General

The education gap between most states in the northern part of Nigeria and their southern counterparts is growing for several reasons, including the inability of schools to cover syllabus early. The Challenges of Child Education in Northern Nigeria are further compounded by a lack of qualified teachers, especially in core subject areas. Even though primary education is officially free and compulsory, about 10.5 million of the country’s children aged 5-14 years are not in school. Only 61 percent of 6-11 year-olds regularly attend primary school and only 35.6 percent of children aged 36-59 months receive early childhood education which most of these children are from the north. Some Facts that speak to the Challenges of Access to education in Northern Nigeria: According to UNICEF statistics www.unicef.org.ng/edu, Even though education is supposed to be free and compulsory, about a 10.5million children nationally aged 5-14 (Basic School Classes) are out of school. Of the total number of those who are registered in lower basic and middle basic i.e. age 16-11 equivalent to primary 1-6, only 61% are regular. Still of the number registered, only 35.6% of 36-59 months (3-5 years) have access to early childhood education. In the north, the picture is even bleaker. The school attendance rate is put at 53%. The North West and the north east have school attendance rates for the girl child put at 47.3 and 47.7 respectively. This means that more than half of the girls are out of school (Nnadu, Avidime, Oguntunde, Dashe, Abdulkareem, and Mandara (2010) ) agree with the statistic. It is further estimated that 35% and 29% of school-aged children in North West and north east respectively receive koranic education which does not include basic skills in literacy and numeracy in the Nigerian official language of communication and because of that government does not consider them as out of school children officially. This may be the reason for the attempt made to integrate the koranic/Tsangaya Almajiri School into the basic school. These realities are indeed worrisome to every one of us when we consider the fact that education and in particular Formal education has consistently, right from the colonial days to today, remained the key socio-political as well as socio-economic means of advancement and empowerment. The child right act (UNICEF 1999) stipulates: “every child (male or female) is entitled to receive free and compulsory basic education and equal opportunity for higher education based on individual ability”. This has since been domesticated and captured in the Nigerian national policy of education There are many Challenges to Child Education in Northern Nigeria which would be highlighted below. SMALLER NGO OFFER FLASHES OF SUCCESS IN NORTHERN REGIONS Offering standard educational facilities is a major requirement for any successful educational policy. In Northern Nigeria, this has to be paired up with sensitizing parents and wards on the rewards of education. That’s why smaller non-governmental organizations seem to have more success in the region than other larger organizations. The few Nigerian non-governmental organizations providing educational services operating in the region, show success in the regions they operate in. Meadows foundation operates in Maiduguri, training primary students to qualify for secondary schools. In a region where insecurity has led to discontinued educational services and low enrollment ratios, their operated learning center remains oversubscribed. Teach for Nigeria has partnered with primary schools in Kaduna, and is providing educated graduates to such schools to teach kids various subjects. Both organizations have made use of highly dedicated staff in the region to teach and sensitize parents in the region to bring out their wards for schooling. Readers as an example have made adjustments to school timetables in order to encourage enrollment. POOR FUNDING: Poor funding is one of the major Challenges to Child Education in Northern Nigeria. Education in Nigeria is overseen by the Ministry Of Education. Local authorities take responsibility for implementing policy for state-controlled public education and state schools at a regional level. This makes the funding of education basically a governmental affair. Due to the long-existing high level of corruption in all levels of government, education in Northern Nigeria has always suffered inappropriate funding which has led to poor infrastructure, absence of suitable teaching aids, and nonpayment of teachers\’ allowances. Also, a sharp decline in crude oil prices which is the primary source of government revenue has plummeted the country into a recession which has led to severe cuts in government spending, further worsening the poor funding situation of Nigeria’s education system. This has led to striking actions, school closure, and massive student protests all over the country. The financial crisis also dried up scholarship funds for foreign study, placing constraints on international student flow from Nigeria. UNAVAILABILITY OF QUALIFIED TEACHERS: In Nigeria, the poor working condition, poor remuneration, and allowances the teachers are subjected to have discouraged capable and qualified teachers from taking up teaching jobs, they rather apply for other better-paying jobs than teaching, while the few teachers who have taken up the teaching profession did so due to lack of better jobs, hence, their low level of dedication as they are always on the lookout for greener pastures. This directly affects output as the quality of education is drastically reduced by this menace. FAILURE TO ACCOMMODATE THE RISING POPULATION DEMANDS: The total population of Nigeria as of independence stands at 45.2 million, but this isn’t the case now as the country has witnessed an astronomical rise in its population. As of 2015, Nigeria’s population was estimated to be 182.2 million, this is one of the major challenges for child education in northern Nigeria as the education system has not been able to fully enroll its rapidly rising population. For instance, Nigeria’s basic education sector is overburdened by strong population growth. In 2015, the country’s population under the age of 15 was about 44 percent. The system fails to integrate large parts of this growing youth population. According to the United Nations, 8.73 million elementary school-aged children in 2010 did not participate in education at

