In this post we will be looking at the Nigerian Educational System, security challenges facing Nigerian Education and ways to curb the menace.
INTRODUCTION:
The inaccessibility of schools as a result of the inherent dangers therefore remains a serious challenge to the knowledge givers, the learners and also other critical stakeholders. In most schools attacked, the traumatic experience alone cannot easily be erased as such experience instills fear on the teachers and the students alike and make it very difficult for them to return back to school. More so, the “planning, organizing, coordinating, financing and evaluating of all education activities on students, teachers and school heads” in the schools attacked are often jeopardized while teaching and learning processes hindered because the school environment are unsafe and learning can’t be properly conducted and coordinated in an unsafe school environment.
NIGERIAN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.
Nigeria’s education system is based on the (1)-6-3-3-4 formula: one year pre-primary education, six years primary, three years junior secondary, three years senior secondary, and a minimum of four years tertiary education.
Primary Education
In primary school, children spend 6 years learning biblical and Islamic studies, English language, mathematics, science, and an ethnic language according to geographical location (there are 3). At primary schools in cities, they may study computer science, French and art too. At the end of the first phase of their education children sit for their common entrance examination to study further.
Secondary Education
The first 3 of 6 years of secondary education take place at junior secondary school which may be privately or state funded. Education is intended to be free although most state-owned institutions requite their students to purchase their books and uniforms, something which may be impossible for the poorest people.
Tertiary Education
There are 27 universities and 13 polytechnic colleges that evolved since independence. The medium of instruction is English and the academic year runs from October to September.
There remains a less than inadequate fit between national priorities and university strategies. Since 1993 private universities have been allowed. According to the Nigerian government the Obafemi Awolowo University is the leading state institution.
Vocational and Technical Education
The Nigerian education system offers a variety of options for vocational and technical education at both the secondary and post-secondary levels. To combat chronic youth unemployment, the Federal Ministry of Education presently supports a number of reform projects to advance vocational training, including the “vocationalization” of secondary education and the development of a National Vocational Qualifications Framework by the National Board for Technical Education, similar to the qualification’s frameworks found in other British Commonwealth countries.
A two-tier system of nationally certified programs is offered at science technical schools, leading to the award of National Technical/Commercial Certificates (NTC/NCC) and Advanced National Technical/Business Certificates. The lower-level program lasts three years after Junior Secondary School and is considered by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board as equivalent to the SSC.
SECURITY CHALLENGES FACING NIGERIAN EDUCATION
Security lapses and challenges certainly do manifest on a daily basis in schools in Nigeria. Such challenges ranges from “youth restiveness, terrorism and insurgent attacks, kidnappings and hostage-takings for monetary ransoms, political assassinations, arsons, murders, cult-related activities, mass protests and so forth.
While many have falling victims to any of the dangers aforementioned, very few have actually escaped death or injury during such attacks. In the prevailing circumstances, the safety and security of school administrators, teachers and students and entire community where the schools are located are no longer guaranteed; most especially in the north-east geo-political zone where the activities of Boko Haram insurgents are much pronounced.
Schools attacked are not also excluded from the effect of the crippling security challenges that threaten the security and unity of the Nigerian state in general. Some of these challenges are also directly or indirectly linked to the critical security challenges that certainly have made schools vulnerable to attacks in Nigeria. They are:
- Inadequacies in manpower recruitment and training of security forces and law
enforcement agencies.
- Lack of timely and promptness in the handling of security issues by government.
- Lack of citizen’s involvement in state security management.
- Low standard of security awareness.
- Reluctance by citizens to volunteer security information to law enforcement agencies.
- Slow threat response by government to security advices on threat assessment and neutralization.
- Lack of effective coordination and harnessing of human material and technical resources.
- Poor funding of security agencies and low motivation of security personnel.
- Lack of effective security networking between security and law enforcement agencies
- Lack of secrecy and porous security network.
Non-adherence to document security classifications and violation of oaths of secrecy Acts in security and government departments in Nigeria.
WAYS TO CURB THE MENACE.
THE major problem facing Nigeria as a country today is insecurity, which has snowballed into kidnapping of students. Govt. should come up with strategies to end kidnapping, insecurity in schools. Students have become soft targets for kidnappers in recent times. Schools are not safe, yet government at all levels continues to treat the problem of insecurity with kid gloves.
The following are ways in which the Federal government can come up with proactive security strategies that would put an end to the problem.
- Necessary communication equipment and transport facilities should be made available for security personnel.
- Government should promulgate laws that will stipulate death penalty for kidnappers.: this will instill fear in the mind of potential kidnappers.
- Government should also ensure that schools provide adequate security for students, while there should be regular orientation on how students can stay safe from kidnappers.
- Displaced students should be given sufficient opportunity to go on with their learning.
- Government must ensure that they continue their education.
- Government should look into the plight of displaced students in the north
- Who have left their schools for years, new methods of studying should be introduced like online classes.
- Government should provide security gadgets in schools like cameras, hidden CCTVS etc
HOW SCHOOL ADMIN. CAN EQUALLY IMPROVE SCHOOL SECURITY TO ENSURE THE SAFTY OF STUDENTS.
If you are a school administrator, you should increase school security to the best of your capabilities — whether these changes include facilities management techniques, organizational emergency protocols or affordable equipment. The following measures should be taken intro consideration:
- Secure the Perimeter
- Light Your School’s Exterior
- Limit and Monitor Access Points
- Ensure Areas Remain Locked
- Manage Visitor Access
- Promote School-Community Partnerships
- Monitor Your School’s Interior
- Enhance Classroom Security
- Establish Two-Way Communication
- Prioritize Digital Safety
- Hire Professional School Security Guards
- Develop Incident Reporting Procedures
- Conduct Threat and Risk Assessment
- Review Your Emergency Protocols
Additionally, it should be taken into account that demographics and situations change regularly. Risk is reduced not just with gadgets and guards but with a disciplined program of management-deterrence-detection-delay-response-mitigation that is measured, tested and drilled.