The Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, disclosed a disconcerting revelation about the state of education during the quadrennial convention of the Old Boys Association of Union Secondary School in Awkunanaw, Enugu. 

Onyia delivered a keynote address on Thursday titled, “Smart Basic Education and the Future of Africa,” shedding light on the significant educational challenges faced by Enugu State.

Onyia revealed, “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. What we found out in Enugu State is written large across our nation.”

Expressing concern about the broader national context, Onyia emphasized that the issue extends beyond Enugu State, stating, “In Nigeria, three out of four children who completed basic education lack numeracy and literacy proficiency. The World Bank, UNICEF, and UNESCO have defined this as ‘the Nigerian Learning Crisis.'”

Highlighting an additional concern, Onyia pointed out a “Skills Gap” among children who complete basic education, attributing it to inadequacies in existing teaching methods. 

He noted, “Our children suffer a ‘Skills Gap’ because existing modes of teaching do not equip children with scientific, technological, productive, and digital competences.”