Why Male Child Education is still Important in Developing Countries Male Child Education has been declining in recent years as opposed to educating girls in developing countries which has been the priority of NGOs and charity organizations for many years. The UN highlighted girls’ education in both the 2000 Millennium Development Goals and the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals.  While these goals include a little Male Child Eduction, they call out the Inequality in gender specifically. CAI also singles out girls’ education as an important focus in our mission, noting that girls face higher social and economic barriers to education than boys in the countries where we work. Why Is Male Child Education Becoming a Low Priority In Most NGOs These organizations put heavier weight on girls’ education for several reasons, mostly because girls face higher barriers to education than boys around the world. The UN reported that “103 million youth worldwide lack basic literacy skills, and more than 60 percent of them are women.”  Many times families will only have the resources for one or two children to go to school, and often they will send the boys instead of the girls. This has really made These NGOs take Male Child Education as a given and most of them don\’t really think educating boys should be taken much into account. Global Partnership for Education reports, “Girls are 1.5 times more likely than boys to be excluded from primary school. That’s 15 million girls of primary school age who will never have the opportunity to learn to read and write in primary school, compared to about 10 million boys.” Educated girls and women are also more likely than boys to share that education with their families and communities, and the children of educated mothers have a 50 percent greater chance of living past age five and a 50 percent greater chance of going to school themselves. With all this focus on educating girls, many people are left wondering, “What about the boys? Isn’t educating everyone important?” The answer is a resounding yes. Both Male and Female child Education matter in creating global sustainability and peace. The Benefits of Male Child Education Close to 30 percent of the students CAI serves are boys. In many of the rural areas where we work, access to education for everyone is a challenge. In fact, education rates in the countries we serve are dire—the adult literacy rate in Afghanistan is only 31 percent, and it jumps to 55 percent in Pakistan, as reported by UNESCO. These countries also have incredibly young populations, so educating as many children as possible means the next generation of leaders will have the skills they need to lead their countries, whether they are male or female. Another benefit to Male Child Education along with girls is the effect on gender inequality. When boys grow up learning alongside their sisters, they learn that women deserve the same opportunities and respect as men. “Education provides an important opportunity to engage boys within learning environments to challenge gender inequality and encourage them to view girls as equal partners in education and life,” says a report by UKAID. CAI board member, Nasrine Gross, has known this for many years. She runs Kabultec in Afghanistan, an organization that provides literacy training to adult men and women. The primary project of the organization is providing free literacy classes to married couples. In an interview with CAI about the program she says, “I thought if I do just women, most of the men are illiterate too. So in the household, it may not be such an effective way. I said if I do only the husbands then the women will continue to be bypassed. So why not bring both of them? And I knew, another thing, that most Afghan men are not against education with their wives or their daughters or their children. And we’ve never had any problems with them.” Poverty is always a barrier for For Many Males For many of these men and boys, poverty is the main barrier to achieving access to education. Sometimes families don’t have enough money to send any of their children to school. The parents are illiterate and may not realize the importance of educating their children. Without help, many of these boys are destined to continue the cycle of poverty and illiteracy, working for the family at a young age instead of going to school. Without the ability to read, they can never read laws, deeds, or newspapers and will rely on the word of others without the ability to see for themselves.

It is well known that the brain development of young ones is greatly affected by early education. Children learn best when they are not pushed too hard and when they are given space for creativity. As a result of this, many parents take preschool seriously and resort to spending more time with their children in order to teach them the things they feel they need to learn. This has been found to be very helpful for a child’s higher education and that is why I will be discussing the Benefits of Early Child Education. What is Early Child Education? Early childhood education is basically for children between the ages of three and five. It is more commonly referred to as preschool, pre-kindergarten, daycare, nursery school, or simply early education. Despite the different names, they all have the same purpose – to prepare children for elementary school. Giving your children special attention before elementary school helps in giving them a head start for their future. Why is early childhood education important? In terms of human development, the importance of early childhood education can’t be overstated. A child’s early years are the foundation for his or her future development, providing a strong base for lifelong learning and learning abilities, including cognitive and social development. Well-established research continues to emphasize the importance of early childhood education as an essential building block of a child’s future success. What are the Benefits of Early Child Education in Nigeria? A lot of parents in Nigeria are not aware of the Benefits of Early Child Education for their children. Some do not even see the need for enrolling their children in preschool or kindergarten, as they do not consider this level of learning to be important. This is the wrong notion, as early childhood education is vital to the growth and development of your child. Here are 5 Benefits of Early Child Education in Nigeria 1.    Improved Social Skills  Young children love to play and communicate with their mates, and the preschool environment gives them the opportunity to do just that. Besides, the environment enables children to acquire crucial skills that allow them to listen to one another, express ideas, make friends, and collaborate. One major advantage of social skills in early childhood education in Nigeria is the fact that it plays a key role in facilitating a student’s achievement in reading and mathematics by directly influencing motivation, which in turn influences engagement. 2. Eagerness to learn  Eagerness to learn is one of the Benefits of Early Child Education as you might not agree with this point, but it is a statement of fact. Students who receive quality early childhood education in Nigeria are reportedly more confident and inquisitive, which causes them to perform better in grade school.  For instance, in Greensprings School, students who started from the preschool stage to the secondary phase achieved outstanding performance and recognition in their academics; an example is Honour Olatunji, who emerged Top in the World in 2016 Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics.  