Educational sector reform requires collective efforts – expert

By Felix Kuyinu

Oliyide

Worried by the rot that has befallen the standard of education in the country, an education expert, Mary Oliyide, has stated that the only way to reform the sector is a synergy among the stakeholders including the parents, teachers and students.

She said their collective efforts are paramount in which everyone contributes their quota towards a better educational system in the country. Oliyide, a secondary school teacher in Ejigbo, said there is still hope in the educational sector despite the current level of deterioration if things could be put in order.

The educationist told Echonews in an exclusive chart that there are so many things needed to be corrected, including the government’s role to provide proper welfare to the teachers, ensure proper learning environment for the students and make the society a better place for all and sundry to facilitate such task.

Noting the circumstances that paved way for the letdown in the education system, particularly the students’ performances, the teacher lamented that the necessary things to be attended to were neglected.

She said, “We all know that the happenings in our society have really caused a lot of downslide in our educational sector. You look at virtually all the angles and you feel the necessary things that should be attended to are ignored.

“The unison among the teachers, parents and the government in ensuring that the lives of our children are touched positively which was the order of the day in the past has surprisingly disappeared into the thin air.

“I will like to start from the angle of my colleagues [teachers] some of whom I think are doing their best to ensure things go on well in the educational lives of our children. In my 20 years of being in service and still counting, I will have to be direct by saying that my fellow teachers should be able to do more in ensuring that these children are put in the right path towards their success.

“Although, I know that some of us do act maybe because of the penny we get for what we do but I would want to task everyone of us to be up and doing and add conscience into our practice as teachers. I believe we shouldn’t think because of the little we get for our efforts in teaching these kids, we now think of letting our feet off the gas. I would appreciate it if we do more because the success of these children should be our prime focus as that can, to an extent, relief us from thinking about how much we earn.”

On account of how the parents and guardians could help galvanize their children’s and wards’ performances in school, Oliyide said that some parents should desist from putting all responsibilities of their child’s education in the hands of the school authority, teachers in particular.

In her assertion, she hinted that there should be a close proximity and monitoring by the parents on their child in the task of helping the students attain desired results in their studies.

“In my ongoing practice as a teacher, I have noticed that these parents leave all responsibilities on the shoulders of teachers and that shouldn’t be the case. We are not with the pupils when they get home and it’s our expectation that they [parents] get along with their children, asking them what took place at school and all that.

“Parents should even try and ask if their children are given assignment and always note to them of the importance of doing it. As we teachers are doing our best for these children, we need their support also so as to achieve what we all crave for, that’s there success “.

She however admonished the students to be zealous in their studies as it is the only way to their success in life.

She also solicited proper welfare of the teachers from the government as that would bring about more commitment from the teachers.