By Paul Ukpabio
AKPAN Ekpo, professor of Economics and Public Policy, University of Uyo, has flayed the dual school system which is being operated in the education sector of the country.
In an exclusive interview with Realnews, Ekpo said that most of the privately owned primary and secondary schools are just avenues for making money by the proprietors.
“When I attended primary school in Lagos, there was only one private school called Corona. Most of us went to public and faith-based schools supported by the government. Children of VIPs including managers of schools were in the same class with those from humbled homes. They all interacted, and it was good for the society. Children from different classes learnt from each other, which was the same pattern in the secondary schools. But look at today. The inequality is so wide, the class differentiation is so pronounced and the society at large is paying the price of a segmented school system.”
Ekpo told Realnews that there is a link between poor quality education at both the primary and secondary school level because the university system admits students from secondary schools.
“It is crucial to strengthen both the primary and secondary levels by providing adequate facilities for learning to both teachers and pupils. Teachers at the primary and secondary school levels are not well paid; the teachers who are qualified are not re-trained continuously. The school environment is usually nothing to write home about in most parts of the country. There are still parts of Nigeria where children are taught under the tree,” he said.
Asked what the university managers could do to save the situation? Ekpo replied: “The university managers cannot do much, if my experience as vice chancellor of two universities (Federal and State) is anything to go by. The universities need adequate funding from various sources; the incentive structure must be right. For example, paying a university professor at his/her bar gross salary of N500,000.00 monthly with the prevailing unfavourable macroeconomic environment would not encourage any promising and/or brilliant young person to pursue an academic career.
“As VC (vice chancellor) in Uniuyo for 4 years, Council had to borrow to pay monthly salaries to staff. The university provides its own basic amenities like power supply via generators, security, water etc. Consequently, managers began to impose all kinds of frivolous fees on students to keep the system afloat. The autonomy issue is another wahala. Yes, the university system has autonomy but how is it implemented?”
– Feb, 2, 2021 @ 7:40
