Reforming Education for the Attainment of National Development

Abstract

No educational system can effectively meet societal needs without regular reforms because the society is dynamic and always in a state of flux. It is in the light of this that this paper examined the need to reform the entirety of the Nigerian educational system.   Reforms, which should be an integral part of the entire educational process, make education better, more relevant and accessible to all segments of the population, especially those living in economically disadvantaged areas. As Nigeria matches towards its vision of becoming one of the top 20 economies by 2020, educational reforms must be a core component of the agenda to adequately provide the needed manpower and intellectual stimulus to drive the envisioned sustainable development. Educational reforms should be drastic and radical for the attainment of quality, pragmatic and functional education by a vast number of Nigerians and for effecting national development in the 21^st century Nigeria. The urgent need for Nigeria to join the western world and the emerging Asian countries in scientific breakthroughs cannot be overemphasized. It is only through revolutionary, holistic and radical educational reforms that Nigeria can suitably position itself with a massive opportunity to broaden access to education across wide swathes of the population, and empower the populace with the technical and intellectual skills and stimulus to power Nigeria’s transformation and sustainable development. In buttressing these points, this paper examined the concepts of national development and educational reforms. Problems in the Nigerian educational system that call for reforms were x-rayed and suggestions on possible reforms were made.

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-3-19