Professor Yunus Adebunmi Fasasi, a lecturer at the Department of Educational Management, Faculty of Education, University of Ilorin, has submitted that proliferation of educational institutions in the country ‘is no guarantee of national development’.
He added that existing public and private educational institutions in the country should be adequately funded to enable them to actualize the nation’s educational objectives while urging caution with respect to establishment of new institutions and approvals for new private institutions .
Team@orientactualmags.com learned that Professor Yunus Adebunmi Fasasi , who said this while delivering his inaugural lecture at the Main Auditorium of the University of Ilorin last week Thursday , also added that emphasis should be placed on quality requirements for the take-off and future expansion of such institutions .
It was the institution’s 256th inaugural lecture and it was titled ‘Holding Education Accountable For Resources and Results’.
Professor Fasasi also urged the stakeholders in education in the country to identify and perform their duties appropriately rather than engaging in a blame game.
While noting that supervision is mandatory at all public and private educational institutions, a shortage of supervisory personnel has according to him been experienced from the early period of Western Education to date.
Professor Fasasi also emphasized the need to ensure an enabling learning and working environment, regular payment of entitlements and promotions, increase in budgetary allocation to education and giving needed attention to education laws.
‘Supervisors, teachers and other stakeholders should be familiar with policies and laws on education so that they will be able to understand their rights, duties and limitations. Teachers in training should study education laws. Orientation programmes for new staff and students should contain aspects of education laws. Statutory records to be kept in the offices of heads of educational institution should include documents on education laws and policies.
Management of educational facilities is a responsibility of internal supervisors which should not be neglected. The supervisor, should, therefore perform facility management functions such as planning, organizing and coordinating activities to ensure adequate supply, utilization, maintenance and safety of the facilities.
Carrying capacity should be considered before determining the number of students to be admitted to an institution. Large-size schools and classrooms without corresponding facilities tend to complicate administrative and supervisory duties.
There should be long-term planning on policies such as the 1955 UPE and 1999 UBE which could increase the population at the implementation stage and in future when the students get to a higher level of education. On-the-implementation planning and lack of consideration for future implications of the current educational programme do not augur well for effective supervision.
In line with Government policy, administrators and supervisors should ensure adherence to age specification and duration at each level of education. Parents and stakeholders should be sensitized on psycho-emotional and other consequences inherent in allowing double promotion for their wards.
Government and private organizations’ budgetary allocation to education should be significantly increased. Moreover, educational agencies and supervisors at all levels should ensure prudent management of financial and other resources.
Prospective supervisors should be professionally trained while those already employed should be encouraged to undergo in-service training. Their knowledge and skills must be constantly updated to enable them cope with a rapidly changing society. The Department of Educational Management, University of Ilorin has ample facilities for this. Moreover, National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration, Ondo was specifically established by the Federal Government for this purpose too.
Regular internal supervision should be encouraged. This will facilitate the timely correction of errors before it is too late. It will also ease the assignment of external supervisors when they visit educational institutions. More so, quality assurance practices have made internal supervision an integral part of whole-school evaluation.
Proprietors of educational institutions such as federal and state governments, corporate organizations and individuals, should provide a safe working environment, regular payment of entitlements and promotion which is accompanied with all benefits to all categories of staff.
Recommendations of supervisors should be looked into and implemented’ he submitted-–Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you
