A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chief Sylvester Onoja, has warned the federal authorities towards scrapping the 6-3-3-4 system of schooling in Nigeria.
Onoja SAN, a Fellow of the Nationwide Lecturers Institute, stated the proposed scrapping of the 6-3-3-4 schooling system in favour of a 12-year fundamental schooling mannequin may create extra issues than it seeks to resolve.
Talking with The Guardian on the telephone, the Member of the Nigerian Academy of Training famous, “Whereas schooling reforms ought to intention to enhance studying outcomes, the proposed shift may exacerbate monetary pressure, weaken vocational coaching, enhance dropout charges, and widen instructional inequities.
“Probably the most obvious challenges of a 12-year fundamental schooling system is the monetary weight it imposes on mother and father, particularly in low-income households.“A protracted instructional interval interprets to greater prices for tuition, uniforms, textbooks, and different studying supplies. Many Nigerian households already battle to maintain their youngsters in class beneath the present system. Including additional years may push schooling additional out of attain for a lot of, finally defeating the aim of common schooling.”
Onoja, who’s Principal Emeritus at King’s Faculty Lagos, defined additional, “A serious power of the 6-3-3-4 system is its emphasis on flexibility, notably in vocational and technical coaching.
The introduction of a 12-year fundamental schooling construction dangers delaying college students’ entry into the workforce, thereby decreasing alternatives for talent acquisition at an early stage. In a rustic the place technical and vocational abilities are vital to financial improvement, this shift may weaken the manufacturing of expert labourers, artisans, and entrepreneurs, that are important to Nigeria’s industrial development.
He stated, “For a lot of college students, particularly these from deprived backgrounds, an elongated education interval may result in disengagement and a better chance of dropping out.
“The present system permits college students a number of entry and exit factors, accommodating those that might choose various studying paths, vocational coaching, or early workforce entry. A inflexible 12-year construction may stifle this flexibility, leaving struggling college students with fewer choices and doubtlessly worsening Nigeria’s already excessive dropout charge.”
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He insisted that Nigeria’s schooling system already faces important disparities, with rural and underprivileged communities experiencing decrease entry to high quality schooling. Extending fundamental schooling to 12 years with out addressing these inequalities might widen the hole between the privileged and the deprived.
“If poorly applied, this method may depart many college students caught in an prolonged cycle of education with out the required help to thrive. Moreover, disparities in infrastructure, instructor high quality, and funding throughout areas may imply that the advantages of this reform is not going to be evenly distributed.
“The 6-3-3-4 system was designed to supply college students with clear instructional pathways—providing choices for vocational coaching, technical schooling, or direct workforce entry. It fosters early abilities improvement, equipping college students with sensible information that may help financial development. As a substitute of abandoning this method, the federal government ought to concentrate on strengthening it by addressing its shortcomings, comparable to underfunding, poor implementation, and infrastructural deficiencies,” he added.
Onoja pressured additional that schooling reform needs to be about bettering entry, high quality, and relevance. A shift to a 12-year fundamental schooling system, with out addressing core challenges, might do extra hurt than good.
“Moderately than adopting a one-size-fits-all method, Nigeria ought to refine the prevailing 6-3-3-4 construction to make sure that it higher serves the wants of scholars, mother and father, and the economic system. As a nation striving for sustainable improvement, we should fastidiously consider any coverage that dangers undermining our progress in schooling and abilities improvement,” he stated.
