The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has advocated that education should be a public good that should not be meant for sale, adding that it should be free and be made compulsory at all stages from primary level to adult education.
The declaration was made on Friday, during a symposium organised by the Academic Staff Union of Universities and Civil Societies and Civil Societies Committee, tagged: “The Role of ASUU in the Rescue of Public Education in Nigeria,” facilitated by Workers Education and Civil Society Liaison Committee (WECSLC), held at the lecture theatre, Faculty of Art, the University of Ibadan.
While delivering his lecture, National Treasurer of the union, Prof. Olusiji Sowande said there was an urgent need for stakeholders to rescue the nation’s education sector.
He noted that “despite primary education being officially free and compulsory, it has been reported that 10.5 million of the country’s children aged 5-14 years are not in school.”Prof. Sowande maintained: “The union loves our country, and the people of Nigeria and ready to ensure that education stands as a right according to the Nigerian constitution and as such, ASUU will continue in its patriotic struggle for adequate funding of education considering the fact that Education as a public good should not be for sale.”
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has advocated that education should be a public good that should not be meant for sale, adding that it should be free and be made compulsory at all stages from primary level to adult education.
The declaration was made on Friday, during a symposium organised by the Academic Staff Union of Universities and Civil Societies and Civil Societies Committee, tagged: “The Role of ASUU in the Rescue of Public Education in Nigeria,” facilitated by Workers Education and Civil Society Liaison Committee (WECSLC), held at the lecture theatre, Faculty of Art, the University of Ibadan.While delivering his lecture, National Treasurer of the union, Prof. Olusiji Sowande said there was an urgent need for stakeholders to rescue the nation’s education sector.
He noted that “despite primary education being officially free and compulsory, it has been reported that 10.5 million of the country’s children aged 5-14 years are not in school.”Prof. Sowande maintained: “The union loves our country, and the people of Nigeria and ready to ensure that education stands as a right according to the Nigerian constitution and as such, ASUU will continue in its patriotic struggle for adequate funding of education considering the fact that Education as a public good should not be for sale.”
In another presentation, the former Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) of the University of Ibadan, Professor Ambrose Ayelari in his presentation stated that the goals of Nigerian education are to build a free and democratic society, a united, strong, and self-reliant nation, a great and dynamic economy and a land full of opportunities for all citizens.“Thus the philosophy of education is based on the development of the individual into a sound and effective citizen, the full integration of the individual into the community and the provision of equal access to educational opportunities for all citizens of the country at primary, secondary and tertiary levels,” he said.
“In 2021, over 600,000 candidates were found eligible for admission out of 1, 351,215 candidates that sat for the examination. The question is will the 170 Universities and 152 Polytechnics be able to absorb all the 600,000 eligible candidates?”
“It emanated from one of the struggles of ASUU in which they requested that the Fund must be instituted. Education Tax Fund is a tax chargeable on all companies registered in Nigeria at chargeable profits as a contribution to the Education Tax Fund. The tax is 2% for all registered companies in Nigeria. TETFund scheme was established to disburse, manage and monitor education tax to government-owned tertiary institutions in Nigeria.”
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