Education stakeholders have called for collective action and renewed commitment to reposition the sector as the bedrock of development, stressing that the task of reviving education cannot be left to government alone.
This call was made at the Egba Education Roundtable held at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL), Abeokuta, where eminent personalities, traditional rulers, and policymakers gathered to chart a new course for educational advancement in Egbaland and Ogun State at large.
The roundtable which was the first of its kind, focuses on how to foster dialogue on the state of education in Egbaland, identify challenges and opportunities in the current educational system, as well as develop strategic recommendations for improving access, quality, and equity in education.
It also focused on mobilising stakeholders (government, community leaders, development partners, and the private sector) towards collaborative action, and stimulate collective ownership of educational development as a driver of socio-economic growth in the division and the State as a whole.
In his remarks, the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, His Royal Majesty, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, emphasised the importance of continuous engagement among stakeholders to address the multifaceted challenges confronting education, noting that the government cannot singlehandedly tackle these issues within a short time, describing the roundtable as “timely and visionary.”
Also speaking, the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Oba (Prof.) Saka Adelola Matemilola, highlighted four crucial pillars for effective learning including the learner, the teacher, the content, and the environment, advocating that learners must be shielded from distractions, while teachers must remain current and well-supported to deliver knowledge effectively.
He further stressed that parents must instill sound values at home, while the learning environment must be conducive for intellectual growth.
On her part, the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, noted that Egbaland has a rich legacy of producing highly educated individuals who have excelled globally, lamenting that recent developments however demand innovative and collaborative approaches to sustain that legacy.
“Egbaland has a foundation of education, but presently, there aren’t many Egba people in prominent positions. This roundtable is to explore new ways to ensure that future generations continue to uphold our proud tradition of excellence,” she said.
Delivering the keynote address titled “Repositioning Education as the Bedrock of Egba Development,” the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, underscored the centrality of teacher quality in educational outcomes, saying the quality of education cannot rise beyond the quality of its teachers.
He added that training, retraining, and digital literacy must be prioritised, while also advocating entrepreneurship and vocational education as integral to modern learning, noting that institutions such as TASUED have already begun integrating such courses into their curriculum.
Prof. Arigbabu further urged increased investment in libraries, laboratories, and infrastructure to enhance learning, reiterating that education must remain a right, not a privilege.
In a Communique issued at the end of the roundtable, participants observed the need to address the diverse educational needs of children and youths, as well as respond to local and cultural contexts;
“There is need to focus interventions across the 4 major elements of education, which include the learners, the teachers, the content/curriculum and the environment;
“It is important to ensure that brilliant students do not slip through the cracks due to lack of access to information, funds, or other resources;
It is important to ensure that the impacts of the educational interventions reach rural areas, especially the under-served communities;
“While many interventions focus on promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, the Arts and Humanities should not be excluded;
“It is important to reposition public schools as reputable citadels of learning as in the past, where every child can access quality education that captures the current global trends
“It is important to ensure that learners can compete internationally, that is, using global trends to address local challenges.
“There is a need for non-governmental organizations, to collaborate in exploring other areas to address existing gaps in existing interventions.
Part of its resolutions include the need for an Egba Education Advancement Fund, which should be established as a collective vehicle to provide infrastructure, bridge gaps;
“Strengthening of School-Based Management Committees comprising CDAs, CDCs, traditional leaders, parents and others
“Proper mentorship of learners to assist them in succeeding in their various fields of learning;
Involvement of communities in funding of education by communities through counterpart funding and sponsorship
“Standardization of the intervention process to ensure uniformity across different schools.
“Provision of a central database that will capture all existing interventions to reduce duplication of efforts
“Improvement in quality of education service delivery through constant training and retraining of teachers.
“Promotion of inclusive mindset of all elements of education (learners, teachers, parents and communities), as well as attitudinal change among teachers.
“Provision of modular power units to combat the challenge of inadequate power supply which is a hindrance to use of technology in schools.
Leveraging the use of chip servers to make digital learning accessible to all students across Egbaland.
“Stakeholders need to ensure that government is actively engaged and involved in every intervention from the idea generation to implementation;
More stakeholders should focus on interventions in tertiary education;
Establishment of learners’ management systems to provide access to servers for learnings.
“Alumni associations should be encouraged to give back to their Alma Mata.
Teachers should be encouraged to desist from preferential treatment of students.
“Teachers should be psychologically screened before appointment as not all applicants are groomed for teaching
“Recruitment processes for teachers should be rejigged to ensure that only the most qualified and capable are employed;
“Counselling units and departments should be well equipped with professionals who will cater for the psychological needs of teachers, alongside students;
Establishment of non-formal educational training platforms for students to learn leadership values such as hard work, courage, accountability among others.
“There should regular engagement with government to fill policy gaps;
Creation of a policy advocacy group to continue to interact and push interventions;
Creation of quality data capturing system to plan interventions, programs and policies;
“Creation of quarterly education dashboard to monitor and assess performances;
Sensitization of parents and other stakeholders to encourage learners to embrace quality education;
Creation of an endowment fund specifically to periodically reward outstanding teachers and encourage performance.
The roundtable was organised by six non-governmental organisations which include:
J.A. Akintobi Science Education Foundation, Femi and Mope Coker Foundation, Chief Dr. Moses Adekoyejo Majekodunmi Foundation, Oba Matemilola Oluyalo Otileta VII Foundation (OMOOF),AG Leventis (Egba) Scholarship Scheme and The Egba Heritage Foundation.
