Over Regulation Bedevilling Nigeria's Educational System - Kadiri

Alhaji Waheed Kadiri 

ABEOKUTA - A former National President, Nigerian Institute Of Town Planners (NITP), Alhaji Waheed Kadiri has faulted the federal government and policy makers in the Nigeria's educational sector for over regulating the educational system thereby deepening the decay in the sector. 

Kadiri who made the appeal in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital on Thursday during round table session, heralding his 70th birthday celebration said there was need to make the curriculum so flexible in order to produce more professionals in different fields. 

The former Rector of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, called on the federal government to review the teaching syllabus at the higher level of education in the country to change the "poor" narrative of the educational sector.

He argued that for the nation to attain quality education, there was need to unbundle the current syllabus which according to him are too cumbersome.

He stressed that, students are mandated to take courses that are irrelevant to their courses, this Kadiri insisted must be reviewed to produce professionals rather than producing half baked who, he lamented cannot solve the problems of the nation.

His words "We need to make our curriculum so flexible and make it useful for our students.We need to unbundle the curriculum. The leadership we have is weak. If care is not taken in Nigeria, the issue will be that if you don't have foreign qualification, you cannot be employed. We really need to move with time. In terms of curriculum development, this country is very poor.

"Government has politicised education. We have over regulated the educational system. NUC determines everything in the University system and this won't help the matter. Professional programme should be regulated by professional bodies and not NUC."

Another challenge the former Rector said was bedeviling the educational sector is lack of professionalism among lecturers in various tertiary institutions across the nation.

He wondered why lecturers in different tertiary institutions still teach outdated subjects in 21st century, adding that most of the subjects being taught in schools are no longer relevant in the technology driven age.

He said "There's is need to employ professionals to teach our students. The new challenges we are facing are what we should teach our students.

He added "Employment of lecturers in our institutions should not be for people who are not qualify or familiar with the job but for those who have spent years in their various professions."