nigerian National Order of Merit (NNOM) to? use their wealth of knowledge to improve the nation`s education sector.
Sen. Anyim Pius Anyim, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) made the call at the opening of a two-day session organised by NNOM in Abuja.
Represented by Dr Henry Akpan, the Permanent Secretary, Special Duties in the SGF's office, also called on them to come up with solutions that would tackle the brain drain in the education sector.
He also called on them to come up with solutions that would tackle the challenges in the economy.
Speaking earlier, Prof. Ladipo Banjo, a member of the forum, called on the Federal Government to provide adequate training for primary school teachers in order to restore the dignity of the profession.?
Banjo, an educationist, was on Dec. 3 honoured with the prestigious NNOM award by President Goodluck Jonathan.
He said: “the reports we have are that many if not most of the teachers in primary schools are barely literate and are hardly fitting as role models for the children.
“The country needs qualified and standard primary teachers with good manners because children are very sensitive.
“If we expect students to behave in a cultured manner at the secondary and tertiary level, the right habits have to be inculcated in the children from the very beginning of their school experience,’’ he said.
Banjo said that more attention should be paid by providing conducive learning conditions in primary schools.
He called for the provision of a hygienic environment, maintaining of toilet facilities, furniture and audio-visual gadgets and adequate grounds for recreation.
According to him, it has truly been observed that language incompetence lies at the root of much of the wastage in the country educational system.
“The ideal medium of instruction at the primary schools is the learner`s mother tongue but this is hardly possible in a multilingual country like Nigeria in which most of the languages have not been appropriately developed.’’
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