Formal Education beyond the classroom in Nigeria -By Ezih Dominic Chukwudubem

Pupils at a public elementary school in Kwara State

An uneducated society is a goalless society, thus, whoever thinks education is expensive that individual should try ignorance. Education is an important tool that aids in combating the ills of every society. Hence, for us to secure the future of our society, we must increase and pay attention towards the growth of education in our society. There are two forms of education and they are formal education and informal education. But, we will be discussing on the need for formal education to go beyond the classroom in Nigeria.

Formal education brings great benefits to any society, because it enlightens the people, so that they can know what they ought to do and what they ought not to do. It aids in making life comfortable, because the knowledge acquired is used to aid the uplift of daily living in the society. Through this form of education, we are able to build good houses, construct good roads, provide conducive hospitals etc. Also, education is a tool that is used to tackle issues that affects the daily living of a person in the society. But, most products of this form of education who have acquired formal education of any form tend to portray formal education in a negative sense. This is not the ideal, because formal education on its own is not bad, but it is the acquirer of this education who has made negative use of this form of education.

Most acquirers of formal education tend to limit the knowledge they have acquired to only within the environs of the classroom. Most of them have only book knowledge and that is all. In practicality they cannot produce. This will not add to the growth of our society, because if the book knowledge is not replicated and used to solve issues in our society, our aim of studying is defeated.  For instance, if a student who having studied a course like mechanical engineering and he or she cannot use the knowledge acquired to solve issues related to the course studied in the society, that student has defeated the aim of his or her study. Also, if a professor of engineering limits himself or herself within the classroom and he or she cannot have any impact in the engineering sector in Nigeria, that professor is limiting his knowledge within the classroom.

More often than not, we often here cases of embezzlers who embezzle public funds in either governmental or non-governmental organizations. These persons, who are supposed to be serving through their various platforms, use their positions to amass continuously without considering the purpose why they are occupying the office or offices they occupy. The most painful of this all is that these persons are individuals who have acquired one form of formal education, hence, they portray formal education in a negative light. Furthermore, in the Nigerian politics, most of the politicians have received one form of formal education and they have acquired various higher academic qualification. But instead of reproducing the knowledge they have acquired and having a positive impact in the Nigerian politics, they end up constituting nuisance in the Nigerian politics.

In Nigeria, we have quite a number of professors, but the impact of these professors is not felt in our society. In most societies, professors are great contributors towards the development of their society but the reverse is the case in Nigeria. Most of our professors are restricted within the classroom. The knowledge they have is not felt in our society. They are not contributing towards the growth or development of our society. For instance, a professor of politics is not felt in the Nigerian politics, a professor of religion is not felt in our various religious groups, a professor of sociology is not felt in our society etc.

If we have a critical examination in our country, we would detect more cases of acquirers of formal education restricting themselves inside the classroom and not impacting positively in our society. It is pertinent that acquirers of formal education realise that formal education itself is a blessing to any society and it should not be restricted inside the classroom, but it should be felt in the society at large.

Ezih Dominic Chukwudubem douglasm001001@gmail.com