Governors Urged To Implement Structural Reforms Of School System

An Ibadan-based education research organisation, EduIntel, has called on state governors to embark on urgent structural reforms of Nigeria’s public school system.

It warned that the country risks a “generational literacy collapse” if current trends persist.

In a statement signed by its programme lead, Sodiq Alabi, the group argued that the centralised management of public schools by state and local governments had failed to deliver meaningful learning outcomes.

In Nigerian public schools today, whether or not a child learns to read, the system continues as before. Teachers are paid, officials are promoted, and tenures remain largely secure, while the child is left without the basic skills needed to succeed,” Alabi said.

The group cited data from the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2024 and from UNICEF showing that about three in four Nigerian children aged 7 to 14 cannot read a simple sentence. It noted that the burden is heavier in poorer regions, where parents cannot afford private education.

To address the challenge, the organisation proposed a new framework, the Public Accountability School System (PASS), which seeks to transfer the day-to-day management of public schools to vetted non-profit trusts, including community groups, alum associations, and faith-based organisations.

Under the model, schools would remain publicly funded and accessible, while operators would be subject to performance-based contracts monitored by an independent inspectorate.

“This is not a privatisation proposal. What we are changing is accountability. A system where schools can fail for years without consequences is no longer sustainable. Under PASS, any managing body that fails to improve learning outcomes risks losing its contract.”

The group also pointed to Nigeria’s pre-1970s education system, when schools run by religious and community organisations, with government support, achieved stronger outcomes.

It maintained that the government should focus on regulation and funding rather than direct management, stressing that the current approach has not delivered on its promise of quality and inclusive education.

“Without decisive reform, the cycle of poor learning outcomes will persist across generations,” Alabi warned.

The group called on policymakers, civil society organisations, and the public to support reforms to improve accountability and learning outcomes in the education sector.