A conversation with a man of little words and big action may seem difficult but when immense impacts behooves beaming a searchlight, then outspokenness becomes imperative. Such is a description that matches the conversation with Patrick Kevin Ikenna, a Turkey based Nigerian businessman who has taken a giant stride on the aisle of humanitarian works.
Recently, Ikenna, a native of Nimo in Njikoka Local Government area of Anambra State stated the need for government to invest more into the educational system. Mr Patrick Ikenna Kelvin With his Foundation the GOVKENNAPATRICK FOUNDATION which started barely two years ago but gained prominence with subsequent activities such as empower the youth, widows and also help other indigent people in the society..
From the onset, we created awareness through our Instagram page with little response, but as time went by, more people get to know about it and as I speak, a large number of people are connected and have been benefiting from our foundation. “What we do is give out scholarships to brilliant but indigent students which I can say has been moving smoothly.
Patrick Ikenna Kelvin, said looking at the sector from 1960 till date, there had been improvement in some areas, but education had nosedived from what it used to be in the early days
According to him, Nigeria started by developing an education sector that could measure up with what was obtained in some of the developed countries.
Mr Kelvin Stated that, “We used to have a period where foreigners came in droves to acquire education here. Do we have that today? No. What has actually gone wrong? A whole lot of things have gone wrong, starting with the curriculum. We have been using the same method, and the same curriculum ever since. That has not helped us in any way to improve the sector. The Nigerian education sector is in comatose.”
Patrick Kelvin lamented that ASUU has been embarking on strikes for several months and the government has failed to come up with a solution to the industrial action.
“Currently, we have a water-down curriculum that is being used in schools. I mean a curriculum that will develop different capacities of learners. Do we have a curriculum that actually improves and impacts the various categories of learners that we have in our school system abroad? The Answer is No.
“Our teachers have been using the same scheme of work, the same lesson notes that they have used in the past 15 years. All they do is go back, copy and paste. How can that improve the sector?
“So many countries have moved from that pattern of education to a lifelong system that teaches students how to gain lifelong skills. We need an education sector that teaches students how to make use of technology and other innovations to improve the economy of their country.
“We have an education system that the government has been paying lip service to. Yet, so many of these leaders benefited from a stronger education system bequeathed by the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Alhaji Lateef Jakande, among other leaders.
We also need to improve the quality of teachers. We must invest in training our teachers, most especially in teachers’ training education. We cannot over-emphasise the need to have qualified teachers that will improve and impact our youths. When we get that aspect right, then we would get our education system right. But when you have a situation where teaching has become an all-comers affair, what do you get? Half-baked teachers will definitely produce half-baked students. Kelvin Stated.
“Another thing is to improve infrastructure in schools. We have a huge infrastructure deficit in the sector. Government should be intentional about developing the infrastructure in schools. There are still so many schools, even at the university level that basic tools such as desks to take lectures are lacking. We have primary schools in towns and villages that do not have conducive classrooms, talk more of an IT-based classroom that the rest of the world are currently using for learning. “
Patrick Ikenna Kelvin, who craved adequate funding for the education sector, added that Nigeria must have a deliberate policy on education. “What we currently have is an outdated Educational System”
Patrick Ikenna Kelvin, who said a state of emergency needed to be declared in the sector, noted: “A number of good policies are in place, but what is needed is the will to address governance framework to ensure implementation of these policies to achieve desired results which will develop our educational system so to enable us get to other international institutions standard.”