SCHOOL MERGER: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UNFORESEEN

Source:Google
Considering the endless high proliferation of privately owned schools with the consequent poor, inadequate facilities and low standard of education, one cannot but bemoan the future of Nigeria. Competitively, the Nigerian students and pupils are at a gross disadvantage. No wonder the quality of labour supply to the labour market by the numerous tertiary institutions are remarked incompetent and unsuitable for employment needs.

To improve the situation, particularly in term of quality and the standard of education, a school of thought posit that all sub-standard-schools should be merged with the well-established counterparts.The view is that a pool of resources by the merging schools will afford them resources that will enable them to provide standard and quality education.

Premised on the fore-going, our correspondent during an interview with Mr.S.A Otubule, an Educationist and School Administrator, countered the view. He said that the idea is not practicable in the education industry because of many inherent factors that will frustrate it. According to him, "it is only theorectical, not practiceable".

Otubule said that the proliferation of schools particularly, the sub-standard ones is as a result of  the institutionalised corruption and laxity of government which people explore. He said that the damage has been done permanently to education. So, caution should be applied in an effort to revamp the system. He disclosed that the best government can do is to monitor and enforce standards only in an advisory capacity. Quoting him, "you cannot shut down an existing and thriving school just because it has no purpose-built classroom blocks or any other standard requirements for establishing a school".

The School Administrator further buttressed his view with the fact that most owners of the well-established schools will be unwilling to merge with their sub-standard counterparts. That a school with own challenges will not accept to inherit any problems of another school intending to merge with it. Another issue he raised is motives of establishing a school. He said that interests in this regard will conflict as an owner who is purely business-minded will prefer to compromise standards to reduce cost, whereas the counterpart is ready for quality at whatever cost. Also mentioned as intrinsic problem is the lack or inadequate experience and skills of managing a school. And that should merger be forced by legislation, only well-established schools will be favoured as the exercise will be in their own terms. Cited as well are the impacts of merger on parents and learners.

When asked if merger should be restricted only to schools of equal status or levels and not the previous model, Otubule stated that  the purpose of merger is defeated from onset then. He explained that such model will give room for double standards which will eventually mess up the objectives. He retorted that "instead of solving the existing problems, a new set of challenges will be created".

Suggesting solutions to the issue of revamping the system, he stated that government should raise the standard for existing schools, build more standardised schools and make its quality assurance inspectorate monitor the system in an advisory fashion.