‘Education is a collective responsibility’

The Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Dr. MacJohn Nwaobiala, has called on Nigerians to see education as a collective responsibility rather than a sole obligation of the government.

Nwaobiala said this at a convention to address improved access to quality secondary education and other marginalised youth in Lagos.

The programme was organised by the Results for Development Institute and the Education Partnership Centre under the auspices of the Partnership to Strengthen Innovation and Practice in Secondary Education.

Nwaobiala, who was one of the speakers at the recent convention, added that adopting approaches that strengthen the government and private sector collaboration would also help improve the education system greatly.

The Managing Director, TEP Centre, Dr. Modupe Adefeso-Olateju noted that well designed and strategic public-private partnerships could address challenges, which affect access, quality and equity in the country’s education.

However, the Team Leader, Human Development, DFID Nigeria, Ms. Kemi Williams, stated that the solution to removing barriers requires a comprehensive understanding of the barriers and a holistic approach to addressing them.

The convention was part of efforts to improve innovation and practice in secondary education in the country.

The technical sessions focused on sharing knowledge on monitoring and evaluation, translating research into policy, strengthening the design of secondary education research, scaling projects and engaging policymakers.

A board member of R4D and Chairman, Hygiea Nigeria, Mrs. Fola Laoye, said that for the country to be competitive in a global economy there is need to return to a merit-driven system.

She commended PSIPSE grant recipients for their commitment to designing and implementing innovative secondary education projects.