This column, last week, focused on the state of education in the country lamenting on the lackadaisical approach with which government handles issues that concern education. We are back this week again to discuss a matter-of-the-moment that affects the all-important sector of education in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It is public knowledge especially to residents of the FCT that the annual Abuja Carnival kicks off today. What perhaps may not be known to some residents is that some schools with boarding facilities within the FCT have been closed to provide accommodation for participants. We find it incredible that some schools would have to be closed down while others are in session in order to give way for a cultural event to take place.
Many parents expressed dismay when some schools were shut for the same reason in November 2009. This column, too, could not but add its voice in a piece published in the December 5, 2009 edition of the same paper (Weekly Trust) to the remarks by parents and concerned Nigerians that such a decision was unbecoming and detrimental to the already ailing education system. In that piece titled “Aleiro’s own Boko Haram”, we decried the unwise choice to close down some schools for the sake of carnival and likened the then FCT Minister, Senator Mohammed Adamu Aleiro, to an overt admirer of the heretical ideologies possessed by the Boko Haram sect. Boko Haram is a modern catchphrase in the northern part of contemporary Nigeria, which mere mention alone reminds many people of horrible and painful situations they hate to remember. It is a slogan that is comprised of a Hausa word-Boko-meaning ‘western education’ and an Arabic word-Haram-meaning ‘prohibited’. ‘Boko Haram’, which can thus be translated in to English as “western education is prohibited” is an axiom with which an ideological sect from among Muslims in Nigeria is labeled.
We call on the current FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, who many acclaim to be evidently succeeding where his predecessors including those who claimed to be extraordinarily intelligent and infallible have failed, to look into this heart-touching issue of the annual closure of schools for reasons of Abuja Carnival. This certainly has its prospective effects which could be critical to the education of the potential future leaders of this country. The FCT Minister must not allow education to be turned, within the territory, in to an affiliate of tourism, or specifically, carnival! We find it difficult to search out reasons why the Abuja Carnival, in order to hold, must dislodge students from school and also disrupt their learning. Those statutorily charged with the responsibility of managing education in the FCT probably do not have their children in these public schools, and therefore, find it easy to give inexcusable approvals that permit organizers of the Carnival to displace school children when they should actually be learning in their schools. The usual excuse by defenders of the inept action that the affected students would later receive extra-lessons is very unethical, unprofessional and not credible in the least.
The affected schools which vacated on November 12, 2010 are due to re-open, after three weeks of closure, on December 2, 2010, when the carnival would have ended. Students from these schools are expected to start their end of term examinations on December 3, 2010, a day after resumption, giving no room for revision exercises. Even a week loss of teaching and learning at this level of our educational system could make a great difference and impact negatively on the terminal examination results of the affected schools. When very low success rate is thereafter recorded in WAEC and NECO examinations as it has been the case in recent years, the blame would be shifted to examination bodies. Besides, the lives of the students are at high risk when they have to travel to and fro their homes for such irregular closure of schools. We remind those responsible for disrupting learning in these schools to note that if high failure rate is recorded in their examinations, such should be considered as the ultimate price which the affected FCT students will have to pay for Abuja Carnival. This prompts us to suggest that the action of education authorities in the FCT is tantamount to planning for students’ poor academic performance.
It beats our imagination that people fail to look outside boarding schools when it comes to providing ready-made accommodation for cultural troupes and sports contingents at anniversary celebrations or competitions as the case may be. It is unfortunate that such is the pattern in some states of the federation including Niger state where specific schools are seasonally closed to either accommodate corps members during orientation camps or serve as a transit camp during hajj operations. We expect educational authorities to be bold enough to reject any request that will compel them to send students home when they should be in school. Organizers of Abuja Carnival should look for sufficient funds or sponsors to provide hotel accommodation for their guests. Teaching and learning process should be and must be seen to be a serious business that does not deserve unwarranted interference.
We use this medium to also intimate the FCT Minister (if he is unaware) or remind him (if he is privy to the situation) that there are other critical matters affecting education, which in the long run would have devastating effects on the dwindling quality of education. As at the time of writing this piece, teachers of public primary schools in the FCT are not only owed October and November 2010 salaries but are equally being owed monetization arrears for 22months and rent arrears for 32months. Yet, we expect the same teachers to raise and improve upon the quality of education at this level of the system!
We call on educational administrators and indeed those in positions of authority to always examine the corollaries of their actions before embarking on them. No adventure can be more fundamental than education or knowledge. We must therefore shun anything that will undermine the crucial enterprise of education. May Allah (SWT) protect us from consciously becoming victims of self-serving motives that would ruin the educational potentials of Nigerian children and youths, amin.
