Education Sector Under Threat of Total Collapse: An Open Letter to Nigerian Students

By Muhammad Rabiu Idris

INFOMEDIA – Dear Comrades, While ASUU has been struggling for the condition in which Nigerian students would benefit from a very much enhanced academic environment in teaching and research facilities (University Autonomy and Academic freedom), It’s of regret for the general public particularly students and their parents to blame the Academic Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU – who own the absolute global visibility ) for only fighting the interest of its members without serious regard for the health of the education sector. Indeed the card of negative perception is deeply stacked against the union.

Kemal Guruz (former president of the council of higher education of turkey) argued and I quote “ institutional autonomy refers to the globally recognized right of universities to decide how best to run their institutions without unreasonable interference in appointing and promoting academic staff and leadership, in determining admission and graduation requirements, in provisioning curricular and other programmes or services, in defining organizational structures and policies.

UNESCO affirms that “ the right to education, teaching, and research can only be fully enjoyed in an atmosphere of academic freedom and autonomy for institution of higher education and that the open communication of findings, hypotheses, and opinions lies at the very heart of education and provide the strongest guarantee of the accuracy and objectivity of scholarship and research.

The UNESCO recommendations support the idea that institutional autonomy is the derivative principle of academic freedom. Hence, The principle of academic freedom is derived from the notion of freedom of thought which is a basic human right. Thus, Academic freedom, therefore, implies the freedom to teach and freedom to learn, both of which are central to the proper functioning purpose of higher education.

Given its centrality, academic freedom is globally protected by institutional policies and rules, by collective bargaining agreements, and by a long history of academic custom and tradition. Although all freedoms come with concomitant responsibilities and constraints, with the adoption of the Humboldtian model of higher education ( integration of teaching, learning, and research) during the 19th century, the principle of academic freedom and autonomy has become inviolable.

David Barnard (vice-chancellor university of Maniton) argued and I quote “the scientist Galileo resenting his theory commitment to the Copernican theory, viz., that the earth revolves around the sun rather than vice versa, demonstrates what academic freedom is intended to prevent. It’s a critical underpinning of university research and teaching.

Thus, academics in all areas of expertise are to challenge what we think is know and push the boundaries of what is known. Hence no governments whether military or civilian should not be allowed to control the development of knowledge in all aspects.

Since, the inception of the first universities nearly a thousand years ago the freedom to pursue intellectual enquiry has served as a core value for professors, students, and educational institutions. Higher education is by definition, an environment where knowledge is produced and consumed, it follows that the freedom to engage in intellectual enquiry is essential to the purpose of higher education.

Without academic freedom, critical thinking cannot be cultivated, and without critical thinking higher learning cannot be nurtured. Thus, academic freedom has been an integral part of higher learning since its inception.

American research universities are widely recognized as the best in the world, admired for their education and research. The United state of America pursues economic growth and other national goals, its research universities have emerged as a major national asset – perhaps even its most potent one. This does not happen by accident; it is the result of forward-looking and deliberate federal and state policies.

The US government (National Research Council- January-9th- 2005) agued and I quote “ America is driven by innovation- advances in ideas, products, and processes that create new industries and jobs, contribute to our nation’s health and security and support a high standard of living. In the past half-century, innovation itself has been increasingly driven by educated people and the knowledge they produce.

Our nation’s primary source of both new knowledge and graduates with advanced skills continues to be our research universities. It’s essential that we as a nation to safeguard autonomy and academic freedom, reaffirm and revitalize the unique partnership that has long existed among research universities. In doing so we will encourage the innovations that lead to high-quality jobs, increase in incomes and security, health and prosperity of our nation’’

However, no Nigerian University that is even ranked among the 100 top-ranking universities in the world, while the government is now cowardly pretending to be superior to America in terms of progressive educational policies, thereby bringing evil and corrupt software called IPPIS.

The software is full of ignorance and constitutional breach as it violates the global collective agreements and global constitutional rights that protect and safeguard university autonomy and academic freedom.

In conclusion, the general public, Nigerian students, parents should know that the position of the FG toward the imposition of IPPIS on universities is a clear step of gradual privatization of Nigerian universities and if that is successfully achieved, we students from a poor background and or even average background can no longer afford to pay the tuition fee as it will perhaps rise close to 350,000 for art/ humanities and 500,000 for science students.

The Nigerian students should therefore rise up and speak vocally to protect their future from the nasty and devious plan by the Nigerian government. The Nigerian students should also tie their belt toward battling parasites like the Minister of education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba whose statement “ASUU should consider farming as an alternative” portrays the highest level of his cruelty, narrow mind set, and the epitome of mouth diarrhea.

The propaganda and self-serving policies of the parasites and the president has eventually catapulted his tormentors to the most notorious public face of disorder!!!
LONG LIVE ASUU
LONG LIVE NIGERIAN STUDENTS
STRUGGLE CONTINUES VICTORIA ACERTA

Muhammad Rabiu Idris, the National Secretary, African Union students Club is a 300level student in the Department of Political Science and International Studies, Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, Nigeria.+1238022413784

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of INFOMEDIA

 

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