Tom Moses
5 March 2008
interview
Lagos — Immediate past principal of the Federal Government Girls' College, Calabar, Cross River State, Mrs. Irene Udoh has just retired from teaching. In this interview with correspondent Tom Moses, the educationalist speaks on quality of education, funding, dichotomy between polytechnic and university graduates and the place of Unity Colleges among other issues. Excerpt...
What do you think is really wrong with the country's educational system and how can such problem be addressed?
For me, there are no major problems as such. I feel that the education sector will become better even though there was a time there was the problem of privatization. However, I am glad that the problem has been sorted out now.
Therefore, asfaras I am concerned, there is a lot of hope in the horizon for the education sector and with the current government in place, everything is being done to make the sector even better.
We have good crop of students, we have committed and educated teachers and with full support of government, the sky will be the limit for the education sector.
There seems to be a gap in the sector today what do you think is missing that has impacted the sector negatively?
Well, it depends on peoples perspectives. If we take the federal government colleges for example, which is the area I have been in for some years, I don't think the standard has fallen. I do know that because I have been part of the system. The standard has not fallen and that is reflected in their performance nationwide in external examinations like National Examinations Council (NECO) and West African Examinations Council (WAEC). If we judge by that I do not believe that the standard has fallen. There is need for improvement quite alright, but I don't believe that the standard has fallen.
Given the number of years you have put in the sector, how would you sum up your experience?
To me, it has been a very challenging one but with the help of God, with dedication to duty, with the love of students, with sacrifice, because it takes sacrifice, it takes determination, it takes going the extra mile and doing what is right for the students put in your care to keep the standard up, I have done that and I believe that many teachers and principals are doing that.
Today, there are graduates that are so much underrated in terms of ability and lack of trust in the quality of training they receive, where do you think the problem is coming from?
I will not want to generalize but I can speak for myself. I have taught in several secondary schools, mostly federal unity colleges and I have been the principal of these colleges.
I can tell you that our products, whatever grade they attained in the school certificate whether WAEC or NECO, they always went ahead to prove themselves in the universities and we have had cases of our students having first class. You know, this is not something they get over-night, the rudimentary stage had been well-prepared, they had been well-groomed and so, no matter the circumstance, they are exposed to, they always prove themselves because of the foundation that we have given them. What happens to some others, I cannot say. I cannot vouch for them.
Some months ago, there was uproar over the handing over of Unity Schools to the private sector and the protest was a clear indication that all was not well, so, where do you think the problem came from?
Well, you know government comes and goes. They have different policies they want to put in place, some are acceptable to the masses, some are not. The general reaction to the private partnership programme, was not acceptable because parents felt that things would not be the same again. But there has been a change now. They are looking into that and I think they would be going back to what obtained before. And I think parents are happy for it.
What would you say about funding of Unity Schools?
You know generally, there is need for improved funding if you consider the dilapidation in many of these schools.
Again, if there is funding, there is need for a follow-up down the line to ensure that the money made available gets to the beneficiaries and used what it is meant for. Once there is improved funding and there is close monitoring, I don't think there will be any problem.
Are you saying that funding was not enough?
Nothing is ever enough, especially with the education sector. There is a national standard required within the education sector. I don't think we have got there yet. We are near it and the nearer we get to it, the better the education standard will be.
There were things you observed while in active service but the environment did not allow you to express. Can you mention those things you now that you are retired?
Well, in or out of a system, I will always be a teacher; I will always be an educationist. My advice to principals is that they should continue to put in their best through effective supervision and proper monitoring of their staff just like they all have a major role to play in the lives of their students.
The students are always looking at us. You saw that drama, 'Let's play'. It means, they have been watching us. It is just like God watching us from a distance. The students are watching. The younger students are watching the older students. The older students are watching the teachers and the teachers are looking up to principals and so on. So, everyone has a role to play and the more we put in our best selfless service, I think the better for the nation, and the better for the individuals and for the younger generations.
If you say the standard has not fallen, why do the rich prefer to send their children to schools abroad?
I still maintain that the standard has not fallen. People have a choice, and I suppose some people are getting more buoyant than others and so, they have choices. My children attended Nigerian secondary schools and they are performing very well.
Many children who stay where their parents teach perform very well. So, I still hold the view that the standard has not fallen. People are probably becoming more economically empowered and sending their children to schools abroad is their own personal choice. But certainly, I do not believe that the standard of education is falling by my assessment.
There is dichotomy between polytechnic and university graduates. Despite preachments by the government, especially from the last administration the dichotomy still exists. What's your view on this?
The polytechnic caters for, what they call, middle level manpower. That is what they prepare them for. For those of them who want to go further, they might go in for post polytechnic programmes depending on what they want. Some people go there probably because they have not been able to get admission to the university. But whatever the case, in the society, there are various strata and there are various needs. That is why we have various strata in the society which provide people the latitude to grow depending on their productivity.
What is your comment on the proliferation of private schools, more so, as the population of pupils and students in public schools keep going down?
Let me talk about the Unity Colleges as it was then and as it is now. In the past two years, they were trying to disarticulate, that is making the junior secondary school different from the senior secondary school and parents were a bit skeptical. Then, they were just watching the situation.
Right now, there is no Junior Secondary School (JSS 1), and JSS II but the present government is trying to put in place JSS I and JSS II so that there will be continuity, as it were. There will be opportunity for people to sit for National Common Entrance Examination, which used to be very highly competitive. And it doesn't matter who you are whether you are a child of a farmer or a child of a minister, you would compete. Nobody would discriminate against you. The fees in the Federal Government Colleges are moderate. The farmer can afford it, even as the minister can afford it.
But, if you phase out the Unity Schools and leave the options to private schools, I can tell you that a lot of children who have the potential would be denied the right to exhibit them and update their talents. And that can increase the number of illiterates in the country and I am sure that will not be good for us.
Cross River State government has banned students in its public secondary schools from writing the NECO examination. As an academic, what is your reaction on that?
Well, I do not know what informed the state to take that step, so, I cannot speak for them neither can I comment on their action. I can only speak for Unity Schools.
We are still going on with NECO and WAEC. It gives the children some flexibility. Some don't make it totally in WAEC, they make it in NECO for some reasons. Various factors are responsible; I cannot say what factors, but when you compare the two, it gives children the leverage to go into the higher institution.
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