A former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has called for a policy reform in the education sector to enable the country become one of the most developed nations in the world.
She made this remark at a recent two-day education convention organised by Meadow Hall Foundation (MHF), the non-profit arm of Meadow Hall Group.
“Education is the take-off point in fixing our society,†she said, while stressing that Nigerians must demand for policy reform with a united voice. “We must become interested in public policies. Nations grow on sound policy, strong institutions, and efficient and effective investment in education,†she said.
According to available statistics from the United States Aid Agency, USAID, the quality of basic education in Nigeria is extremely poor, leading to low demand and unacceptably low academic performance. There are 30 million primary school-aged children in the country, of whom an estimated 10 million are not enrolled in school. Of those students currently in primary school, less than one third will attend junior secondary school and even fewer will proceed to senior secondary school.
MHF’s two day convention, which was themed ‘Transforming Our Society through Education’ and took place at City Hall, Lagos, was designed to provide an opportunity for educational stakeholders to sit together and find ways to solve the country’s education crisis.
According to MHF’s Head, Mrs. Kemi Adewoye, “Meadow Hall Foundation’s passion for teachers and quality education led to the initiation of this education convention, which brought educational stakeholders such as teachers, head teachers, school owners, parents and community members, as well as government officials and policy makers together to discuss and learn ways to advance our society through educationâ€.
Other speakers at the convention were: the CEO of Gemstone Group, Mr. Fela Durotoye and the Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor on Education, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh.
