Fresh Crisis Rocks Education in Enugu As 50% of Children Can’t Read, Solve Simple Math

• Enugu State suffers a serious education crisis rooted in elementary school teaching and learning
• The secretary to the state government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said 50 per cent of children in the region cannot read or solve fundamental mathematics
• He also stated that the problem does not only exist in Enugu but labelled it as a nationwide issue that must be curbed

Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil society, courts, and metro

The Enugu State Government's Secretary, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, has raised concerns about education, revealing that approximately half of the children in the region cannot read or solve fundamental mathematical problems.

This revelation was made at the quadrennial convention of the Old Boys Association of Union Secondary School in Awkunanaw, Enugu, where Onyia delivered a keynote address titled "Smart Basic Education and the Future of Africa."

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In his speech, he highlighted the substantial educational difficulties confronting Enugu State.

As quoted by Daily Trust, he said:

“Our findings were shocking. After six years of primary school, 50 per cent of our children cannot read a single word in English, and those who can read struggle with comprehension. 50% of our children cannot solve simple subtraction challenges.”

The Nigerian learning crisis

While worrying about the bigger picture, Onyia highlighted that the problem goes beyond Enugu State.

He pointed out that three out of four children who finish their primary education in Nigeria lack adequate skills in both numeracy and literacy.

He said:

"The World Bank, UNICEF, and UNESCO have defined this as ‘the Nigerian Learning Crisis.'”

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Emphasising another issue, Onyia underscored a skill deficiency among children who finish elementary education, attributing it to shortcomings in current teaching approaches.

He highlighted that children experience a deficiency in essential skills as conventional teaching methods fail to adequately provide them with scientific, technological, productive, and digital competencies.

Nigerians get invitation to apply for scholarships in 3 unique categories

In another report, the Zeribe Nwosu Scholarship (ZNS) offers Nigerians scholarships in three unique categories.

The 3 categories are Undergraduate to Postgraduate Transition, Online Learning (Female Applicants Only) and Artificial Intelligence and Data Science.

The scholarship application started on January 1 and will close on Match 1 for Online Learning (Female Applicants Only) and April 1 for others.

Source: Legit.ng