Panorama: Quality Education: Time for Private School Proprietors to Rethink Their Policies

By Sani Sa’idu Baba

My dear country men and women, I know that no one will argue the fact that education is the key to everything that is good in our world today. But please permit me to admit without hesitation that we have a long way to go on matters of education in Nigeria, especially in the Northern part of the country. It is that time of the year again when parents, guardians and other relevant bodies supporting children’s education are put on their toes to meet up with educational need.

Well, my piece today would definitely provoke some discourse, especially with blames heaped on government for lackadaisical attitude to education. T

Today, I am not going to point any accusing finger to government or any of its policies because I believe people must do everything possible to help themselves. It is obvious the sorry state of our public schools and education at large has contributed immensely to some of the issues I intend to discuss today. I must however acknowledge the fact that there is to some extent improvement in the government’s effort on child education, especially the girl-child, but such effort is practically not sufficient to bring the needed change. Some of the private schools are also doing great. I am a living witness of how they uncompromisingly made the education of their students a priority. Sadly, such effort might have knowingly or unknowingly been in vain due to a weak policy, or a setback capable of ruining every effort put in place. But they must always remember that a liberal education is at the heart of a civil society, and at the heart of liberal education is the act of teaching. I will discuss that in a jiffy.

The main issue that caught my attention recently is something that has made me speechless as a father, and further depressed my optimism about the future of grass root education in Nigeria, especially the North. Unfortunately, that happened in a school that I admire and respect so much.

Although I learnt about similar complaints in some others, but based on my various inquisitions, I came to realize that some of the policies are needlessly imposed or inappropriately taken. I am sure that some of the proprietors are not even aware of the development, what majority will consider unacceptable or rather, an act of sabotage to the success that those schools had recorded so far.

On the other side of the coin, the authorities of such schools might have taken the decision out of what would be regarded as human error, certainly because no one is perfect no matter how much commendation one had received. Whatever the case maybe, I believe that quality education should be and must remain the priority of both the schools and the parents. This idea has for long been in my thoughts, especially whenever I visit the southern part of the country and realized that education has uncommon importance in the society. No child should be educationally cheated or deprived in whatever ways and for whatever reason. And this ideology is what I care for deep down in my heart.

My love for education is non-negotiable. I hate to see a situation where the child’s education is tempered with. As a parent, I will welcome the idea of careful regulation of private schools not only in Kano, but in the whole country.

During the administration of former Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso, there was an attempt to regulate private schools and ensure they are complementing government’s effort towards imparting knowledge on Kano State children. However, I don’t support a situation where schools will be forced to reduce their fees even due to circumstances like what Governor Ganduje of Kano State did in November, 2020 as the pandemic recedes. To me, it’s akin to asking a shop owner to sell a commodity he or she bought N5000 for N4000. I believe that will only pave way to further educational compromise. Probably by needless reduction of teachers and/or other workers. Private schools are private establishments like other business enterprises that I believe should be entitled to certain degree of freedom as long as such will not place others at disadvantaged position.

Coming back to the crux of my piece today, one can imagine a situation where children will resume in school, but some are denied academic benefits for weeks on the basis that his or her school fees was not paid, much as the two or three weeks’ notice that was given from the day of resumption did not elapsed. This means that not even the text books that are sometimes mandated to be bought in the school, will be given to the child. As a result, some weeks out of the 12 weeks per term are lost. To me, this is educational corruption, and it erodes social trust, worsens inequality, and sabotages development. I still cannot comprehend how a child will be denied maximum utilization of the background of the new class, a period that is considered very valuable. The most amazing issue of concern here is the fact that parents will still have to pay completely for everything despite their children being denied tutelage within definite learning periods. Selfishness? It’s understandable, however that some private schools are struggling to make ends meet in their businesses or are being faced with certain challenges in so many ways, and they have to device means through which their businesses will appreciate at the end of the day. They need to pay their teachers, assistants, maintain their schools and pay taxes. But whatever these entail, it is still not justifiable to employ ill policies and tactics that will spell doom against the students and their parents. I intend to advice the various schools proprietors in Nigeria, particularly in Kano State in the following ways.

Firstly, schools proprietors should understand that people choose their schools because of the trust and confidence they have in them, their perceived level of preparedness and most importantly, their ability to impact quality education. The dichotomous nature of the quality is to a large extent what mostly informed the choice between private and public schools in Nigeria. We understand that it is a contract that should recognize mutual respect and understanding. So these schools should be able to accept the children and treat them educationally equal and ensure striking balance between them.

Secondly, school authorities may choose to issue the list of books to parents and leave it open at their liberty to purchase from the same school or elsewhere due to circumstances which I believe is unique to everyone. Where a school chooses to make it compulsory to obtain it from them, they should give the most important learning materials to the students from day one to make sure that they are not lagging behind in the class.

Failure of their parents to pay within the stipulated period of time should then attract whatever penalty they so wish. Possibly by collecting the materials back, sending them back home to their parents etcetera. That will go a long way to activate the parents to do the needful without blaming the school. But segregating children in the class could be catastrophic, a bad experience which may in turn affect their future performances. Children sometimes don’t remember what you teach them but they always remember what you are.

Moreover, school authorities must educate their staff on the importance of good approach because negative words could be provocative, and I am sure no school no matter their strength, will want their students drained to other schools in a highly competitive environment.

Thirdly, if that rule should stand, the school must arrange compensatory sessions for the affected children to help them catch up. They should also find ways of identifying with people that do not joke with payments for their children and make sure they are not affected by this rule.

Besides, this gap should not be used as an avenue to put some children at a disadvantaged position not minding the purpose of their presence. Parents should fear GOD not to delay or refuse payments for their children without any reasons. Supporting the schools in all possible ways that will enhance quality education will go a long way to encourage these schools to maintain uncompromising standards.

I am not in any way against the norm that parents must patronize the schools in buying some of these study materials, but the manners in which they are handled need to be adjusted as a matter of urgency. A situation where parents must buy school uniforms, sportswear, cardigans from the school at very expensive prices should be reviewed. Some even fixed their schools fees without any consideration and can increase it without prior notice or consultation. Government needs to come in with appropriate regulations for the purpose of mediation between parents and the proprietors to ensure no party is taking more advantage of the other.

Government on its own part, can reduce the tax they are collecting from the schools to reduce their pressure, and give room for considerations that will ensure easy landing for the parents.

I trust these will go a long way to sanitize the operations of private schools in Nigeria vis-à-vis improved efficiency and harmonious co-existence. Parents and private schools authorities must work in synergy as a team to ensure quality education is uncompromisingly delivered.