NAN-H-80
Policy
By Modupe Seriboh
Ibadan, March 15, 2017 (NAN) A former Deputy Governor of Ekiti, Prof. Modupe Adelabu, has advised the Federal Government to decentralise the formulation and implementation of education polices.
Adelabu, a professor of Education at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, gave the advice in a lecture she delivered to mark the 2017 Foundation Day Lecture of Lead City University, Ibadan, on Wednesday.
The theme of the lecture is: “Federalism, Regionalisation and Ethnicity: Foundation of Nigerian Educational Policies.’’
She said education would continue to be at the centre of the nation’s politics, urging the government to establish national goals for education.
“Education is an area that can best be left to state and local governments because they are in the best position to know the problems confronting it in their respective domains and will respond appropriately,’’ Adelabu said.
According to her, shifting more control of schools to the Federal Government while still leaving the state and local governments to fund them will only lead to frustration and hinder innovation.
“Because the Federal Government has appropriated huge resources to itself at the expense of the states, it can always dictate policies on this point,’’ she said.
According to Adelabu, it is better to allow the state and local governments to align their education sector in line with their respective needs.
“Here lies a sample of the constitutional principle and practice of true federalism,’’ she added.
She explained that the early years of Nigeria’s independence and shortly before the military rule could be described as the era of true federalism.
“This was also the period when the constituent units pursued policies that made the quality of education in Nigeria competitive with the rest of the world,’’ she said.
Adelabu, however, said that the emergence of the military in politics had reversed the trend and undermined true federalism.
“Surely, education is one strong instrument that is important to the Federal Government because it is being used to promote unity in diversity,’’ she said. (NAN)
MAM/AIB/OJO
============
(Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde/Mufutau Ojo)