HDPT photo
By
Nnaemeka Nwangene
It is said that training a girl child means raising a nation. If this belief is to be anything tangible and conceivable, then there is every reason to be concerned about the place of the girl child in the growth, development and future of the African continent and the world at large. In other climes such as the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Japan, China, etc. their governments and parents believe in the education of the girl child. As a result of this, strong backing both financially and otherwise are what the children in these climes enjoy from these two parties which has made them stand out in the world in every field of endeavor.
Let’s now look at some key points that are relevant to this discussion at hand:
Revising Our Educational System
Our educational system as practiced in Africa is still very poor. This is because the governments have brought in party interests and politics into the educational sector. As a result we have gotten the aftermath effect of putting square pegs into round holes, the result being that instead of having educational administrators man our educational industry we now have unqualified men and women as heads of our ministries, departments and agencies. This trend has to change if we dream of a better educational sector. With the right manpower, development and growth are almost impossible. What this means is that if a woman is the most qualified she should be allowed to reign in power and given all the support that she needs.
Bringing Technology Into Our Educational System
With the current advancement of the world, no society, especially their educational system, can survive a fortnight without incorporating these technological advancements into their educational system. In essence it’s high time governments in Africa begin to build internet facilities that will be accessed right inside the various homes and schools (from primary, secondary and tertiary levels). The ripple effect will be that with free internet access across the country, the teachers and students can learn new skills and be better informed in their various homes and schools with little or no assistance from the teacher. If the girl child isn’t allowed to go to school by her parents owing to cultural bias, this girl child will not be left out in terms of knowledge, information gathering and internalization. This helps the child to be aware and not naive.
In conclusion I would like to recall an Igbo poem about education:
Book is sweet but has its thorns and briars. But if you are determined you will learn this book. But you can only learn this book if your parents have the money to send you to school.
In essence, governments in Africa should learn the American educational finance system where if a child cannot pay his or her bills educationally the government pays the bills.
Nnaemeka Nwangene
I am a writer. I am a Nigerian.
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