By Barrister Ken Imasuagbon, Chairman Board of Directors, Pacesetters’ School
In my broad thoughts about what to invest in, education came as top priority because I was aware of the importance of education compared to other kinds of investments. So in 2002, I decided to start Pacesetters’ Schools for children in Abuja. Since then, I have been in the business of education so I can detail the impact of education on the social and economic development of developing countries like Nigeria.
Education is a human right just like freedom of speech and right to housing and clean environment. It is central to achieving any other sustainable development. A quality basic education gives children skills they need to face life’s challenges, take advantage of economic and lifelong learning opportunities. It is no doubt a key vehicle for reduction of poverty, fostering economic growth, achieving gender equality, and social development.
It is unfortunate that about 60 million children in developing countries do not have access to basic education. There are also concerns about the quality of education these kids receive when they are in schools. It is estimated that over 250 million children from developing countries who are even in schools cannot read, write or count.
There are known barriers these students face such as lack of infrastructural school facilities, distance from schools, overcrowded or unsafe schools, poor quality of teachers, religious beliefs, irrelevant and outdated curriculum and learning materials, pressure of some to work to support their families, school fees, uniforms and other supplies families cannot afford, children with disabilities and children living within areas of conflicts.
.The role of education are numerous; education can boost economic growth and can increase the GDP of these countries. It reduces infant mortality rate, reduce crimes, help in job security, increase life expectancy, it can guarantee lifetime income and also can promote peace.
For education to succeed in developing countries, special focus must the given to the most vulnerable which include children living in internally or internationally displaced camps, children living in slums, children with disabilities and then girls. With necessary life skills, not just academics, education will help them get jobs or create too.
The focus of educational system needs not only mean bringing children to school, but to improve the quality of the educational system itself. This can be done by reduction in the cost of education through abolishment or reduction of school fees. School Lunch Programs would also help. It is on record that malnourished children learn poorly, hence providing food during school will alleviate these hunger during classes as well as encourage regular school attendance. Education of parents is vital. Some parents do not have the awareness necessary to improve both their conditions of existence and that of their children. So providing the parents with information on the values of education, will be crucial in increasing and maintaining school enrollment. Investing on test scores and achievement is no longer a useful way to train or educate, according to the Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR). A new educational model combined with traditional contents with important financial, health and administrative skills should be adopted. Students should practice school teamwork, leadership and critical thinking, exposure to entrepreneurship projects such as identifying and exploiting market opportunities by thorough business ideas. There must be shift from the known learning to that which must make positive impact on the social and economic wellbeing of their place of residence. And lastly, there must be improved teaching resources for teachers. For example, computer assisted learning will inevitably improve education and enhance the educational experience of both the teachers and the students.
No doubt, these methods will go a long way to improve education in developing countries like Nigeria.
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