By Idowu Oyebanjo
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has just released the results of the 2015 May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the results as expected, "experiencing a free fall under gravity", pointed in the "right" direction - Downward! Why? Quality Education has become history in Nigeria
*Buhari
Yeye, my great Grand-mother, always said to me while growing up as a boy in Ikogosi-Ekiti, "Ti Iwaju O ba se lo, eyin a se pada si", meaning, if it becomes impracticable for you to move in the forward direction, it must be possible to take a reverse". I think this is dependent on the route. There is clearly no alternative route to getting a sum right than doing it right; starting from, and according to, basic principles. Therefore, a mirror reflection on how the system of education was before our "uncommon" era is in order.
Teaching was, and still is, a profession for the erudite in any given society. As such, Teachers must be respected, well remunerated and encouraged. That was the case in the golden era of The Nigerian Educational System. Teachers were paid comparatively higher than most workers and were among the few individuals who had bicycles or cars. To qualify to teach, you must know your subject well enough and must pass requisite examinations unaided by examination mal-practices. Yes, Teachers were the "Alphas" and the" Omegas". They were feared and respected because they represented the needed back-up for Parents when their children proved stubborn at home. Teaching was a profession of well-disciplined individuals. Undertaking Teacher training made you aware of this. Teacher Training was an on-going exercise. From graduation to becoming a Teacher, throughout the School Term, and some good part of the School Holiday, a Teacher was required to undertake a form of training or the other. Every weekend within a School term, a Teacher had to prepare notes of planned lessons for the week ahead. This afforded the opportunity to prepare for the needs of each member of a sizeable class. The notes of lessons would be critically assessed by the Head Teacher or anyone designated.
Useful comments were made by the reviewing Teacher and where appropriate, re-submission of planned work may be demanded if there was evidence of gross unpreparedness for the Lessons of the Week. This way, it would be easy to spot, not for victimisation, the training needs of individual Teachers to be saddled with the responsibility of shaping the future of the lives of the children, the nation! The Head Teacher would often be a Teacher too and certainly not a money collector nor a Finance Director!
