<div dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail-single-post-header gmail-flex-container"><div class="gmail-category-header gmail-single-article-category gmail-flex-item"></div>
<h1 class="gmail-after-category gmail-single-article-title gmail-flex-item">El-Rufai, Akeredolu canvass use of indigenous language, seek educational reform </h1>
</div>
<div class="gmail-single-main gmail-flex-container">
<div class="gmail-single-article-aside" style="height:2915px">
<div class="gmail-meta">
<div class="gmail-single-article-author">
By <strong>Oluwaseun Akingboye, Akure </strong>
</div>
<div class="gmail-manual-age gmail-single-article-datetime">
11 May 2018 |
3:41 am </div>
</div>
<div class="gmail-social-share gmail-clearfix">
<a class="gmail-facebook" href="https://www.facebook.com/dialog/share?app_id=1056657517707298&display=popup&href=https%3A%2F%2Fguardian.ng%2Fnews%2Fel-rufai-akeredolu-canvass-use-of-indigenous-language-seek-educational-reform%2F"></a>
<a class="gmail-twitter" href="https://twitter.com/share?url=https%3A%2F%2Fguardian.ng%2Fnews%2Fel-rufai-akeredolu-canvass-use-of-indigenous-language-seek-educational-reform%2F&text=El-Rufai%2C+Akeredolu+canvass+use+of+indigenous+language%2C+seek+educational+reform%C2%A0"></a>
<a class="gmail-mail" href="mailto:?body=https%3A%2F%2Fguardian.ng%2Fnews%2Fel-rufai-akeredolu-canvass-use-of-indigenous-language-seek-educational-reform%2F&subject=El-Rufai, Akeredolu canvass use of indigenous language, seek educational reform"></a>
</div>
<section class="gmail-category gmail-design-article">
<div class="gmail-category-table">
<div class="gmail-row gmail-row-3"><div class="gmail-cell">
<a href="https://guardian.ng/news/who-preparing-for-the-worst-in-dr-congo-ebola-outbreak/">
<div class="gmail-headline">
<div class="gmail-image"><img src="https://guardian.ng/wp-content/plugins/ventra-lazy-load/images/1x1.trans.gif" class="gmail-attachment-281x158 gmail-size-281x158 gmail-wp-post-image" alt="" width="281" height="158"></div> <span class="gmail-title">WHO preparing for the worst in DR Congo Ebola outbreak</span>
</div>
<div class="gmail-meta">
<span class="gmail-age"> 4 hours ago</span>
</div> </a>
</div>
<div class="gmail-cell">
<a href="https://guardian.ng/news/fg-condemns-assassination-of-nigerian-immigration-attache-in-sudan/">
<div class="gmail-headline">
<div class="gmail-image"><img src="https://guardian.ng/wp-content/plugins/ventra-lazy-load/images/1x1.trans.gif" class="gmail-attachment-281x158 gmail-size-281x158 gmail-wp-post-image" alt="" width="281" height="158"></div> <span class="gmail-title">FG condemns assassination of Nigerian immigration attaché in Sudan</span>
</div>
<div class="gmail-meta">
<span class="gmail-age"> 4 hours ago</span>
</div> </a>
</div>
<div class="gmail-cell">
<a href="https://guardian.ng/news/erdogan-putin-say-us-wrong-to-abandon-iran-nuclear-deal/">
<div class="gmail-headline">
<div class="gmail-image"><img src="https://guardian.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Vladimir-Putin-1-281x158.jpg" class="gmail-attachment-281x158 gmail-size-281x158 gmail-wp-post-image" alt="" style="display: block;" width="281" height="158"></div> <span class="gmail-title">Erdogan, Putin say US 'wrong' to abandon Iran nuclear deal</span>
</div>
<div class="gmail-meta">
<span class="gmail-age"> 4 hours ago</span>
</div> </a>
</div>
</div></div>
</section>
</div>
<div class="gmail-single-article-content">
<article>
<p></p><div id="gmail-attachment_260784" class="gmail-wp-caption gmail-alignleft"><img src="https://guardian.ng/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/akeredolu-3.jpg" alt="" class="gmail-size-full gmail-wp-image-260784 gmail-lazyload" style="display: inline;" width="1280" height="720"><p class="gmail-wp-caption-text">Ondo State Governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu</p></div><br>
Governor Malam Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has called for an overhaul
of the country’s educational policy, stressing that there is dire need
to adopt indigenous language for all round development.In the same vein,
the Ondo State governor and visitor to the university, Oluwarotimi
Akeredolu, lauded his Kaduna State counterpart for his audacious
revolution in the education sector. <p></p>
<p>Akeredolu, who reiterated a need for curricular reform and a common
indigenous language for all the ethnic groups in the country, described
education as the bedrock of socio-economic development.</p>
<p>The duo stated this during the fourth distinguished guest lecture of
the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo, titled: “Transforming
Nigerian Educational System: Looking Back and Looking Forward.”The Ondo
governor, who condemned widespread clamour for political restructuring,
said: “Restructuring must start from the education sector. If we get it
right here, other things will follow. Why are we not starting from here
because it will affect other sectors?”</p>
<div class="gmail-ad-align-none"><div class="gmail-box">
<div style="width:100%;overflow:hidden">
<div id="gmail-ventra-dfp-2" class="gmail-dfp-ad gmail-ad-container" style="margin:15px auto;height:250px;width:300px">
<div id="gmail-google_ads_iframe_/79805449/TGN_InArtitcle_300x250_P1_0__container__" style="border:0pt none;display:inline-block;width:300px;height:250px"></div></div>
</div>
</div></div>
<p>While asserting that the current educational policy operated in the
country is obsolete, El-Rufai stressed that it could not meet up with
the present education demands and realities.His words: “I think that
fundamental reforms are needed in education and I think what the Federal
Ministry of Education needs to do is to lead in reviewing the National
policy on education, which is already forty or fifty years old. </p>
<p>“In my view, it is out of time; in the 21st century, so much has
changed in education, but there is a need to sit down and get experts in
the subjects to look at what is happening in the educational policies
of countries in the world: what is changing.“Professionals are dying and
new ones are coming up. Our curriculum and policies on education are
all grounded in the 20th century, we are in the 21st and there is need
for a holistic review of that.”</p>
<p>The Kaduna governor, who lamented that the nation has not sustained
the investment on education in the past despite its importance to the
development of the citizenry in all ramifications, however, stated that
“the situation in Kaduna is perhaps better than some states in the North
in terms of education.</p>
<p>He said though the legislation to eradicate early girl-child marriage
in the Kaduna State Assembly suffered setback due to perceived
religious condemnation, his administration dared such constituted
authorities and passed it into law in February. </p>
<p>He said: “Of course, associated to that is the quest for indigenous
language. Should we still be teaching from primary to university in
English Language? What can we learn from other countries that teach in
their own indigenous languages up to university level? </p>
<p>“They teach from primary to tertiary institutions in their own
languages and they have gone to space. China is competing with America
and will soon overtake the United States (U.S.) as the largest economy
in the world. </p>
<p>“They are dominant force in ICT and defence, yet they are taught in
Chinese. Is there something we can learn there? Are we slowing down our
development by insisting that the only language of the educational
communication is English?”</p>
<p>“This national policy should look at issues like this and come up
with policies on education that will prepare young people of Nigeria for
the 21st century because right now, the education we are giving them
may not be fit for 21st century to compete globally.”</p></article></div></div>
<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone: (215) 898-7475<br>Fax: (215) 573-2138 <br><br>Email: <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a> <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div>
</div>