Quality Education Can Transform Society

The Nigerian educational sector, with particular reference to government funded schools, has suffered immensely in the last few decades and even more so in the last few years, as decreasing financial resources have been invested in it. Reduction in investment has led to a multitude of problems i.e decaying and grossly inadequate infrastructure, irregular retraining of teachers leading to failing academic output, obsolete facilities, late payment of already poor salaries and a general feeling of frustration and low morale throughout the sector.

The World Bank defines the role of education thus: “Quality education, beginning with primary education, is fundamental to endow individuals with the capacity to successfully pursue their private goals, while at the same time equipping them with knowledge and skills as well as values and attitudes, necessary to contribute effectively to their societies.” It goes without saying that no country can enjoy appreciable technical, social or economic development without first empowering its citizens with quality education. Education is the enabler which makes the impossible possible. Quality education entails the balanced impartation of academic excellence and good moral training, with the aim of producing the ideal citizen. Quality education is the panacea to transforming our continent, Africa, as only through education can our people be equipped with the intellectual capacity and the technical know-how to generate economic growth, integral to national prosperity. Only through it too can the right moral values be established in society; ensuring people utilize their skills and talent for the good of all.