NIGERIA IS STILL TEACHING CHILDREN FOR A WORLD THAT NO LONGER EXISTS’ BY GODSON AKINSANYA
A child starting Primary 1 today may not enter the workforce until around 2040.
Yet many of our classrooms are still preparing children for the economy of the 1980s.
We still place too much emphasis on memorising notes, passing exams and reproducing what the teacher said.
But the world has changed.
The child of today will grow into a world shaped by artificial intelligence, automation, renewable energy, biotechnology, digital finance and global competition.
So why are we still teaching as though all they need is a certificate?
Nigeria’s education system needs more than another small adjustment. It needs a complete rethink.
At primary school, children should still learn strong reading, writing and mathematics. But they should also begin learning digital skills, basic financial literacy, gardening, first aid, public speaking and simple problem-solving.
Junior secondary school, students should be introduced to coding, artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, debate, critical thinking, environmental awareness and practical life skills.
At senior secondary level, we should stop forcing every child into the old Science, Arts or Commercial boxes.
Students should be able to follow proper career pathways such as:
* Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science
* Engineering and Manufacturing
* Healthcare and Biotechnology
* Business and Global Finance
* Modern Agriculture and Food Processing
* Film, Animation and Digital Media
* Law, Governance and Public Policy
Before leaving secondary school, every Nigerian student should have more than WAEC or NECO results.
They should leave with a recognised digital skill, practical project experience, confidence in public speaking, some exposure to work or apprenticeship, and either a business idea or portfolio showing what they can actually do.
We must also change how students are assessed.
Not everything should depend on one final examination.
Let students build projects.
Let them solve real problems.
Let them work in teams.
Let them spend time in workshops, farms, laboratories, offices and industries.
Nigeria cannot keep producing graduates who know how to pass exams but do not know how to create value.
The purpose of education should not be to produce millions of young people waiting for government jobs.
It should be to raise problem-solvers, builders, innovators and employers.
A nation cannot become prosperous with an education system that belongs to the past.
The child entering school today will live in the future. Our curriculum must get there before they do.
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