NUC Boss Advocates Free, Compulsory Education Till Age 18

Prof. Julius Okojie, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), has called on Federal and state governments to make education free and compulsory up to age 18.

Okojie made the call in reaction to the high number of candidates that failed the 2015 West African Senior School Examinations (WASSCE).
He said, “The Federal and state governments should both agree that education be made free and compulsory till age 18.
“In addition, schools should be boarding only. Many homes have a situation where both parents work till late, and if there is no one to supervise their children when they get back from school, there would definitely be a problem.
“During my time, most schools were boarding; there were rules and regulations; seniors helped us with our assignments. But now, children close from school and their parents are not yet home. There is also no one to supervise them.
“A large percentage of private schools are boarding, but how many can accommodate pupils? Most of the candidates that don’t do well in WAEC are from public schools.
“In my time, our seniors handed us their notes and prepared us for our exams. Now, pupils don’t have anyone to assist them.”
Okojie further called for states to improve the standard of their primary and secondary schools, instead of relying on the Federal Government for everything.

“Children learn under harsh conditions now; if they are not comfortable, how can they learn? We need to revisit the entire process if there must be improvement in WASSCE results,” he said.

By Patrick Aigbokhan

Comments

comments