DECOLONISATION OF THE NIGERIAN EDUCATION SYSTEM
Several centuries ago, residents of Nigeria, one of the states within the African continent known for their buoyant natural resources and greatness in the realm of numbers, lived in their distinct but unique ways. Popularly called the Giant of Africa, Nigeria existed as three different components until 1914, when amalgamation took place and the true birth of Nigeria.
History teaches us that during the Industrial revolution, Nigeria was placed under the control of Britain and the activities of the latter influenced the former. Education which involves the transmission of positive knowledge, appropriate skills and right attitudes also moved from the informal sphere which was dominated by the folktales, riddles and other informal approaches to education, to the formal method of going to the classrooms, writing tests and conducting examinations.
The education system is an important arena for national development. In fact, we need no Sherlock to stress the significance of this system in the course of shaping our economy and fostering development in our society. However, having gained flag independence in 1960, Nigerian education system is yet to rise from the trance of colonialism as its patterns and techniques are still in the same way as coined by the British.
Until 1982, the nation operated a 6-5-2-3 system of education. This implies six years of primary, five of secondary, two at advanced level and three of University education. The system was replaced with the 6-3-3-4, which effectively split the secondary tier into three years each of Junior and Senior Secondary {1}. The changing pattern in the system has been attributed to the several problems experienced by it, some of which include; underfunding education, reliance on western curriculum and lack of functional educational policy caused by poor administration.
Decolonizing the Nigerian education system means to remove the British laid methodologies used in running the system, as the term ‘decolonize’ according to Merriam-Webster dictionary means “to free from colonial status”.
Nigerians over the years have placed priority on the understanding of English language to their native languages. This is not only evident in the emphasis placed by almost every parent, in ensuring that their children are scholars in it, but also obvious in the esteemed value placed on the language by several examination bodies such as WAEC and JAMB. Presently, one’s grade in English language determines one’s chance of gaining entry into higher institution. This foreign language took up the bat and tossed our lives like an egg. Therefore to decolonize the education system, it will be best if equal (or preferably more) emphasis is placed on the native languages.
The system adopted in education is often strange to many as it hardly experiences stability. While the United States have had their grade system in place for years, Nigeria educational policy makers are distracted and confused on the pattern to use, as they often change pattern from time to time. What parents do is to get their children and wards through primary and secondary schools and then into a University or Polytechnic. The children in turn, graduate, answer the call-up for NYSC and then return home unemployed [2].
The Nigerian education system is the same as that used by the British, raising questions on whether or not Nigeria has actually achieved independence. However, in the words of British parliamentarian and Shadow Secretary of State for International development, Dianne Abbott, in an interview published by Punch Newspaper in 2016, she said “..former British colonies like Nigeria and Jamaica are still following the British model of education in this 21st century and it does not apply….Therefore, countries like Nigeria can move on from the British model and look out for an education and curriculum that is suitable for it in this century”.
Furthermore, the curriculum used in our various institutions has often reflected colonial origin and promoted our view and likeness for foreign knowledge at the expense of understanding our culture. Or has the purpose of education changed from that of transmitting culture from generation to generation?
While our Physical and Health education teachers speak more about Diego Maradona at the expense of our own Sam Okwaraji, our Fine Art teachers spend hours telling students how Monalisa was once the most beautiful damsel in the world and nobody ever find it rewarding to talk about Queen Amina. Even our History teachers told us about how Adolf Hitler held the whole world to ransom and never found it important to discuss how Efunsetan Aniwura gave the Olubadan a run for his monies [3]. Then, one could think of the possibility of giving what he does not have. We need a transformation of the education curriculum to lay more emphasis on our history, culture and society at large, the need for the decolonization of the Nigerian education system.
In addition, according to Punch newspaper in 2015, over 1.5 trillion naira, nearly half of the total Federal Government Appropriations in 2015, was spent on Nigerians studying abroad, concurring to the fact that we still spend lots of money buying education instead of developing our education system and setting it free from the shackles of colonialism.
To finalize, I must say that whether the educational standard is plummeting or the expectation from the system is rising, the best way in operating the Nigerian education system which will suit the interest and needs of our society is to emancipate the system from colonial status, the need for the decolonisation of the Nigerian educational system.
