With an estimated 13 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, an educationists and Chairman, Pacesetters’ Group of Schools, Abuja, Barr. Kenneth Imansuangbon, is worried. Imansuangbon says government at all levels shouldn’t fold their arms as investments in education are vital for national development. He tells Funmi Ogundare that a state of emergency should be declared in the education sector and that teachers must be given necessary support
A former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesile said recently in a report that 9 out of 10 children are unable to read or identify numbers at the age of 10, are you worried about this as an educationist?
It is very worrisome and troubling. She is one of Nigeria’s finest and very erudite. I cannot agree more. That statement should be a concern to various government and also practitioners in the education sector. The standard of education in Nigeria today is worrisome because of poor funding. What is the percentage of budget of allocation to education? What is the policy of Nigeria on education? What is the deliberate study on education? What is the investment of the elites in the country who have benefitted so much on education? What is the multinationals’ contribution to education? What is our deliberate strategy on education? What is the funding system for our education? Poor funding is the bane of Nigeria’s education sector today. Countries that are serious give not less than 20 per cent of their budget to education because everything revolves round it. A man who is well educated, will not loot the country’s treasury.
The professors in the federal universities are poorly paid; we must reverse the trend quickly. The missing link in education is funding. How would you train a doctor, engineer through the school system? How will politicians be trained in return? They should declare a state of emergency on our education sector where professors and teachers must be given the attention they needed. Our classroom must meet international standard where ICT is the main thing just like what Edo BEST is doing now. Obaseki is a reference point and the minimum basic to what African school system should be. I commend the proprietors of schools, it is a big challenge, and they should not be discouraged.
You intend to establish a university, what motivated this idea?
We are due now after 20 years of solid primary and secondary schools. We have been able to touch the foundation of education. After 20 years of hard work and support system for the development of education in Nigeria, it is time for us to move to the next level. Our success at the nursery, primary and secondary schools levels gave us the confidence and conviction that there is a need for us to continue the good work we are doing at the tertiary level. There is no need for us to take our money outside the country seeking for education. The Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki opined during our last graduation ceremony that the children he saw were content and comparable to any in the world and that they can stand to compete globally. What we are doing in Pacesetters is standard and quality education. That is what we intend to take into the tertiary level. Can you imagine Nigerians going to study in Ghana! And taking our money in dollars to Benin Republic, Togo and Ghana! This, we intend to stop by the time Pacesetters come like a big bang.
We have gotten international support and we have made our application to NUC, we are waiting for their approval. People are already showing interest in it. Education is something you must do with passion, commitment and vision. You must have the men and material. When the university comes, it is going to be one of the finest in Africa, it’s my dream and it is the dream of the Board of Trustees (BoT) to have a university that will live its name and purpose. When I was growing up, people used to come to University of Ibadan to study, but we lost that when we lost our sense of purpose and governance. It became directionless when people put money and materialism before education, goals and values. But we intend to bring back the school system.
What is your view about the Edo Best initiative of Governor Obaseki?
Governor Obaseki must be commended very highly. He has been able to make education in Edo State a reference point in the last three years. He could monitor classrooms to know whether there are teachers there. With ICT, he has been able to unburden that, more computers have been bought, a lot of trainings have been given to teachers on what modern education requires. Edo children have improved now and they do better in WAEC and NECO since Obaseki came in. Statistics has it that Edo has moved from an educationally weak to a very enviable position compared with the past. The pupils could read better and assimilate better, teachers are paid as and when due. He is not owing teachers’ salaries, else it will kill their morale. When teachers’ morale are dampened, teaching is dampened.
The Governor of Edo State was one of the dignitaries at your school’s graduation ceremony held recently, how was he able to motivate the students?
Pacesetters is not a school in Benin, but Obaseki flew to Abuja to honour the children in Abuja. That tells you his value for education. His visit at our graduation ceremony would have inspired the graduating students. The children who listened to him talk can never be the same. He inspired them. When former President Bill Clinton said he met JF Kennedy in 1960, he made up his mind as a young school boy that he was going to be the president of the United States of America and he fulfilled his dreams. When I was in Ago Iwoye Secondary School in Ogun State, late Chief Obafemi Awolowo visited Ago Iwoye. Some of us trekked from the school, to go and see him. By the time we got to the there, he had disembarked from a helicopter with his round spectacles and cap. When I saw Awolowo, that alone inspired me all through my life. That is why I took my source from the blessings of the late sage that education is key. The late Nelson Mandela also said that any serious government must make education a priority. Any serious community must make education a priority because it is priceless. The federal, state and local government councils must make education a priority in their budget and their actions.
Your school is over 20 years, what would you say is the secret?
Our products are doing well, they are first class material all over the world. One of our student had a first class in Medicine at University College, London. That is what they are achieving in Europe. We have others who are doing their doctorate degree in China, Latin America and all over the world. With the strides are products are making, we are convinced that this is the right time to have our university, it is going to be one of the finest in the world when it comes.
In the process of trying to ensure success everywhere in your six schools in Abuja, what challenges did you encounter and how were you able to surmount them?
To run schools and educate the society is one of the most tasking endeavours. We had financial problems, we are not funded by government, but we must thank a few Nigerian financial institutions that have supported us over the years. But the ultimate goal is for the students and staff members to benefit from our commitment. Our students are cerebral and disciplined. They have seen the need to be focused so that they could get the country back on track.
How has Pacesetters Schools been able to impact their community in terms of giving scholarships to indigent children?
One of our greatest strength is our policy on scholarship. In the past 20 years, the children of men and women in the Nigerian armed forces have been enjoying 20 per cent discount. It used to be 50 per cent, but the cost of things made it impossible for us to continue with it. One of our greatest strength is our policy on scholarship. If you are a military woman and you die in the course of service, your child is trained free throughout their stay in the school. Beyond that, as a student in Pacesetters, if you lose a parent, you don’t pay fees anymore. During our common entrance exam, if you emerge the either the first, second or third position, you enjoy 50 per cent discount.
For very poor children in the community, they come and we listen to their stories, we give them scholarship. So, Pacesetters Schools can pass for charity organisation. As a matter of fact, we have over 100 indigent students who we have given scholarship in just one of our locations. Half of the children in the school are on scholarships. Education is a tool that we can use to change our country for the better. Any education that cannot change the mind, to change the country, is not education. Good education must be able to bring about change and development and make the society a better place.
