Rethink Nigeria’s education philosophy for inclusive development, don charges FG

In the quest to foster rapid national development, a Professor of Philosophy of Education at Ajayi Crowther University, Oyo State, Professor Micheal Olatunji, has charged relevant authorities in Nigeria’s education sector, to rethink the country’s philosophy of education.

Tribune Online reports that he made the charge at the weekend while delivering the maiden inaugural lecture of the Faculty of Education of the university and the university’s 16th Inaugural Lecture themed, ‘Philosophy of Education as Sine Qua Non for National Development: The Nigeria Situation.’

According to the don, good, critical and reflective thinking is required towards solving the nation’s problems of poor education and underdevelopment.

“John Dewey’s pragmatic problem-solving approach, which is to embark on a comprehensive and systematic enquiry, is also suitable for solving the fundamental problems confronting Nigeria such as bad leadership and corruption and until these two monsters are sincerely identified and brought to their knees, efforts being dissipated in finding solutions to other problems will at best bring about temporary relief or no relief at all,” Professor Olatunji retorted.

The Professor of Philosophy, while drawing instances from certain countries like Finland, Singapore, Malaysia and Tanzania, with clearly articulated philosophy of education and whose educational systems are highly functional, noted that for Nigeria’s educational system to be highly functional, definite and clearly expressed philosophies of education must be stated.

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He added: “Finnish national philosophy of education was clearly articulated. The philosophy of education is that people are the nation’s most important asset and they have the right to receive excellent education, which will help maximise their potential to be who and what they want to be.

“The associated goals and values that are nebulous in the national policy document on education must be well scrutinised, with a clear national philosophy of education generated and truly pursued; the type of society the nation desires should also be clearly defined. It is only when these are done that the nation can claim to have started the journey towards national development.”

Present at the occasion were the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Dapo Asaju; Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jacob Adeniyi; the current President of Philosophers of Education Association of Nigeria, Professor Kola Babarinde; the Director of Mount Zion Films Production, Evangelist Mike Bamiloye and a host of others.