An academic has called for an overhaul of the educational system to reflect the modern trend towards innovation and wealth creation.
Professor of curriculum and instructional technology with the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt, Keziah Achuonye, stated this in an interview with newsmen.
Prof. Achuonye, who advocated changing the curriculum and instructional strategy, lamented that the current system of education in the nation does not prepare students for the challenges ahead.
She said that the nation should de-emphasize certificate possession and instead embrace skill acquisition to breed self-reliant youth to curb unemployment.
Prof. Achuonye urged parents and guardians to reorient their wards to embrace craftsmanship to thrive in the present economy.
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“Children should be taught to make use of their hands. There are so many skills a child in primary school can do. She can do hair braiding. A child in primary school should at least do a little gardening, like weeding. A child in primary school should be able to wash clothes. A child in primary school should be able to write a novel, a story book”, she explained.
Prof. Achuonye noted that if she had the opportunity to bring in the desired change, she would summon the courage to do the needful in the educational sector.
“I will change the curriculum. When I say the curriculum, I mean the subjects and content. For instance, if you are teaching a pendulum bulb in physics, I will tell them where it is found in real life.
I will furnish the schools with recent and current relevant resources. I will retrain the teachers. Teachers need to be retrained to make use of innovative teaching methods that are more participatory and interactive. Then I will introduce entrepreneurial skills and make them compulsory”, she concluded.
The scholar suggested that educational institutions should liaise with the labour market to train productive graduates that suit the present realities.
