The Growth of Primary and Secondary Education Systems in Africa

Africa, home of the black race; a continent with a profound history of woes, most of which have been engendered by ignorance (intellectually and spiritually). Education is the institution charged with imparting knowledge to man. Consequently, its success would protect its recipients from the disease of ignorance to a considerable degree. Hence, it’s imperative that the education systems of any country or continent should be furnished with the necessary resources that will enable it to blossom. The question here is: how well or badly have Africans set-up and managed their education institutions. I intend to write on the subject based on the running of education systems in my country of residence, Nigeria.

At this point, it’s important to note that the three major education levels (primary, secondary and tertiary) are run in different fashions, albeit the primary and secondary levels are quite similar. The tertiary institutions (universities, polytechnics and colleges of education) have a markedly different system when compared to the primary and secondary education systems. And the sad truth is that unlike the primary and secondary education systems, the tertiary institutions (especially universities and polytechnics) are experiencing something of a regression in most of its sectors. Because the burden of this essay is to highlight the growth of the primary and secondary education systems, the tertiary institutions won’t be talked about here. Since the primary and secondary systems are quite similar in their modes of operation, both education levels will be dealt with collectively. The education systems of both education levels have improved admirably in the last decade and half. The major reasons for their growth and improvements are discussed succinctly below.

1. Rapid increment of private schools: This is the chief reason for the improvement in the education systems, as most of the other reasons are directly or indirectly linked to this. The establishment of numerous private primary and secondary schools with varied standards and quality has made it possible and affordable for most parents to put their wards in a private school depending on the size of their wallets. This gives them an alternative from the mostly deplorable government schools run by erratic and incompetent governments.
2. Better infrastructures: Most of these private schools usually have laudable facilities such as: spacious and well-ventilated classrooms, well-equipped laboratories and computer rooms, courts and fields for different games and sports, decent and tidy hostels (in the case of boarding schools), new and smooth-running school buses etc. Furthermore, the schools are often built in serene environments conducive for learning.
3.  Better wages for teachers: The decent pay-package offered to teachers by these private schools has triggered a considerable influx of salary earners into the teaching profession. Gone are the days when a teacher’s job and wages were scoffed at.
4. Establishment of schools with strict adherence to religious precepts: There has also been an increase in the schools established by religious groups and individuals with a view to inculcate intellectual as well as moral values in their students. This is doing great good, as it imparts good, and divine truths in them, along with intellectual values from a very young age. Consequently, offering their students a very balanced education that makes them fully proof against ignorance.
5. More exams to write: The installation of another compulsory secondary school leaving certificate examination, and some universities (federal and private) also conducting entry-examinations of theirs before admission, has increased the number of examinations taken by secondary school leavers and seekers of university admissions. Consequently, they study and work much harder than before if they are to gain an admission into a tertiary institution.
6. Strict adherence to their calendars: These schools also run a very strict calendar that’s uninterrupted by strikes or economic issues, unlike their government counterparts. This makes it easier for the students to focus on their work without distractions of any sort.

From the different points set out above, one can easily see that the education systems in Africa at the primary and secondary levels have made good progress in recent times, and it’s extremely likely to advance much further in the coming years.