Stakeholders advise on used of data collation in Education in Nigeria

By Ifeoma Ikem

Prof. Stephen Oyebade, a lecturer at the Department of Higher Education Management, University of Lagos, has decried the inadequate data in our educational system.

He said this during a two-day training program on “Supply Side Implementers of Basic Education” in Lagos, organised by Human Development initiatives (NGO).

Oyebade, said lack of enough data and facilities was a major challenge in our school system but urged relevant bodies to make effective use of present day technology to achieved a lot.

According to him, Nigeria has the largest number of out of school children but with enough data collation, it would be able to know their numbers and plan for good development in the country.

“We don’t know how many children are out of school; we don’t know where they are or where to find them or fix them into the system.

“The implication is that with so many institutions, we continue to roll in ignorance, and yet our population is not educated.

“We are in an era of accountability and without enough data on our educational system; we can’t know the number of children who are out of school.

“How can we now make things better, especially in the era of Coronavirus that now required us to provide certain things for schools to resume without proper data.

“How will Nigeria now take off from the post COVID-19 era and still be able to answer its name in the Committee of Nation?

He reiterated that the two days training was going to bring a lasting solution to our educational system in Nigeria on how to better implement policies to avoid future occurrences.

“Also, I will recommend the need to fund education appropriately and visit schools and see what the schools need instead of looking for middlemen who will report to the government” he said.

Hon Sherifat Abiodun Adedoyin, a Permanent Board member in charge of School Curriculum Universal Basic Education Board said that data collation is very important for future learning.

“We need to improve on digitalization in knowledge learning. It helps a lot especially during this pandemic as our pupils were all engaged in online learning.

I commend the efforts of Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Human Development Initiatives (HDI) who assisted us with transistor radio and other devices to reach out to our pupils in riverine areas to teach them through e-learning all through the lockdown.

The Executive Director, Human Development Initiative, Mrs Olufunso Owasanoye said the pandemic had revealed the weakness in the nation’s education sector, adding that all hands must be on deck to strengthen what we have on ground.

According to her, we should be able to handle, not only the pandemic, but to also ensure that as government is trying, encourage learning through virtual education, quality of education is sacrifice.

She said that the initiatives has to support the handlers of basic education in Nigeria to sustain the tempo in achieving quality basic education in a post COVID-19 Nigeria.

“The training is to have a holistic approach to basic education development as eclipsed in the MacArthur Foundation on Nigeria, Sandwich Strategy. “In order to ensure that the ultimate goal is achieved, it is important to adapt to the new norm by being innovative and flexible in our approach.

Also, Dr Saheed Ibikunle, a member, Lagos State Universal Basic Education Board (LASUBEB), said that teaching would not be the same again in schools, because of the pandemic experience.

Ibikunle urged teachers to embrace the new system in term of teaching.

On his part, Johnson Ibidapo, the Program Officer, Human Development Initiatives, identified some shortcomings in the nation’s educational sector noting that their major concern is quality education and training.

In her remarks, Mrs Eyitope Aladejana, Project Manager, LASUBEB, commended the HDI for organising the training programme for stakeholders in the education sector.