Poor funding, paucity of teachers, bane of science education in Nigeria ------ Ex- Vice Chancellor
Former acting Vice Chancellor of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, and professor of Chemistry Education ESUT, Charles Eze has said that underfunding of the education sector, lack of qualified science teachers were among some of the major constraints to effective science education in Nigerian secondary schools.
Former acting Vice Chancellor of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, and professor of Chemistry Education ESUT, Charles Eze
has said that underfunding of the education sector, lack of qualified science teachers were among some of the major constraints to effective science education in Nigerian secondary schools.
Eze equally identified inadequate infrastructure and learning materials, lack of motivation as well as inadequate training and retraining of teachers, as constraints to science education in the country.
He spoke during the 57th inaugural lecture of ESUT tittled "The Teacher Factor in Science Education in Nigerian Secondary Schools: Imperative of Stakeholder Interventions for Sustainable National Development."
The don noted that the Federal Government, and many state governments in Nigeria do not adequately fund education sector, especially institutions of learning, regretting that the budgetary allocations to education in the last six years fall below the UNESCO benchmark of 15-20%, save for Enugu State which has given over 30% to the education sector in the last three years.
He further stated that public schools in almost all the states in Nigeria do not have enough science teachers for effective instructional delivery, stating that schools in rural communities are worst hit.
He further said that a good number of secondary schools in Nigeria lack infrastructure facilities needed for effective science education, adding that where laboratories exist, they are often poorly equipped.
Prof Eze, then recommended increased budgetary allocation to the education sector by both the federal and state governments, and the recruitment of qualified science teachers to fill existing vacancies in secondary schools, especially those located in rural communities in Nigeria.
He also urged governments at federal and state levels to give priority attention to the provision of infrastructure needed for effective science teaching in all public secondary schools, adding that laboratories should also be equipped for students practical experiences in science subjects.
In his welcome address, the Vice Chancellor of ESUT, Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, commended the inaugural lecture, urging teachers at all levels of education to be role models to their students in order to promote healthy academic culture in institutions of learning.
While urging teachers to always reflect on their actions, the Vice Chancellor stated that any professor who had not presented inaugural lecture was still under "professorial" incubation, warning
teachers against extortionist tendencies but to always promote globally-accepted conducts in their relationship with students.
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