Need For Basic Agric Education

All over the globe, educational institutions are known basically as a platform used directly or indirectly to influence the total life of an individual. The government, most times, through the school, plans and guides learning experiences as well as promotes individual’s continuous growth through a systematic reconstruction of knowledge and experience.
Of course, knowledge, as a dynamic and functional element, needs to be continuously reconstructed, especially as dictated by the changing times.
In various spheres of life, stakeholders always opt for the choice of education to address issues that border on public orientation and mindset. This is probably why Harry Smorenberg founder and chairman of the world pension summit, who also doubles as the chairman of the Editorial Advisory Board of Banking and Finance in Europe said teaching financial literacy as a subject in schools has helped other countries to widen access to financial products and services”.
Considering financial literacy as an important adjunct for promoting financial inclusion, consumer protection and financial stability, he advised Nigeria to teach financial literacy in schools. His reasons were supposedly to enable students have a better “understanding of financial planning, the importance of preparing household budget, cash flow management and asset allocation to meet financial goals”.
Smorenberg is not alone in his though. Tanner and Tanner (1980) in their “curriculum Development: Theory and practice”, also recognized the role of the school in the systematic construction of knowledge and experience, unlike the role played by other agencies.
If the thoughts of these educationists and the likes of them be anything to go by, then suffice at to say that education is very useful to the society, and so, there is every need for Nigerian leaders to adopt at as a medium to ramp up efforts aimed at driving agricultural literacy.
If Nigeria be truly interested in the development of agriculture as an alternative income earner, then from the base level in school, emphasis must be placed on driving programmes aimed at promoting the understanding and knowledge necessary to synthesise, analyse and communicate basic information about agriculture among students, producers, consumers and the public at large.
It is expected that such programmes be focused on assisting educators and other stake holders to effectively incorporate information about agriculture into subjects being taught or examined in public and private for a in order to understand better the impact of agriculture on society.
However, the writer is concerned about tackling agricultural literacy from the classroom, where the learner would be exposed to the knowledge and understanding of not just the concept of health and environment, but their history, current economic and social significance to the people of Nigeria.
In this case, the knowledge of food and fiber production, processing and domesticating as well as international marketing, through the instrument of school, will eventually produce informed citizens of our great country who in turn would be instrumental to the formulation and implementation of policies, capable of supporting competitive agro-business ventures.
Come to think of it, the youth with the knowledge and understanding of food and fiber system would naturally be able to synthesize, analyse and communicate basic information about agriculture such as the production of plants and animal products, its processing, the economic impact, societal significance, marketing and distribution etc.
Therefore, making agricultural literacy mandatory from primary education level through the secondary, irrespective of the prospective choice of course of study, no doubt, has significant impact in the restoration and development of Nigeria’s ailing economy.
This is why Gbamanga (2000) advised school curriculum planner to as a matter of necessity, survey and interpret the nature of the society vis-à-vis its basic stable values and the areas it is changing to, in selecting content.
Nigeria at the moment is talking, preaching and dreaming agriculture. While individuals are encouraged to avail themselves of the opportunity provided by the prevailing economic meltdown in the country to launch into agriculture, it is expedient that every child be subjected to mandatory agricultural knowledge through the school.
Nigeria’s recovery from the impact of the fall in the price of crude oil will definitely not be sudden. There is indeed a need for an orderly arrangement of series of courses and supporting activities designed to help young Nigerians rediscover themselves.

Sylvia ThankGod-Amadi