LETTER ADDRESSED 6YRS AGO BY EDUPEDIA TO NIGERIAN EDUCATIONAL AUTHORITIES!

25/11/2005

Dear Madam,

ACADEMIC ARTHRITIS IN NIGERIA AND TIME FOR CHANGE! AN INTRODUCTION OF EDUPEDIA

We wish to introduce EDUPEDIA ASSOCIATES and enclose a brochure giving a good brief on what we are and what we aim to achieve.

Today, education is no longer what it used to be. Our children’s learning process has developed an unusual curve which keeps mesmerizing them and most other stakeholders in the industry. It’s obvious that our average student of today can no longer be educated with the teaching methods of yesterday. From what we have observed it may take a while before Government makes a determined effort to clean up the inappropriate teaching methods being used all over the Federation.

Many parents of course still assume that schools and teachers would be top-notch the way they were in their days. They still assume that motivations, aspirations and goals of their children would be congruent with theirs when they were in school. Unfortunately, many parents are in educational jungles and may be lost without knowing or wishing to accept it..The truth is that lots of lotions, creams and make-up are being applied today by many schools to cover what is basically bad education. Many parents naturally look for financial breakthroughs instead of paying more attention to their children who need  both strategic and miraculous interventions  for curing their academic rashes and pimples.

What does the student think today about schooling? Its no big puzzle that most of them think of school life and school management as academic cork stoppers to their “enjoyment”. They even see  some particular tutors  as having nothing to offer than old polish or  scary ingredients to their academic menu. So what do they do? They hardly listen in class, hardly take appropriate notes or ever learn to speak correctly in public. They hardly study or write correctly either. For examination purposes, the acceptable norm or option is not to study smartly but to “brilliantly” use cheating tools (expo)  for academic successes.Even up to their graduation day  from a university!

What then are the results of all these? A  closer walk with an average secondary school student whether  private or public  may bring a tear or two to the eye. It will be very clear from the most basic observation that there are serious problems requiring new remedial approaches to education in Nigeria. Many students even need specialists to explain  the basic relationship between education and schooling!

And  this is where our outfit EDUPEDIA hopes to come in with wholesome new educational methods and techniques for a new awakening in students and other stakeholders .EDUPEDIA is not a mere combination of education and encyclopaedia. Our aim is to serve students, staff, management, school owners, parents and Government educational administrators  at federal and state levels. EDUPEDIA is about academic re-engineering and cruise control. Its an attempt to stop all the SHOULDA-WOULDA-COULDAS of school life. We aim to cooperate with educators to empower students with modern and unique techniques for achievement of amazing results. By doing this we can be satisfied that we are contributing to celebrating schooling!

We are of course circulating this letter to proprietors of schools ,other educational agencies and members of the National Assembly. We look forward to having an invitation from you soonest for further discussion on these matters.

Thanking you.

Yours faithfully

EDUPEDIA

NOTE…this is a slightly amended version of the actual letter which was a bit longer. But the above extract tells the whole story about its aims.

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REPLY FROM THE FEDERAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION  3 MONTHS LATER

Ref. No DE/ESS/219/V.L.T.2 dated 16th February 2006
PROPERLY ADDRESSED

PROPERLY HEADED

Please refer to your letter dated 23rd November 2005 on the above subject matter.

I am directed to convey to you the Honourable Minister  of Education’s COMMENDATION for your laudable initiative at a time when the Federal Government is focusing on Education as a tool for promoting achievements of Millennium Development Goals

The Ministry would study further your proposal with a view to considering a possible PATRONAGE or COLLABORATING with your consulting firm.

Please accept the assurances of (with) our highest regards
Signed by I.K.ZAIFADA Director(Higher Education) for the Honorable Minister

COMMENTS BY EDUPEDIA

1.We think we got the benefit of a response because one of the best Education Ministers Nigeria ever had was in charge.We believe  she might have followed up if she had not returned suddenly to the World Bank.

2.Two interesting words which seem to summarize what Government officials usually think of such proposals are PATRONAGE and COLLABORATING.We are not out to diss our Federal Ministry of Education but it appears the attitude reflected by those words led to non follow-up after the exit of Dr Mrs Ezekwesili.Sad to say that we also hear that many of the laudable programs she started are no longer priority to the same Ministry.

3.For once we hope our Education authorities will start looking beyond PATRONAGES AND COLLABORATION and seek out those with whom they can roll up their sleeves with or without monetary gains for the overall good of  our students.At least here we are publishing almost 30 yrs of tested methods and techniques without any pecuniary compensation  apart from hoping that they will  spread like wildfire  to students through their schools and tutors.

4.If there is something we are looking forward to it is getting Dr Mrs Ezekwesili involved  in one of our  future programs.We of course like to  pay due respect to  the current Minister of Education and Minister of State for Education.They should please know  we are not in the business of tarnishing the image of anyone  for purposes of attention or PATRONAGE!

Thank you.

EDUPEDIA ASSOCIATES (first Nigerian Web-based Remedial School!)

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