Immediate past Vice Chancellor, Al- Hikima University, Ilorin, Kwara State, Professor Musibau Akanji, at the weekend expressed concern over the inconsistencies in the implementation of educational policies on the part of the successive governments in the country.
He said that such development has led to the slow pace of educational development in the nation's tertiary institutions.
Akanji who now teaches Bio-chemistry at the University of Ilorin made this submissions in Ilorin as a guest speaker during the Charter presentation and investiture of new President of Ilorin Metropolitan Lions Club of Ilorin, Lion Olusina Ojetunde and the fundraising of the club held at Alpha Hotel, Adewole Estate, Ilorin.
According to him,"At independence, the regional governments were engaged in healthy competition in the promotion of science and technology with emphasis on agriculture."
He said that this encouraged a large number of pupils to undertake science and science related courses in the universities and this was abruptly stopped in the late 1970s.
Akanji added that, but because of the inconsistency in policy, the desire for the technical education to improve was short-lived and after independence, another policy was put in place with 7-5-2-3 that is seven years in primary school; five years in secondary school; two years in the higher school and three years in the university."
He stressed that, "the policy was getting mature when it was changed to 6-5-4 system removing two years of higher school and adding 1 to the university" noting that "hardly had we settled on this when it was changed to 6-3-3-4 and before we realized what was happening ,9-3-4 was introduced and there was advocacy from informed quarters that the 2years of higher school be brought back to make 9-3-2-3."

This, he said has affected the educational growth of the nation and this had continued to affect the kind of products being produced from the nation's institution of higher learning.

While admonishing the government to take a decisive stand at ensuring adhere strictly to the implementation of educational policies in the country, the former VC said that the development would assist the nation to take her rightful positions in the comity of world nations especially in the growth of education

Source: thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=125687