| I have heard people say it over and over again that | | | | and jargons like we were told before the introduction |
| education is still of primary value. And ignorance has | | | | of the 6-3-3-4 in Nigeria education system. But what |
| been and is still a great disease. This is because; it is | | | | happens when a school lacks all the materials needed |
| only education that can contribute to the freedom of | | | | to help the students acquire a skill. It is unfortunate that |
| the intellect and the possibility of realizing our | | | | in some places, people without even an O' Level |
| socio-cultural and spiritual aspirations. I have practically | | | | Certificate set up and run these vocational schools for |
| seen the good side of education, such that I have | | | | themselves. To tag a school "Government Approved" |
| come up with an advocacy group on education. | | | | boldly on the signboard does not make it worthwhile. |
| Building good educational backgrounds is good for the | | | | Our government can approve any thrash no thanks to |
| society. I was a beneficiary of the schools built by one | | | | the power of money. In many of these 'business |
| of the missionary heroes of our time, if not the | | | | centres' parading themselves as 'schools' there are no |
| greatest of them, Bishop Joseph Shanahan. He came | | | | teachers, what more qualified teachers. What is the |
| to Africa with a missionary strategy popularly known | | | | fate of a vocational school student who has no idea |
| as "the school method". Bishop Shanahan came, saw | | | | of the common manual typewriter, talk less of the |
| and conquered. He noticed how powerful and influential | | | | computer in this computer age, Accounts and |
| education can be. He was a man that saw tomorrow. | | | | Bookkeeping, Shorthand, Technical Drawing, Wood |
| He knew that education would be the key to the | | | | Work or other vocational courses that will help one to |
| opening of many other missionary avenues, and so | | | | be self-employed as we are meant to believe? |
| decided to build his ministry upon it. | | | | People are not yet ready to sift the wheat from the |
| In the areas he opened schools; he warded off local | | | | chaff. Shanahan used the establishment of schools as |
| slave dealers and thus guaranteed the safety and | | | | a missionary and evangelization strategy. The |
| liberty of the school children. Again from the | | | | government sets up schools for education (literary) |
| knowledge acquired in the school, slavery as an | | | | purposes. The Church understanding fully her |
| institution stood on a dangerous periphery, so with | | | | missionary mandate from her Lord sets up schools as |
| other obnoxious evils like human sacrifice, killing of | | | | part of her mission and obligation to the people of God |
| twins and women segregation, etc. Not only these, he | | | | to impart literacy, genuine civilization and morality. But |
| believed so much that, with children in school, well | | | | today, the interest behind the establishment of these |
| Christianized, paganism will receive a deadly blow. The | | | | many schools, that we see here and there, is purely |
| schools he established were for children mainly but the | | | | economic! The overall interest is nothing but money, |
| principle was: "Get the children and through them get | | | | because with the proliferation of these schools, the |
| their parents". The importance of schools can never | | | | society has not been bettered. This is disheartening |
| be over emphasized. The saying has been popularized: | | | | because the future of is at stake. One can only |
| "If education is costly, try ignorance". | | | | describe this as academic genocide. People with |
| However, it has long been established that not all that | | | | negative interest pursue their target with more |
| goes for education is really education. Not everything | | | | forcefulness (Luke 16:8). |
| that goes by the name 'school' is really school. In the | | | | You notice that some of these pseudo-schools thrive |
| society today, every uncompleted building is a school. | | | | to the detriment of others, because at times they claim |
| Every hamlet has a school - secondary/commercial or | | | | to be cheaper and better than the government-owned |
| nursery. The question then is: Is the presence of these | | | | schools, which are now in shambles, with part of the |
| many schools a positive sign of future literary culture | | | | problem being the non-payment of teachers' salaries |
| and future civilized society? What do all these 'schools' | | | | and allowances. With the fall of the |
| contribute? Are some of these so called schools not | | | | government-owned-schools, this should have been the |
| part of the many emerging small scale industries set | | | | opportunity for the private schools to bloom for the |
| up by some clever ones simply to put body and soul | | | | betterment of the society, but the same Judas' |
| together? | | | | financial lens with which things are seen through, the |
| Most of these proliferating schools founded today are | | | | same greed which caused the collapse of the |
| the so-called vocational schools where the students | | | | government-owned-schools, has a firmer grip on their |
| and all of us too are made to believe in the philosophy | | | | management and proprietors. Some have no |
| (if not theology) of self-reliance and self-sustenance. | | | | classrooms, no curriculum, no teachers, while some |
| Self-employment if you like. This is perfectly true when | | | | who have 'teachers' have drop-outs as teachers on |
| a vocational school is true to its name. | | | | their pay-roll. This is also exploitation - a Small Scale |
| But we have for long become used to these gimmicks | | | | Industry!!! |