…Call for decolonization of education financing as a way forward
By Isaac Eranga
Stakeholders have blamed the Edo State Government for the Inconducive learning environment to which pupils and students of primary and post primary schools in Edo State are being subjected.
The stakeholders comprise of civil society organizations, public and private school teachers, administrators, parents, the media, religious leaders and school-based management committee members.
Their stance was made known in a communique they issued in Benin at the end of a one-day stakeholders roundtable dialogue meeting organized under the auspices of Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA), Edo State chapter.
In the communique, they said that primary and post-primary schools in the state share many of the characteristics such as under-staffed, especially in the rural communities; under-financed and poor operational condition.
“Community participation in the financing of education in Edo State should be encouraged. Financial contributions are the most obvious form of contribution. They may be solicited from members of the community, business associations, and even old students association.
“Alternative ways of community contribution could be through fairs, bring-and-buy sales, crafts sales, or bingos. When interest in building a school is spread over a wide area, the extent of fundraising may be considered.
“The government should bring to the fore how she implements the state’s education budget. We need to know the budget and where it goes. This calls for tracking the budget on education.
“Studies show that most of the time, the budgets are not used. Most times, what we see is ‘painted sepulchre’.
“One major challenge facing the schools in Edo State is dilapidated buildings and buildings without facilities. The government will not allow individuals to fix the failed buildings for political reasons. There is outright need for depoliticising of education financing in order to improve the education standard of the state.
“The state’s Ministry of Education worsen the issue by giving deaf ears to series of calls for stakeholders dialogue on repositioning the state’s education system despite the effort of the state government in digitalizing the school system which has been a huge success.”
