Policy Summersault, Bane Of Educational Dev – Don

A university teacher, Prof. Mopelola Olusakin, said in Lagos on Friday that policy summersault had impacted negatively on the standard of education in the country.

She told our correspondent that government’s effort at revamping education would be a mirage unless there was consistency in policy formulation.

Olusakin, the Head of Educational Foundation Department, University of Lagos, urged governments at all levels to ensure policy consistency for the growth and stability of the sector.

The don, who spoke against the backdrop of mass failure in this year’s NECO and WAEC examinations across the country, criticised the calls for a review of the country’s curriculum.

“It will cause instability, for example, if the current 6-3-3-4 policy of education is reviewed or changed.

“The policy is not being implemented in its holistic form and some of the structures created by the policy are not yet on the ground.

“Even the Universal Basic Education policy, in my view, has not enjoyed the required implementation period; so why the call for its jettisoning or review?’’ Olusakin said.

She called for a reasonable time frame for policies to be implemented before being reviewed; stressing that it would ensure qualitative education for the students.

“What we need is a consistent implementation of the current policies and application of the present curriculum for at least 10 years before government nurses any ambition to introduce new ones,’’ said the don.

Olusakin suggested that recommended textbooks for primary and secondary schools should be censored before being used by the students and pupils.