This column, last week, focused on the state of education in the country lamenting on the lackadaisical approach with which government handles issues that concern education. We are back this week again to discuss a matter-of-the-moment that affects the all-important sector of education in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). It is public knowledge especially to residents of the FCT that the annual Abuja Carnival kicks off today. What perhaps may not be known to some residents is that some schools with boarding facilities within the FCT have been closed to provide accommodation for participants. We find it incredible that some schools would have to be closed down while others are in session in order to give way for a cultural event to take place.
Many parents expressed dismay when some schools were shut for the same reason in November 2009. This column, too, could not but add its voice in a piece published in the December 5, 2009 edition of the same paper (Weekly Trust) to the remarks by parents and concerned Nigerians that such a decision was unbecoming and detrimental to the already ailing education system. In that piece titled “Aleiro’s own Boko Haram”, we decried the unwise choice to close down some schools for the sake of carnival and likened the then FCT Minister, Senator Mohammed Adamu Aleiro, to an overt admirer of the heretical ideologies possessed by the Boko Haram sect. Boko Haram is a modern catchphrase in the northern part of contemporary Nigeria, which mere mention alone reminds many people of horrible and painful situations they hate to remember. It is a slogan that is comprised of a Hausa word-Boko-meaning ‘western education’ and an Arabic word-Haram-meaning ‘prohibited’. ‘Boko Haram’, which can thus be translated in to English as “western education is prohibited” is an axiom with which an ideological sect from among Muslims in Nigeria is labeled.
We call on the current FCT Minister, Senator Bala Mohammed, who many acclaim to be evidently succeeding where his predecessors including those who claimed to be extraordinarily intelligent and infallible have failed, to look into this heart-touching issue of the annual closure of schools for reasons of Abuja Carnival. This certainly has its prospective effects which could be critical to the education of the potential future leaders of this country. The FCT Minister must not allow education to be turned, within the territory, in to an affiliate of tourism, or specifically, carnival! We find it difficult to search out reasons why the Abuja Carnival, in order to hold, must dislodge students from school and also disrupt their learning. Those statutorily charged with the responsibility of managing education in the FCT probably do not have their children in these public schools, and therefore, find it easy to give inexcusable approvals that permit organizers of the Carnival to displace school children when they should actually be learning in their schools. The usual excuse by defenders of the inept action that the affected students would later receive extra-lessons is very unethical, unprofessional and not credible in the least.
The affected schools which vacated on November 12, 2010 are due to re-open, after three weeks of closure, on December 2, 2010, when the carnival would have ended. Students from these schools are expected to start their end of term examinations on December 3, 2010, a day after resumption, giving no room for revision exercises. Even a week loss of teaching and learning at this level of our educational system could make a great difference and impact negatively on the terminal examination results of the affected schools. When very low success rate is thereafter recorded in WAEC and NECO examinations as it has been the case in recent years, the blame would be shifted to examination bodies. Besides, the lives of the students are at high risk when they have to travel to and fro their homes for such irregular closure of schools. We remind those responsible for disrupting learning in these schools to note that if high failure rate is recorded in their examinations, such should be considered as the ultimate price which the affected FCT students will have to pay for Abuja Carnival. This prompts us to suggest that the action of education authorities in the FCT is tantamount to planning for students’ poor academic performance.
It beats our imagination that people fail to look outside boarding schools when it comes to providing ready-made accommodation for cultural troupes and sports contingents at anniversary celebrations or competitions as the case may be. It is unfortunate that such is the pattern in some states of the federation including Niger state where specific schools are seasonally closed to either accommodate corps members during orientation camps or serve as a transit camp during hajj operations. We expect educational authorities to be bold enough to reject any request that will compel them to send students home when they should be in school. Organizers of Abuja Carnival should look for sufficient funds or sponsors to provide hotel accommodation for their guests. Teaching and learning process should be and must be seen to be a serious business that does not deserve unwarranted interference.
We use this medium to also intimate the FCT Minister (if he is unaware) or remind him (if he is privy to the situation) that there are other critical matters affecting education, which in the long run would have devastating effects on the dwindling quality of education. As at the time of writing this piece, teachers of public primary schools in the FCT are not only owed October and November 2010 salaries but are equally being owed monetization arrears for 22months and rent arrears for 32months. Yet, we expect the same teachers to raise and improve upon the quality of education at this level of the system!
We call on educational administrators and indeed those in positions of authority to always examine the corollaries of their actions before embarking on them. No adventure can be more fundamental than education or knowledge. We must therefore shun anything that will undermine the crucial enterprise of education. May Allah (SWT) protect us from consciously becoming victims of self-serving motives that would ruin the educational potentials of Nigerian children and youths, amin.
