For quite a while now, the issue of the Nigerian education system and standards has generated heated debate and controversy. Many Nigerians are concerned.
The issues have repeatedly been
forced to the front burner with recent mass failures in national examinations and the inability of Nigerian graduates to measure up to employment standards required by the job market.
Stephen Adams Social Reformation Foundation (SASRF), an NGO based in Lagos, has taken the issue of educational standards as its key area of focus, promoting Train-the-Trainer programs for Teachers in public schools under its
Teachers4Change program in order to impact student outcomes and the development of Teachers in Nigeria.
Its new campaign, “istandforeducation”, is another initiative to focus the attention of the general public on Education matters. Mrs. Nike Akerele-De Souza is a Director of SASRF and outlines the concerns of the Foundation and tells us how to get involved.
1. Tell us how SASRF was founded and the motivation behind the establishment.
The Foundation was launched several years ago to address and proffer solutions to various societal needs for the disadvantaged. SASRF took on educational and health sector issues as well as correctional centers for children and old people’s homes. The Foundation has also provided school infrastructural assistance as well as materials to public secondary and primary schools.
2. What are the ambitions of SASRF?
SASRF’s mission is to affect the lives of the disadvantaged. We aim to reform environments that we get involved in. We wish to make an impact on our community and the nation by effecting positive change. Over time, we have developed a focus on the Education sector because we believe there is a crisis and urgent transformation is needed in Education.
3. What initiatives have been established in the area of Education?
There is a clear challenge in Nigeria and
indeed a crisis with the quality of our education and the educational structure itself. Our children are not learning what they should and the way they should to become effective 21st century citizens.
Teachers generally lack the requisite skills and knowledge to transfer to the children and, our teaching methodologies and materials are out-dated for the world of today. Teachers are no longer valued in society as they should be, and the Education sector is not an attractive career option for our youth.
Consequently, we introduced a Teachers4Change Project which involves a one (1) year continuous school development program focusing on Teacher Training & Development and Mentoring for Public Primary school teachers which commenced in Lagos State. Teachers are provided with class room instructions for 3 terms, practical knowledge transfer and school visits to best practice private schools.
4. You have just launched a new campaign on education. What is this campaign about?
We have just launched the istandforeducation campaign and project. We aim to create awareness of the crisis in education and generate support for these issues in our capacity as private sector/NGOs. As individuals, we should begin to own and be responsible for the transformation needed in Education.
There are several credible organizations working in this area already. We have just launched the nationwide campaign
and hope to have about one million (1,000,000) signed up individuals on our platform. The target of this campaign is to attract citizens of all walks of life (the populace) who are concerned about what is happening in our education sector.
We will then be able to call on some of the signed up individuals to volunteer
to teach, work on education projects, mentor students and teachers and get active in various education interventions.
With our website/education portal –
www.istandforeducation.org – we will make available to the populace information on education issues and news and begin to sensitize the populace on what is happening with our children in Nigerian schools.
The istandforeducation project will also
showcase key education projects and initiatives undertaken by various organizations & NGOs. The populace will then be able to see and assess private sector/NGO presence in education and be a part of the change process.
We hope that such projects may also receive financial assistance from those interested in helping.
We will work closely with organizations assisting in the education sector.
5. What role can the public play in supporting the istandforeducation project?
The istandforeducation campaign through the social media is targeted at drumming up attention and creating awareness about the education situation in Nigeria. We also hope it will promote discourse and conversations about the important education related issues and their solutions.
Our means of doing this is through an
awareness campaign driven by the internet and social media. The campaign will be driven on Instagram, twitter, Facebook and our portal istandforeducation.org (a purpose built website with ability to take a roll call of individual sign- ups for support and assistance).
Please go online to istandforeducation.org and sign up immediately and also take a decision to
join the cause for action.
You should also upload your photo to your favourite social media site and tag at least 4 people asking them to do the same for Education.
Please don’t forget to include in your social media post #istandforeducation and www.istandforeducation.org and remind the 4 people you tagged to do the same.
We look forward to your support as we drive changes in our education sector and create a better future for our Teachers and children.
JOIN US ON
istandforeducation.org
istandforeducation Nike’s work in Education is implemented in her
role as a Member of the Human Capital Committee of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), an appointed Member of the Human Capital Committee of the National
Competitiveness Council of Nigeria.
She is a Fellow of the Aspen Leadership Institute (US)/ Africa Leadership West Africa (ALIWA). As a Director of SASRF, she is active in the education
sector, especially in the area of Teacher
Education and Development.
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