By Olayinka Alaya
A University of Ilorin Lecturer, Doctor Shuaib Mohammed Bolakale has advocated the need to implement Nigeria’s education policy towards restoring the lost glory of the sector.
Doctor Shuaib-Bolakale of the Department of Counselor Education who spoke through Mr. Ahmed Ayuba Olawale of the same department, said this while speaking at a programme organized by a Non Governmental Organization
Saliu Mustapha Foundation in collaboration with Ameliorate International Initiatives to mark this year’s International Youth Day with the theme: Transforming Education for sustainable development.
Speaking on the sub theme: Education for sustainable happiness and wellbeing: The roles of school counsellors, the Don traced the problems in the education sector, unemployment and insecurity in the society to the neglect of the roles of counsellors in schools, pointing out that instead of allowing them to work in schools they were allotted courses to teach.
Doctor Shuaib-Bolakale stressed the need to employ adequate counsellors in schools, calling for the establishment of counselling centres that would be well equipped with modern facilities to meet the contemporary societal challenges.
According to him, the country has best educational policy but lack implementations of such policies, stressing the need for government to work towards ensuring the implementation of the policies.
Also speaking at the programme, the Project Manager, Saliu Mustapha Foundation and Convener, Ameliorate International Initiatives, Mr. Ahmed Yakub Ishowo, said the programme was organized to identify challenges facing Nigerian youth and proffer solutions to them by bringing policy makers, students, teachers and other critical stakeholders together to discuss and come out with viable solutions to have improved education system.
Mr. Ishowo noted that about three hundred participants, including corps members, teachers, and students participated in the programme, adding that the two Organizations would partner with the Kwara State Government towards providing solutions to some of the problems identified and recommendations made, especially, on teachers training and improving reading culture.
Participants at the programme commended the two Non Governmental Organizations for organizing the programme, appealing to government to fix rot in the education sector and ensure that qualified teachers were employed allotted the right subjects to teach.
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