According to UNICEF, children have the right to go to school and learn, regardless of who they are, where they live or how much money their families have. If this premise applies, what then does quality mean in the context of education and learning? Simply, quality learning requires:
- a safe, friendly environment,
- qualified and motivated teachers,
- instruction in languages students can understand and
- that learning outcomes be monitored and fed back into instruction.
This basically means the above have to be available before a form of learning can be qualified as ‘Quality’.
A close look at Nigeria’s current educational situation would reveal a huge gap in terms of quality and access to education. One of the major challenges we face is inadequate funding, mostly on the part of the parents who can’t afford ‘quality’ education. This means Nigeria is still behind schedule with reaching the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, especially in education.
Inadequate funding also exists on the side of the government. The 2021 budget share for education is Nigeria’s lowest in 10 years – 5.6% vs. the recommended 26% by the United Nations. This will affect the provision of learning facilities and the income of teachers, which in turn brings an increase in teachers’ apathy. Consequently, the educational system in Nigeria is facing a huge decline, and now more than before swift action needs to be taken to prevent decay.
Nigeria’s Ministry of Education has said the number of out-of-school children stands at about 10.5 million, although UNICEF reported the figure was 13.2 million in 2018. With the COVID pandemic and insecurity, that number is set to increase. Northern Nigeria is disproportionately affected by this challenge – only 53% of 6-11-year-olds regularly attend primary school vs. the national average of 66%.
The gap between what pertains to and what we define as quality education is widening, making it more difficult to achieve many other SDGs. Ensuring a quality education for all is central to the achievement of other SDGs, particularly, the goal to end extreme poverty. We can all play a part in closing this educational and wealth gap by supporting those who may not be able to assess education due to financial barriers. It is now more important than ever to invest in human capital and ensure that every child has the skills necessary to succeed.
“The future of the world is in a classroom today…
…we must be vigilant every day, lest we lose one
fragile opportunity to improve tomorrow.”
Ivan Welton Fitzwater
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