Education reform in Nigeria

What is it about?

This paper critically examined the crisis generated by the teachers’ competency test in Kaduna state which led to agitation for the reform of the educational sector in Nigeria. The article strongly supported the need for such reforms nevertheless, faulted the procedural executions which encompassed the Kaduna state Teachers’ Competency Test on the basis of some highlighted fundamental issues. The issue of lack of standard in Nigeria’s education system was a major concern for this paper. This paper reviewed some of the problems in the education system that should have been the crux of the reform. The teacher is an important variable that influences the learnedness of a nation's citizenry. There are several skills that qualify a person as a teacher. The competency of a teacher can be characterized by the ability to learn, assimilate, understand and impact an acquired skill or knowledge following predefined standards and methods. This requires a carefully planned investigation using tactical approaches if the competency of a teacher is to be accessed. This paper argued that for reform in the educational sector to enhance sustainable development, there must be good governance and a populace free of corruption within and outside the education system. The article suggested some areas where Nigerian education requires reform such as teacher education, teachers’ condition of service and the school curricula vis-à-vis the Kaduna state teachers’ competency test.

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Photo by Roman Mager on Unsplash

Photo by Roman Mager on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The significance of the article is the argument that education experts should direct any reform in Nigerian education, not any political appointees who are not in the field of education.

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