Education In Rural Part Of Nigeria: Challenges And Way Forward -By Bulus Chongsu John

Rural communities in Nigeria are often seen as areas of less concern and characterized by lack of basic infrastructure, limited access to education, widespread of poverty and low level of economic development.

Rural education in Nigeria is faced with numerous challenges, including insufficient funding,inadequate infrastructure, shortage of staffed teachers,poor supervision, insecurity among others.

These challenges have contributed to the decline in quality of education in rural areas,which has a negative impact on the socioeconomic development of the country.

One of the major challenges of rural education in the country is lack of adequate infrastructure.Many rural Schools lack basic amenities such as classrooms,desks,chairs, libraries, laboratories, which makes it difficult for students to learn effectively. Prior to that,many rural schools are located in remote areas making it difficult for teachers and students to access the school.

Another challenge of rural education in Nigeria is the shortage of qualified teachers. Most rural schools are staffed by unqualified teachers who are not motivated to teach.This has contributed to the low quality of education in the rural area.

It is a sad reality that the rural educational system is in a state of crisis with many students graduating without having the basic skills and knowledge. Lack of adequate education has contributed to high rate of illiteracy, poverty, increase in crime rate and many other negativities in the country.

The situation must be addressed immediately by the federal government which must take a bold and decisive action to settle the menace. There are ways of improving rural education in Nigeria which includes but are not limited to the following:

The government and stakeholders can invest in building more schools and providing basic amenities in rural areas. They can also provide incentives to attract qualified teachers to rural areas and improve security in conflict-affected areas.

Another way is for the government to prioritize teacher training and development, improve access to quality education in rural areas and allocate more funds for the construction and maintenance of schools and educational facilities.

By addressing these challenges, rural education can be transformed into vibrant and sustainable centres of growth and development.

Bulus Chongsu John write from HNDll Mass Communication department of Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic Bauchi and can be reached via johnbuluschongsu@gmail.com