Tuesday, 16 July 2013

EGHEOMHANRE EYIEYIEN FOR SENATE 2015: MY MANIFESTO - ISSUE NUMBER TWO: FREE AND QUALITATIVE PUBLIC EDUCATION UP TO THE TERTIARY LEVEL FOR QUALIFYING STUDENTS


ISSUE NUMBER TWO: FREE AND QUALITATIVE PUBLIC EDUCATION UP TO THE TERTIARY LEVEL FOR QUALIFYING STUDENTS

As one whose father endured great hardship to give himself an education culminating in his being a 1973 graduate of History of the University of Ibadan and being a beneficiary of his immense sacrifice to give me the best education available at the time, I know the value of a qualitative education.

All my formal education was in public schools: Government School, Uromi, Edo State; St. Patrick’s Primary School, Yaba, Lagos; King’s College, Lagos; and the University of Benin, Benin City. The tragedy is that, today, I would not like my children to attend the same great schools I attended because they would not get the same quality of education I received in my days.

Education is the foundation for a great future. Education is empowerment to succeed in an ever-increasingly challenging world. Education should not be a privilege. Education is a basic right. I believe that very Nigerian child should be educated by the Nigerian state at the expense of the state up to the tertiary level for those students who meet the admission criteria for our universities and polytechnics.

As a matter of priority, I will sponsor a bill in the Senate for the reform of our educational system to ensure that Nigerian children are given free and qualitative education up to the university/polytechnic level and that Nigerian teachers are both well trained and well paid for the great task they are burdened with: the education of our posterity.

For the avoidance of doubt, I want to make clear that the new education policy means that SCHOOL FEES WOULD BE ABOLISHED AND MADE ILLEGAL FOR NIGERIANS in all public schools. In addition, one free meal shall be provided during school hours to all children of public primary and secondary schools across the country while the students in the tertiary institutions would be paid bursary by the Federal Government equivalent to the 50% of the official national minimum wage.  I will initiate an amendment of the Nigerian Constitution to make funding for education a first-line charge on the nation’s consolidated accounts and to ensure that it represents at least 10% of the Budget of the Federal Government.   

I am convinced that Nigeria has the financial resources to meet the additional costs this new education policy would entail. The problem is not the dearth of funds; the problem is the LACK OF POLITICAL WILL TO MAKE QUALITY EDUCATION FREELY AVAILABLE TO ALL NIGERIANS, THE HYDRA-HEADED MONSTER OF CORRUPTION and GROSS SYSTEMIC INEFFICIENCIES which create leakages such that the billions of Naira voted annually for education by all levels of government never actually get used for the purpose budgeted.

Nigeria should be subsidising the education of its youths rather than subsidising the importation of fuel which it should really be exporting. 

We can and we must secure the future of our youths by guaranteeing them first class education that would make them world-beaters!
 
Esan di fure!
 
Nigeria di fure!!

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