Government Ineptitude and the Death of Public Schools in Anambra: the Rise of Private schools -By Ifeanyi John Nwokeabia

Education is the act of acquiring knowledge to make an individual stands out. The early Europeans that came to Africa found out that the only way to strengthen the bond of trade, religion and exploitation is to bring education to the Africans, so, they brought Western education. Early missionaries opened schools to enable them teach Africans their language so as to have a relational understanding in their daily activities. The education brought to Africans was ‘literacy education’ alone. With the coming of colonialists, education was managed by the government. The government aided Africans with scholarships which enabled the intelligent ones ( irrespective of family background) to travel oversea for further education. This education gained by the privileged Africans saw to what we have today as Independence African states because Africans’ eyes were opened in diaspora that they started seeing need to manage theirs resources which school is inclusive. Africans after attainment of Independence in their respective years, allowed government to continue with the management of schools.

Anambra State of Nigeria had all her schools under the control of government like every other state in Nigeria. State’s control means that day-to-day running of the schools are under the sole control of the government. The funding of schools, the remuneration of workers, the maintenance and provision of necessary grease to ease the stress on the poor parents and guardians are managed by the sitting government, just like colonialists did when they begged children to come to school. Ezeulu, a character in Chinua Achebe’s Arrow of God examplifies the kind of parents who out of sheer wisdom decided to send one of their children (like Oduche) to gain ‘wisdom of the whites’.

The military government in Nigeria maintained this trend of government sole control of schools management, maintenance, development etc,not until the military handed over in 1999 to democratic government. Anambra like every other state enjoyed a peaceful transition. The military administrator, Emmanuel Ukaegbu, wing Commander in Nigeria Air Force successfully handed over to Chinwoke Mbadinuju after serving from 6th August 1998 to 29th May 1999. Chinwoke Mbadinuju served as a democratic governor of Anambra State from 29th May 1999 to 29th May 2003. The peaceful transition from military to democracy brought so much joy and happiness as many felt that every sector of the government will witness a strong positive leap. Education as a sector, equally beamed with hope of Christly touch.
The affairs of government continue to move smoothly and everyone hopefully wait to see the miracle the government will perform. The government on their part kept making promises of their unending innovative ideas that are yet to grace the world. Every road bears story of the defeat of the juntas. It’s the greatest victory of the century as no one wished to witness military callousness anymore. Peace of mind to them is better than piece of bullet.

December 2001 struck the citizens of Anambra, unprepared. Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Anambra Chapter embarked on a strike action that lasted for ten (10) months. It started in December 2001 and ended in October 2002. By approximation, it lasted for a year. The major cause of the strike was the governor’s non-payment of workers’ salaries. How would someone work without receiving his/her pay at the end of the day or month? Even Bible explains thus;
Matthew 20:8, ‘ So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.’

The Education sector was not left out of the strikers. The teachers worked and never received a dine at the end of their tireless service. The future leaders (pupils and students) of Anambra and non indigenes resident in Anambra were forced to stay at home. All schools were shut down and locked. The government of the day abandoned her responsibility to school completely. They didn’t care anymore about the condition of pupils/students in the public schools like her predecessors. No one was allowed to go to school. Children were push to the streets to loiter and indulge in different illegal activities. As they say, an idle mind is a devil’s workshop. Need I tell you that the rate of crime skyrocketed? Reading up on the tenure of terrorism by Deli Nwa Amama and others won’t be a bad idea to understand the level of crime then.

Since the public schools were under lock and key, well meaning Anambrarians and non indigenes alike saw need to open up schools. This does not mean that prior to this time that there was no private or missionary schools in Anambra but the numbers multiplied and escalated during and after this period. Since no parents would like their children to stay without doing anything from morning till night, many enrolled their children to different newly formed private schools. The schools thrive and flourish even till date. Non payment of salaries by the state government to her workers gave a peaceful atmosphere for school business to excel.

The introduction of school fees payment by the then governor also triggered the morale of parents to join the private school system. During Military regime, Education in the state was free. No one paid a Kobo. When government initiated payment of school fees, people engaged in protest to publicise their grudges towards the government. Did the protests yield result? Yes, it did. It yielded little deduction from #3, 000 to #1,900 for Post Primary Schools(www.allafricastory.com). Many parents felt that if they can cough up money to pay for their children in public schools, why can’t they bring out same amount or add little to it and pay in private schools? That’s the Exodus!

Just like the tentacles of snails, the private schools came up, sprouting and dominating. It spreads faster than communicable diseases. Every nook and cranny has Schools to boast of. Private started enjoying approval from a government that indirectly shy away from her duties to her teaming populace. The rising of private remained unchecked as no one supervised properly the structures and workforce involved in the schools to be approved. Some basic questions that could guide the approval of schools were left unasked, like; of what use is a school without space for extra-curricula activities? Or a school without qualified teachers? Although on the later question, one may ask, what qualifies a teacher if not to teach? Hence anyone can teach. But the glaring truth is that, it’s far from it. Teachers are trained and certify, irrespective of whatsoever innate ability you claimed to have. Schools are now marketeering venture, each trying different strategies to undo or outdo another’s.

Churches of recent, recovered from a long slumber, and returned to opening their schools. To fuel it more, Mr Peter Obi, a two-term governor of the state, handed schools back to their respective old church managers. But these churches who were not given autonomous control decided to form their Schools to enjoy autonomy, equally reap the fruit of their labours. Their manifestoes are:’ let’s train the children in the ways of Christ’. So, church members willingly surrender their children to church schools. But achievement of a qualitative education by these missionary schools and their private individuals’ counterparts, is neither here nor there.

In conclusion, there’s never a smoke wthout fire. The government triggered schools privatization, and it has been firing ceaseless missiles from different angles. This has been the reason for high rate of examination malpractice in the present time because schools are judged by students’ performance in external examination. And no school will like to lose customers (students). Character development has become a thing of the dead past glory of public schools. Where do we now go from here with schools deviating drastically from the core values of education as stated in the National Policy on Education (NPE)?

Nwokeabia, Ifeanyi John is a poet and teacher. He hails from Nibo in Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State. He has Nigeria Certificate in Education and Bachelor of Arts in Education, both in English Language. He lives in Awka. His works are published in different online platforms.