A PAPER DELIVERED TO OFFA GRAMMAR SCHOOL OLD STUDENTS ASSOCIATION 1987 SET AT THE OCCASSION OF THEIR 35TH YEAR OF GRADUATION BY CHIEF J.S MAKINDE (JP) THE CHAIRMAN, ODU. EDUCATION COMMITTEE ON THURSDAY, 22ND SEPTEMBER, 2022.
THE STANDARD OF EDUCATION SYSTEM THEN AND NOW – THE MISSING LINK
THE CONCEPT AND MEANINGS OF EDUCATION
Some philosophers in education tried to give meanings to education in the following ways:
Dewey:- “Education is the process of living through a continuous reconstruction of experiences”
“Education is an act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge, developing the powers of reasoning and judgment and generally of preparing ourselves or others intellectually for nature of life.”
George F. Kneller defined “Education refers any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character, or physical ability of an individual. Its technical sense education is the process by which institution deliberately transmit its cultural heritage – its accumulated knowledge, values, and skills from one generation to another.
Definition of Objectives in Education
“In Education, learning objectives are brief statements that describe what students will be expected to learn by the end of school year, course, unit, lesson, and project or class period.” We cannot talk on education objectives in isolation without considering other associated educational terminologies that often used synonymously aims, objectives and goals.
“Aims” are concerned with purpose whereas “objectives are concerned with achievement”. Usually an educational objective relates to gaining ability, a skill, some knowledge, a new attitude etc. rather than having merely completed a given task.
“Goals” of Education: Educational goals can be defined in broad terms are statements that describe the competences, skills, and attributes that students should possess upon completion of a course or program. They often operate within the interacting domains of KNOWLEDGE (Cognitive domain), ATTITUDE (Affective domain) and SKILLS (Psychomotor domain).
The General objectives of Education are as follows:
a) The inculcation of the right type of values and attitudes for the survival of the individual and of society (this objective is mainly in Affective domain). b) The inculcation of national consciousness and national unity (Also in Affective domain).
c) The training of the mind in the understanding of the word around (this is Cognitive domain).
d) The acquisition of appropriate skills activities and competences both mental and physical as equipment for the individual to live in and contribute to the development of the society (All the three domains).
For the realization and achievement of educational objectives we have to provide the necessary equipment:- Information Communication Technology (ICT) equipment, Athletics and Games equipment and Facilities, Science Laboratory equipment and adequate qualified PERSONNEL. Definition of Standard: (of smth) a level of quality, especially one that people think is acceptable:- a fall in academic standards.
We use it also as standard of living a level of quality that is normal or acceptable for a particular person or in a particular situation > Also in our level of behavior – a level of behavior that somebody considers to be normally acceptable e.g a man of high moral standards.
THE ADMINISTRATION OF OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM AND PROPRIETORSHIP OF SCHOOLS IN KWARA STATE BEFORE AND NOW.
The curriculum conference of 1969 brought about a New National Policy on Education (19977, 1981) which each of the states then had to adopt and implement the policy. The Kwara State Schools Management Board was established to manage Public Secondary Schools while the Local Schools Management Board (LSMB) and Native Authority Schools (NA Schools) before LSMB managed the Primary School Education then.
The State Ministry of Education was for policy formulation, Implementation of National Policy on Education, Supervision of School and of External Examination and Maintaining Standards in schools through the Inspectorate Section of Ministry of Education (Now it is called Quality Control). The Ministry of Education also had some schools that were regarded as Government Secondary Schools (GSS) which were under the direct Supervision of Ministry of Education and whose staff were also Personnel (Civil Servants) of the Ministry.
All the Schools that were administrated by the Kwara State School Management Board were all Schools established by Communities, Christians and Muslim Organizations.
The Proprietors of those who originally established the Schools were to provide all infrastructural facilities such as Classrooms, Libraries, Laboratories, Halls, Staff quarters and other teaching facilities for their Schools. They were also given the privilege of retaining the names of their Schools and to nominate who becomes the Principal of their Schools from the pool of teachers already in the Service.
However, these schools were Grant-aided in that all the teaching and non teaching Staff receive their Salaries from the School Management Board. The Recruitment, Appointment, Promotion, Transfers and discipline of Staff were carried out by the Board.
By the year, 1992 during the Governorship of Sha’aba Lafiaji, the Kwara State Schools Management Board metamorphosed into Kwara State Teaching Service Commission to oversee all the Secondary School in the State. The hither to and existing Government Secondary School (GSS) came under umbrella of the Commission also.
The Primary Schools came under Kwara State Universal Basic Education Commission. The proprietors were also able to have a say in management and monitoring of the progress of their School through the formation of the Board of Governors which has now been replaced with the School Based Management Committee (SBMC).
CONCLUSION
The Offa Descendants Union (ODU) was established with the principal aims of Improvement on the quality of life of the Citizens/ the Offa Community, one of the main aspect of life that needs be focused on so as to achieve this goal is EDUCATION.
The aims, goals and objectives of Education of Offa Descendants Union (ODU) must be real ones that make every Child/ Student who will be Self reliant, Self-dependent and useful to himself/herself, Not a deviant to the Community. All the aims, objectives could only be achievable using Education as a workable tool and if all the agencies of Education (Family, the School, Society-ODU, Religious Institutions etc) work hand in hand to bring about the development of complete personality who will bring positive changes to our Community and Nation at large without any Social, Political and Religions divide.
I sincerely thank you for inviting me to address you on the 35th years of your Graduation from Offa Grammar School. May the Almighty God crown all your efforts in life with resounding successes.
Thanks and God bless you all.
Chief J.S MAKINDE JP
