CPE plans month-long advocacy to tackle problems in Nigeria’s educational sector

Opeyemi Adelere

A non-governmental organisation known as the Concerned Parents and Educators Forum is embarking on a one month campaign to push for education reforms in Nigeria. The campaign is expected to begin in February this year.

Addressing the press in Lagos, founder and convener of the group, Mrs Yinka Ogunde, said it was high time Nigerians advocated for change considering the decay in the education sector and the profound effects it has on children both now and in the nearest future. Quoting Nelson Mandela in her speech, she said, “Education is the most powerful weapon to change the world when channeled in the right direction.’’

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Concerned Parent and Educators Forum has been in existence as an online platform for four years now. The platform targets key stakeholders in the education section. With over 116,000 members, its discussions are usually centred on how to improve school standards, empower teachers, support parents, protect children, and obtain better outcomes in schools and the lives of children.

Ogunde said many Nigerians only complain about the sector without attempting to proffer solutions. She said, ‘’The society laments on graduates churned out of the universities without employments but fails to ask questions like: Why are they unemployed?, What are the processes needed to combat this? And how best can they compete with others across the globe?’’ Rather than talking problems, she said that people should start taking ownership of the problems.

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Already, the group has been inaugurated in 21 states, including Abia, Abuja, Anambra, Benue, Delta, and Lagos for the advocacy campaign. The group’s list of programmes for the February event include ‘Speak Out,’ taking place in the first week; ‘Video Challenge’ in week two; ‘School Help’ campaign in week three; and the presentation of letters to state governments and other policy makers in the fourth week.