WHO KILLED 6-3-3-4?

The educational system in Nigeria has been faced with myriad of challenges just as there have been several efforts to mitigate the challenges. From primary to secondary and tertiary education, the system appears to need an urgent intervention if the expectation of transforming the country to meet up with other countries of the world is going to be a reality. In my considered opinion, one of the evils bedeviling the educational system is continuous change of approach and policy somersault.

The 6-3-3-4 system of education was introduced in 1982 to replace the 6-5-4 system. According to experts, it was designed to inject functionality into the Nigerian school system, by producing graduates who would be able to make use of their hands, head and the heart (the 3Hs of education). I assume as it is logical to assume and conclude that the policy was midwifed arising from the understanding that Nigeria cannot advance without science and technology education.

The 6-3-3-4 was conceptualised to aside from catering for educational needs provide skills that could make the youths self reliant and also help in driving technological development of the nation.

Unfortunately, years after the conceptualisation and formulation of that lofty policy, the Nigeria educational system still produce graduates who can actively make use of their head and their heart but are limited in making use of their hands. Sadly, when there is no space for the head to function, the hand becomes useless which is an exponential disadvantage to technological development. There are many graduates today who are intellectually endowed but are redundant because the system did not train them to use their hands.

I remember that I was a partaker of the 6-3-3-4 system. The 6-3-3-4 system of education in Nigeria was designed for the students to spend six years in primary school, three years in junior secondary school, three years in senior secondary school, and four years in a tertiary institution. Unfortunately, with the latest developments, it cannot be said that the period allocated for each frame is the maximum expended as many actions and inactions of government lead to the unwarranted extension of the period.  

My focus today is on the Secondary School education. The Secondary School students spend a minimum period of six years in Secondary School. During the six years, students are expected to spend three years in Junior Secondary School and three years in Senior Secondary School.

The introduction of the 6-3-3-4 system of education in Nigeria came with the introduction of some peculiar subjects in its core-curriculum. At the Secondary School, I remember the introduction of Building Technology, Applied Electricity and Wood Work. To drive the vision, new laboratories were constructed in schools for the purpose of the newly introduced subjects and the laboratories were supplied with equipments for learning. I remember that about 10 of us opted for Applied Electricity and sat for it at WASCE. Unfortunately, I am not sure that any of those schools supplied with the state of the art equipment can boast of a functional laboratory today.

The 6-3-3-4 system was designed such that students who could not proceed to the University would have learnt something and continue their education at Technical Colleges while those who are able to cross the hurdles of WASCE and JAMB would use the experiences in their field of choice. Beyond those benefits, some of the technical experiences are to live with the students for the rest of their lives. The students were expected to be able to solve some problems relating with their training. What a great idea!

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Today, we have technically abolished 6-3-3-4 with the elimination of the key hands-on courses such as Applied Electricity, Building Technology, Wood Work etc. How do we then drive technological development? These key technologically active courses are what other countries of the world are using to prepare the minds of their youths towards driving their economy taking advantage of technology. How did we miss it?

I hope we will begin to realise that an effective interaction between the hand, the head and the heart is essential for us to have the great country we envisage. We must begin to engage our youths on ideas that could provoke technological innovations. Let us begin to pay attention to our Secondary School education.

One other benefits of 6-3-3-4 in my opinion, is the reduction of crime and criminalities. The devil finds work for an idle hand! In the era of the introduction of 6-3-3-4, students who could not further their education ended up becoming an artisan as against today that the system throw all of them out into “okada” riding. A child that is already focusing on something will place more value in himself than a child that does not have an idea on what the future holds.