‘Success’ in Delta’s Education policy
By Theo Adebowale
|
The little girl was sent home to collect a levy the school had imposed. She wanted to defy the go home order starting by grumbling. A young lady, with a brand new Android phone was sitting by. She was interested in Success as a true daughter of the land. She videotaped Success’ drama and uploaded it. It was well accepted by users of the social media, always entertained by WAFI pidgin. Instagram, Whatsapp, Facebook were awashed with the drama of the little girl. It was to be followed by snapshots of the school, its classes and roofs, broken walls, blown off roofs, classes without furniture.
Policy makers swung to action the Nigerian way. Head teacher was promptly suspended. Contractors mobilized to site. We were told, contract for repairs of school facilities had been awarded a long time ago. Maybe contractor was anticipating suspension of school head before mobilizing to site. As we speak, nobody has reported any interview with chairman, Parents-Teachers Association, who might have been frightened out of town. But no to worry, we now want to construct the history behind the drama.
Policy makers in Nigeria are anxious to make a difference. They decree things that are not, to be. They enjoy being hailed by the mob for commending a job they are yet to understand its content to be done. Without a comprehensive knowledge of prevailing circumstances of educational infrastructure, free education was declared. The facilities of the local school had been vandalized by nature and miscreants. A head teacher was posted there to oversee provision of primary education to the community. Her professional training made her realize that the environment affects pupils learning and teachers’ productivity. She told the PTA something had to be done to the school before classroom walls and roofs started to crash on pupils and teachers. Representations must have gone to SUBEB and Ministry of Education. SUBEB officials would reply them that revenue to the state had been affected by the global economic recession, and so they will have to make do with the dilapidated facilities. Eventually, the school authorities rose to the occasion and took a decision to levy every pupil. The levy was no school fees but financial contributions to save the school from collapse. Now, in order to save itself from blame, that government suspended the school head without allowing any official or members of the PTA to face the press. Nevertheless, we would like to know: for how long have the buildings been dilapidated? When were the roofs blown off? When and to which officials were reports lodged? Who awarded contracts to fix the school? When were the contracts awarded and how long did it take contractors to move to site? What efforts do the locals make to fix the school? How much has been realised from the ‘illegal’ levy? Where is the money or to what use has it been put?
These are some of the questions that must be answered if decision makers in managers are not to continue to be sacrificed for policy somersault. We would also want to know how many schools fall within the category of Success’s and what efforts government is making to fix them.
One of the most successful public policies that have a lasting effect on socio-economic life of Western Nigeria and the country’s was the Action Group’s free education programme. It was thoroughly planned with comprehensive attention paid to details. The effect was that there was an elementary school established within five mile radius. The local masons and other artisans were mobilized to sell their trades. They contributed in bush clearing, foundation laying, brick setting and roofing of classrooms. They were to pay education levy joyfully at a later point which was to make them assume status of co-owners of the school in the localty. Because of their emotional attachment, they provided for the school, the teacher and pupils. They resisted any attempt to make the school depreciate in status or facilities. It was unlike contemporary policy malana where even labour is reluctantly recruited from the localty’. Public officials must realize that while it appears easy to design polings, managers on the field would face different situations. They would be confronted with decision making challenges calling for on-the-spot action. It is impracticable for them to reach headquarters or the seat of government to secure clearance and still be innovative.
Supposing the school that collapsed in Ita Faji was a public school, if the head teacher did not die in the collapse, she would have been indicted. The various ministries and agencies linked with the disaster in Lagos State would be seeking alibi and covering from the political class by now. It would have been better to raise illegal levies and saved the precious souls that perished in the disaster, than playing the ostrich in order to promote the free education programme of government. Unless governments are sincere enough to admit financial limitations and allow citizens give support where necessary bogus claims such as ‘free education’ would continue to jeopardize careers of civil servants and in order to play safe, consumers of such policies would continue to take avoidable risks. This will not be in the overall interest of the Nigerian political system. Rather, there should be a more accessible system of governance in which those who implement policies can continuously interact with field officers and the public making resources available, soliciting support from the larger system. It would be attractive when political parties begin to encourage mass participation and internal democracy. Party officials would be confidant to disseminate information to their community and enlist support for officials. Treating civil servants as scapegoat would back fire, and the system will be worse for it. Trade unions cannot forsake their own for long and their action may impact negatively on the education sector. The health institutions are worse off, but because cases carry some degree of emergency, immediacy, consumers of health care services may suffer in silence whereas if conditions are well spelt out and made public, misunderstanding would be minimized.
Back to Success. The appropriate authorities should investigate and confirm total receipts of levy in the school she attends. It would be sufficient if there is accountability. While fraud should not be accommodated, the head teacher must be recalled and Success must be appreciated and encouraged to continue to promote education of the girl child while serving as ambassador of quality public service.
