To invest in people, prioritize education - International Day of Education

To invest in people, prioritize education.

This is the theme for the 2023 international day of education. 

This statement is in all sense factual and this is why Saving Hand Development Initiative (SHADE-IN) prioritises education.

One of our children whom we reached out to in a community settlement in 2010 and have supported through his university education just graduated as a Civil Engineer in December, 2022.

Recently, one of us was reached by one of our children who has not been able to further his education because of lack of funds. There are so many children who are in this situation in Nigeria.

In seven years from this year, the sustainable development goals (SDGs) are meant to be achieved. But how far have we gone in achieving it?

Let's start with Goal 1, "No Poverty." Rather than this, it appears that there is an increased poverty rate. In Nigeria for instance, you do not need to read the statistics to know that hunger is in the land as a result of extreme poverty. The available global data shows that there was reduction in poverty until COVID-19 happened leading to an increased poverty rate. 

In a study released by Development Initiatives in November 2021, it states:

📍In 2021 an estimated 698 million people, or 9% of the global population, are living in extreme poverty – that is, living on less than $1.90 a day.[1] Over one-fifth of the global population live below the higher $3.20 poverty line (1,803 million people), and over two-fifths (3,293 million people) live below $5.50 a day.[2]

📍Between 2019 and 2020, the number of people living in extreme poverty increased by an estimated 50 million due to the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting global economic downturn. The number of people living in extreme poverty is estimated to have fallen during 2021 as the global economy has started to recover, but there remains an estimated eight million more people living in poverty today than there were in 2019.

📍This follows decades of impressive poverty reduction. An estimated 1.1 billion people, or 16% of the global population, lived in extreme poverty in 2010 and almost two billion in 1990.

We must invest in education, as education is the bedrock of development. To fight poverty and achieve other SDG goals, we must join hands to resuscitate our educational system in Nigeria.

The United Nations stated that:

"Education must be prioritized to accelerate progress towards all the Sustainable Development Goals against the backdrop of a global recession, growing inequalities and the climate crisis."

'Education offers children a ladder out of poverty and a path to a promising future. But about 244 million children and adolescents around the world are out of school; 617 million children and adolescents cannot read and do basic math; less than 40% of girls in sub-Saharan Africa complete lower secondary school and some four million children and youth refugees are out of school. Their right to education is being violated and it is unacceptable.'"

Even though the focus for this year's international day of education is on Afghan girls and women, we beam our spotlight on Nigeria.

In our research carried in about 18 schools in Edo State, Nigeria in the years 2018 and 2019, a lot of crosscutting issues were discovered in the schools, because education is not prioritised.

In view of these, here are our recommendations:

1. There is need to support research for improved education.

2. There is need for government to collaborate with civil society organisations and the private sector to ensure sustainable development.

3. There is need to invest in advocacy towards quality education.

4. There is need for value reorientation of the masses, parents, teachers, educators, pupils, students and educational institutions and education stakeholders, to create in them the true value of education. Education is beyond certification. It is learning that translates into being and doing the right things.

5. There is need to revisit the curriculum and begin to implement the good aspects of the curriculum while adjusting other areas.

Saving Hand Development Initiative has been in the business of working towards ensuring quality education since year 2010.

To support our interventions, help a child be in school, support our research towards quality education, kindly send your support using the narration EDUCATION (your name) to:

SAVING HAND DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE

FCMB

7692811014

and email us at shadein2009@gmail.com to help us connect with you and appreciate your gifts.

We hope you got value from today's read.

Kindly share widely and subscribe to our blog. Thank you.

Saving Hand Development Initiative (SHADE-IN)