APPRIASING THE EDUCATION MARSHAL REFORM AND QUALITY EDUCATION IN DELTA STATE

BY

Emordi Promise Jude

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1809-7958

Education reforms are those reforms that are carried out by the government through its Ministries, Department and Agencies with the aim of strengthening the education sector, so as to make it more dynamic, efficient and effective in discharging her role of human capital development for national development as well as providing the needed undiluted quality education that will be able to withstand global academic, employment and self reliant competitiveness.

Besides the incessant rate of insecurity in Delta State which often manifests in form of kidnapping, oil bunkering, land grabbing’s among neighbouring communities, restive youths and their militia groups; the Delta State school system is not exonerated from the two hydra monster phenomenon known as student’s cultism and truancy which have resulted in examination malpractices, school drop-outs and as such increases the chances of growing illiteracy.

The 2013 projections by UNESCO noted that, there are 10.5 million out of school children in Nigeria and about 35 million Nigerians are illiterates. This figure has skyrocketed between 2010, 2015 and 2018 as the number of school drop-out in million ranges from; 10.5, 13.2 and 14 million respectively. Those school children that are yet to drop -out, are receiving expired education that failed to compete in global labour market. Thus, in order to achieve mass literacy which is one of the Millennium Development Goals, the Delta State government have to institute some educational reforms such as; free and compulsory primary and secondary school education, recruitment of more teachers, renovation/building of new schools in order to achieve education expansion, introduction of the Education Marshals etc. UNESCO further observed that about 8-14% population of school age children are not regular in school in Delta State. Rather, they are found roaming around the streets during school hours.

In order to resolve some of the above contradictions in the school system, the Delta State government under the leadership of Governor Emmanuel Uduagha launched the Education Marshal in September 16, 2013, with the aim of checkmating truancy and indiscipline among primary and secondary school students in Delta State. Also, the programme aimed at solidifying the efforts of the state government as regards achieving free quality education for all school age children in Delta State.

The term education marshal depicts an education enforcement officer empowered by the government to implement education related policies in order to make the educational processes more meaningful, efficient and effective. The vision statements of the education marshal are; to improve the educational system by reducing and gradually eradicating truancy, while breeding a healthy educational system.

The education marshals consist of 100 men and women graduate youths of various fields of knowledge, employed by the government as education enforcement officers, empowered by the government. While there are 25 Special education marshals in form of elder statesmen and traditional rulers. Both are to work in synergy with other relevant government agencies and departments as well as other education stakeholders in the State.

Objectives of the Education Marshals

Getting majority of the students to attend schools, this will further translate to a drastic result improvement and also, breeds a healthy competition as league tables will be easily established.

Specific Services of the Education Marshals

Facilitate in the reduction of truancy, hawking and bunking

Taking tracks of pupils and students absenteeism

Eradicate nonchalance by teachers/parents and guardians

Jobs creation while also increasing the value and appreciation for education

An agent for the realization of:

National Education Policy

Child Right Act (CRA)

Universal Basic Education (Education)

However, it should be noted that Delta State remains the first to champion the introduction of Education Marshals in Nigeria. This is why States like Kaduna and Osun are already in the Education Marshal bandwagon.

The Edu-Marshal was able to replace street culture with reading culture among primary and secondary school learners in Delta State. When the programme was on motion, many teachers were unable to send students errands, and in the same vein, students were unable to sneak out of school for any personal adventure or for other business related deals that they participate in order to help their parents by selling at shops, hawking in the streets during school hours. Most of the students found outside the school premises or within the streets during school hours are arrested, detained and interrogated and if care is not taken, such a student must provide his or parent for further probe. Punishments and fines are unleashed depending on the magnitude of the offence and reasons that was accounted for such offence.

Nevertheless, the Edu-Marshals were able to clear the streets of Delta State from loitering by school age learners and this effort resulted in the increase in student’s enrolment cum attendance and punctuality etc. There was cut down in social vices among students, like cultism among secondary school students in Delta State.

In the aspect of increase in school enrolment, the table below portrays the fact.

Table 1 below shows Enrolment rate for basic and secondary schools in Delta State between 2007 and 2015 academic session

Year

Primary school

Enrolment

Junior Secondary

School Enrolment

Senior Secondary

School enrolment

Grand Total

2007/2008

373,121

121,429

69,559

564.109

2008/2009

400,714

128,040

79,873

608,627

2009/2010

317,661

133,286

93,374

436,881

2010/2011

361,378

133,286

93,374

588,038

2011/2012

330,487

131,930

100,460

563,878

2012/2013

312,967

126,771

94,278

534,016

2013/2015

471,883

211,091

121,009

803,983

Source: Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education Report, 2015.

From the table above, it is obvious that between 2013 and 2015, total enrolment stood at 803,983 which represent the highest between 2007 and 2012. This can be attributed to the introduction of Edu-Marshals between 2013 and 2015, with the aim of taming student’s truancy and replacing street culture with learning and teaching culture so as to boost and maintain student’s enrolments.

In line with the above achievement, The United Nations in her 2014 report on Delta State development performance, asserted that Delta State has 97% net school enrolment rate, 99% primary school completion rate and 97% literacy rate through; the free education policy and the Edu-Marshal initiative. The programme was recommended for incorporation in the Nigeria federation by UN.

The programme underperformed in the aspect of personnel size. The 100 personnel will not be able to cover all the schools within the 25 Local Government Areas in Delta State. Besides, most of the Edu-Marshal recruits may not be too familiar with some rural terrains in the State. This is because; evidence abounds of the high rate of educational inequalities and marginalization among primary and secondary school students in the rural and oil host communities in Delta State. Again, the education marshals do not have power to control other factors that may hinder the realization of quality education in Delta State. For example, teacher’s truancy , principal’s administration pattern, availability of educational facilities and how secure they are coupled with students admission and promotion criteria are outside the bound of the Education Marshals.

Thus, the quest to achieve quality education through the Edu-Marshal is a lopsided adventure. The reasons lie in the fact that the teacher factor is one of the key drivers of quality education. If there are shortage of qualified teaching staff in schools or the few one are passing a half baked knowledge to the students, wrong qualification or job placement outside their areas o specialization coupled with poor working conditions of teachers, all these factors can mar the realization of quality education. Also, most schools in Delta State have no quality library, laboratories and other essential educational facilities in order to instil the reading culture in school children. Furthermore, most school administrators are found of jeopardizing laid down standards for student’s admission, class placement and promotion in exchange for some obnoxious fees. A case in Point is Ngwu Mixed Secondary School and other public secondary schools in Ogwashi-Uku where the school Principals are busy charging and admitting some notorious student drop-outs due to cultism related cases. As such, the school is over populated and students being aware that money can get them through the system often end up exhibiting nonchalant attitude towards studies.

Conversely, the Edu-Marshal is however, not blemish since the Okowa`s administration that came into power in 2015 jettisoned it, base on some lacunas discovered after three months investigations were conducted. It was revealed that the programme lacked the appropriate legal backing to operate, likewise, the recruitment and promotion processes coupled with the salary grade level and its structures were all faulty and as such the Okowa’s administration has to settle about 143 Edu-Marshals whose name were found in the payroll system and jettisoned the programme for good.

In conclusion, the Edu-Marshal should be re-introduced in order to complement the electronic attendance reform that is aimed at curbing teacher’s truancy and absenteeism. This is because the unavailability of teachers and students will lead to poor utilization of school facilities that are available for the realization of quality education.