By Chinyere Nwachukwu
Lagos – The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has pledged to continue to proffer solutions to challenges facing Nigeria’s education sector through intensive research.
Mr Collins Udu, Deputy Registrar in-charge of Research Unit of the council’s International Office, made the pledge in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Lagos.
According to Udu, one of the mandates of the office, aside from conducting credible examinations, is also to carry out research on issues bordering on education holistically.
“Though our main mandate is to conduct the examination, we also contribute to nation-building by going into intensive research on issues militating against education development in the country.
“We do this mainly through paper presentations at seminars, which are normally held at least twice every month by the office.
“These presentations are called seminar series, where we invite teachers; it also serves as a forum for capacity building.
“The essence is to highlight areas of challenges in teaching and learning process, seek viable means on the way forward and build the capacity of the teachers,’’ Udu said.
He said that Nigeria has yet to get to where it should be, educationally.
According to him, there are several challenges in the education sector that stakeholders should look at holistically and provide solutions to.
“A situation, where we do not have up to 80 per cent of the students obtaining five credits and above in Mathematics and English, is not a good development.
“We should be able to present at least 90 per cent of candidates being qualified to gain admission into the country’s citadels of learning, in a situation where things are working well.
“It is only when we get to that standard that we can now say that we are getting there.’’
Udu said the fact that the country had yet to attain the expected standard of education, meant that some basic things were missing in the sector.
He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to provide adequate and decent public schools and equip them with facilities that would enhance teaching and learning.
According to him, qualified teachers must also be recruited to complement infrastructure development at all levels of education.
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