Teaching young children early childhood education in Nigeria helps them to learn how to manage challenges and build resilience in times of difficulty. You will find that students who begin school from preschool settle easily at the institution and they acquire a long-term interest in learning different things, including music, drama, singing, etc.   3. Encouraging Holistic Development  Teaching early childhood education in Nigeria to young children provides a strong footing for their development. It helps to build a child’s cognitive, physical, social, and emotional proficiency which will prepare them for life challenges. At an early age, children are curious to learn. According to Thomas (2016), “Teaching Mathematics early helps children to develop critical and reasoning skills.” However, we can’t ignore the difficulty in finding qualified trained early educators in Nigeria. Benefits of Early Child Education is unique in its requirement for trained teachers. The reason why it is hard to find capable teachers to teach early childhood education in Nigeria is that competent educators won’t accept the low salary offered by institutions in the country. Therefore, this forces preschools in Nigeria into cutting corners, by hiring unqualified teachers that may not be suitable for the job. This, in the long run, will affect the quality of education being served to the children.  4. Boost Self-Confidence  Through interactions with other children and teachers, children develop a positive mindset and perception of themselves. A child at three years, when compared to other children who might be older, will display a level of boldness and articulation — this is a result of teaching early childhood education. 5.    Enhanced Attention Span  This is one of the Benefits of Early Child Education because young children always find it difficult to pay attention in the classroom, especially from age 3 to 5 years. The length of time during which preschool children concentrate has always been a concern for educators and teachers. Nevertheless, if young children are taught early childhood education in Nigeria at a tender age, this will help enhance their attention span. Motor skills are very crucial to young children — tasks such as painting, drawing, and playing with toys can go a long way in improving their attention. There are so many other benefits of early childhood education in Nigeria. It is advisable for educators to introduce early childhood education into their curriculum. Access to quality early childhood education in Nigeria is vital. Services need to be offered and they must be of high value. Parents must also be supported to make decisions. There’s a lot of information available to assist parents with their decision-making and Greensprings is a good place to start.

The Importance of Education to the Economy has been recognized since the beginning of time.  Plato wrote: “If a man neglects education, he walks lame to the end of his life.” But it was really the Nobel-winning economists that put the argument of education as an investment. T.W. Schultz argued that investment in education explains growth and Gary Becker gave us the Human Capital Theory.  In a nutshell, the Human Capital Theory posits that investing in education has a payoff in terms of higher wages.  Moreover, the theory and empirical estimates are backed up by current science, as explained by James Heckman. Neurogenesis tells us that learning can continue into advanced ages. The relative costs and benefits to investments in older persons compared to younger persons differs. Investments in more able workers at any age generate higher returns than investments in less able workers, and ability is formed at early ages. Education raises people’s productivity and creativity and promotes entrepreneurship and technological advances. In addition, it plays a very crucial role in securing economic and social progress and improving income distribution. Here are some of the importance of education to the economy Drive Innovation: A key role of educational institutions is to drive innovation, with the aim of finding solutions to global challenges in areas that matter to society, such as healthcare, environmental protection, resource security, international development, and population trends. Many of the greatest advances of recent years, including augmented reality, self-driving cars, combination therapies for HIV, and cloud computing, were all born from research that took place at universities. Innovations certainly have high economic value, but they also enrich our health, work and impact us socially. The wider economy benefits from university research and innovation as it drives investment, both locally and globally, promote exports and makes the economy more balanced. An environment that promotes research also allows students to learn transferable skills that will help them succeed in the workplace, further strengthening the knowledge-based economy. Increase Employability Applicants are faced with a highly-competitive job market, in which their qualifications might not be enough to secure the kind of work they desire. As the economy moves further toward competency-based recruitment, with its focus on skills and experience over pure academics, graduates and established professionals must be armed with the tools they need to find and succeed at work. Educational institutions are critically important here. Universities should be proactive in arranging opportunities for current students to develop industry expertise through work experience and internships. In addition, technological and workplace skills training should be taught adjacent to an academic curriculum. Further, it can be beneficial to offer mentoring opportunities to help prepare expectant graduates for a competitive job market and that is why the Importance of Education to the Economy can not be overemphasized. Create a Quality Workforce The modern workplace is in a constant state of evolution. Even within the last decade, job roles and the skills required to succeed in them have changed enormously, with technological advancements being a key factor and the Importance of Education to the Economy. Personnel needs to regularly evaluate their work-related skills and take opportunities for continued learning, which should be supported by their employers. The education sector is pivotal in delivering training to people at all stages of their careers, from students and recent graduates to senior managers. Accreditation at every level gives assurance to employers and allows employees to have concrete evidence of their career development. This, in turn, reduces staff turnover and improves job satisfaction leading to higher morale in the workplace. Conclusion to the Importance of Education to the Economy The educational sector has a wide-ranging, proven influence on the economy. Its confluence with business provides commercial value to innovation, while academic instruction and skills training help individuals and organizations to have the tools to succeed in a knowledge-based economy and to understand the Importance of Education to the Economy.