FREE EDUCATION in Kwara State: A Facade

 I know I am quite new at this, I have no professional experience in writing, but I'll try to pass my message across to the few who are going to read this.

 What exactly is Free Education? Well, to me, the word "Free" connotes the absence of a monetary or material reward for a service rendered. While "Education" is a process of teaching, training and learning, especially in a school or college. (Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary). Simply put, Free Education is the process of teaching, training and learning in a school or college, where applicable, for free.

 To my utter dismay and naively, shock, what has been termed "Free Education" as is obtainable in some states in Nigeria is not more than a waste of time and resources. It would shock some (not all), to know that this "Free Education" is just a waste of time, manpower, and most importantly, resources.

 In Kwara State, in the government-owned schools where this Free Education is executed as a policy, it is quite exasperating that the level of development in the educational sector is still at an all time low, and is still falling. I wouldn't want to make accusations, since I am not in possession of some figures that would buttress my inner thoughts, but its glaring that the ricochet effect of the government's nonchalant attitude towards paying its teachers, also affects the service delivery of these teachers, and ultimately resulting in the production of "unbaked" (half-baked is an understatement) students in the long run.

  Now, as a mere observer, I have noticed that a majority of these teachers have the knowledge to pass on, but don't have the appropriate tools to pass this message on. Its a given that such states as Kwara State is heavily populated by Yoruba speaking people; but where does a teacher get off teaching a primary school kid in that same language, continuing the trend even up until secondary level. Then you have a Senior Secondary School Two student who writes what he sees on the board, and yet cannot put together a readable sentence!

 While I believe in the essence of preserving what's left of the Nigerian Culture, I strongly believe that if education is going to be Free, it should also be of good quality. It is not just enough for the government to provide free education on the surface, and then underneath, the educational system is destroyed as a result of the lack of dedication on the part of the teachers.

 Another issue is the unwillingness of these students to be educated. Looking closely, one can see that most of these students who are mandated to go to school function better in other areas like Farming, Tailoring, Apprentices, and others. In my opinion instead of launching "free education" schemes for people who have no interest whatsoever in schooling, the Kwara State Government should invest more in developing the potentials of these kids. If they prefer to farm rather than go to school, equip them to be farmers, then you can talk of educating them on new farming methods and see what happens...

  I only hope our leaders stop seeing only the light in their personal lives and work towards the common good in its entirety.

Minerva...

TOILETS: TRIVIAL, YET IMPORTANT

The "WC" or toilet as its commonly called was invented to serve as a civilized and healthy way to pass human waste and prevent the outbreak of diseases that could break out of the improper disposal of this rather hazardous waste. Indeed, the importance of the "toilet" cannot be overemphasized. It is therefore quite astonishing that in this "Information Age" and era of civilization, some areas in Nigeria have yet to discover the importance of using a "WC" instead of the more primitive ways of passing human waste.

  A case in point is the city of Ilorin, Kwara Nigeria; here the poor and the rich are sharply separated by the glaring show of opulence on the one hand, and the stench of abject poverty on the other. On careful investigation, it is undeniable that access to a standard Toilet is also one of the factors that separate the rich from the poor. Apart from the handful of homes that were either constructed from scratch by the educated few and the hotels and houses in the Government Reserved Areas, access to a standard toilet is quite hard to come by.

  While it must be taken into consideration that Kwara State has faced scarcity of water in the past, and even in the present in some areas of the state, this is still no excuse for the people NOT to invest in Toilets!

  Another case in point is Aboto Oja, a village under the Asa Local Government. Here, the word "Toilet" is almost a luxury, speak less of the structures itself. In fact, in the whole village, there happens to be just one toilet, which is actually a row of pits dug in the ground with planks over it. While I wouldn't blame the Kwara State Government for the apparent lack of a "toilet culture" in this part of the state, it is important for one to stress the importance of toilets, not only as a place to pass waste, but as a way to prevent the outbreak of deadly diseases.

 Firstly, to the best of my knowledge, it takes a whole lot to put up a structure to create shelter for ones head, hence, there ought to be a sort of plan (Urban and Rural Planners would know better) that dictates how a town or village would be laid out. Hence, the provision for sections of the compound that would accommodate Septic Tanks to collect accumulated human waste products.

 Secondly, the uncontrolled dumping of such waste can lead to the outbreak of diseases such as Cholera, Ecoli or even Typhoid, owing to the prevalence of flies in areas as sparsely populated as Aboto Oja.

 Thirdly, the Local Government ought to make it a duty to at least try to reach these rather "local" areas to sensitive them, through NGO's and other bosies on the need for proper sanitation as it affects their well being. It is not just enough to place clinics (that never really function) in these areas (almost hoping people fall sick).

 This write up is a result of my personal experience in parts of Ilorin and Aboto Oja in Kwara State...

                                  

Minerva...