Published by The Reading Association of Nigeria

1997 Copyright Reserved: RAN

Computer Typesetting by: The De-Ife TA WL Centre of Excellence for Literacy and Literacy Education. P.M. B. 003 Obafemi Awolowo University Post Office lie-Ife, Nigeria

ISBN 978 2343013

~rinted by:

Gbadeksol Nigeria Enterprises. 70, More Street, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria

ii

F

Foreword Preface List of contributors KEYNOTEADDRESS&SUBlHEMEONE: Litera·cy for Social Development -Professor L Oyedeji

1Literacy for Governance in.Nigeria The Power and Politics of Literacy Education in Nigeria v"' I. A. Olaofe Literacy and Politics in Nigeria. A Gruesome Negation of Goals- N. U. Nlla Literacy for Socio-Political Emancipation- SJ. Ekpc SUB THEME 1WO: Literacy for National Devclopnient

,J Literacy, the Reading Culture and National Development.; l.e~c;ons for Nigeria -0. Fagbcmi. V Liternc) and Technology Transfer- 0. B. Jegede. Enviromental Literacy for Building a Sustainable Society: Implication for Educational Planning- F. Anijah-Obi Developing Literacy for the Attainment of Better Life for the Nigerian Rural Massl.'s -L Olude SUB THEME THREE: Literacy for Personal Eman<;ipation Radical Strategies For Emancipatory Literacy and their Implications for the Curriculum Process- M. E. Inyang-Abia Towards Improved Functional Literacy for Ru.t:al Dwellers: an Evaluation of the Mass Literacy Edu~ation Programme in Kwara State, Nigeria - S. T Babatunde

~The Reading Lesson: An Emancipating or a Domesticating Experience?- J. J. Olatunji and K. Sanni Breaking the Chains ofllliteracy among Nigerian Rural Adults: Problems ami Prospects - A. E. Obot. Functional Lite.racy for Rural Women: A Must for Emancipation- C. E. Onyewotu A Survey of the Adequacy of the Adult and Non-Formal Education Facilities in Delta State-R. N. Amantu. SUB THEME FOUR: Literacy for Occupational Development Promoting Career Awareness and Occupational Literacy-among Primary School Children- H.M. Denga Literacy For Enterpreneursh.ip- R. B. Etor An Investigation into Occupational Literacy Needs, Using the Barrett Taxonomy of Cognitive and Affective Dimensions of Reading Comprehension from Workers' Perspective- S. E. I. Odiase SUB THEME FIVE: Te,.,1book and the Material Factor in Literacy Development Literacy: Creativity And Mass Communication - W. Osisanwo ~Enhancing Reading and Writing Skills in the J.S.S. through the

Newspaper- T. 0. Omojuwa Modern,_ Theatre Practice in Nigeria: The Literacy Factor-S. E. Ododo

Page(s)

l 3 -I.f _

15-32 .

33-43 45-56

57

59-<>8 69-78

79-89

91-100

101

103-111

113-122

123-130

131-141

143-151

153-163

165

167-176 177-185

189-194

195 197-207

2<4~220 221-231

t ~f!F

The Need for Musical Liter<.:y in Nigeria- T. S. Adeola Developing Creative Thinking through Selected Language Materials fo~Compreliension-E. 0. Lambo Literacy for Creativity: The Creative artist and his Audience -ApegbaKer Directed Reading Approach (DRA) : A Guide to the Realization of the Creative Impluse in Primary School Children- S.N.I. Oden

SUB THEME SIX: Literacy for Lifelong Learning The Role of Translation in Literacy for Education- J. K. Okeke Promoting Independent Reading Habits in Primary Schools through a Literacy Rich Classroom Enviroment - J. 0. Omojuwa Nigerian Education and Functional Literacy by the Year 2000: How Feasible?- C. I. Ikegbunam Approaches to the Teaching of Literacy- D. Jolayemi The place of Reading in the SttJdents' Efforts to Learn English as a

- 233-240

- 241-253

- 255-263.

- 265-274.

275-- 277-?85.

- 287-292

- 293-301. - 303-313.

Second Language -A.O. Folaran - 315-324. "

SUB THEME SEVEN: Tex1book, Library and Material Factors in Literacy - 325 Producing Teaching Materials for Reading in the EAP (English For Academic Purposes) Classroom- M.O. Tinuoye Libraries and the Promotion of Literacy for Better Life among Rural Dwellers-M. E. Etuk Cultivating Effective Library Reading­Skills for Specific Purposes- J. 0. Omoniyi Literacy for Education at the Primary Level A Content Analysis of the Reading Comprehension Passages in the Primary English Readiirs • S. J. Umoh Reading Problems and Lexical Knowledge- C. S. Olorode

SUB THEME EIGHT: Instructional Strategies for Comprehension and Read Development

vCultivating Critical Reading Skills Through Group Activity­J.S.Aliyu Mathemagenic Behaviour In The Nigeria Reading Comprehension Class -Dr. A. Lawai

vChanges in Reading Styles between Primary and JSSDasses: What Hope for Effective Teaching Methods?- S.O. Medahunsi Parents Role in Enhancing Reading Ability in Educable Mentally Retarded Children- E. P. Ntukidem Influence of University Students' Reading Attitudes and Fields of

- 327-336

- 337-345.

- 3-l7-352.

- 353-358 - 359-36t.

365.

- 367-376.

-377-387.

- 389-400.

- 401-410

Specialization on their Comprehension Performance in English- S.B. Olajide- 411-424. Effects of Two Instructional Methods on Pupils' Reading I Comprehension- H. O:Yusuf - 425435.

SUB THEME NINE: Factor In The Teacher Emancipation · ' - 437. Towards High Teacher Morale in The Use ofEnglish Curriculum C. E. Onukaogu Develpoing Effective Literacy for Effective Education A. F. Obi-Okoye Literacy For Academic Purposes: An Analysi.~ of Microbiology A~tracts N.N.Osakwe

/ A Comparative Assessment of the Reading Skills Component ofTwo\Text-

.::: 439-456. - 457-469.

- 471-485.

books for the Nijerian Junior Secondary S,chool Y.Y. Muslimi- B. LaWai -487-497.

In spite c 1993, WI

continue the leade 1994. p, the shan country This vol of the cc conferen

RAN is ignoran' livin_g_ \i believes develop .considen sound d<

The art! eman~ip recomm planner~

convinCI foundat emanci{ laid. PRO FE! PRESIDJ

Enhancing Reading And Writing Skills In The J. S. S.

Through The Newspaper

Taiwo .0. Omojuwa (Mrs)

209

Literacy and Reading Itt Nigeria

Abstract paper focuses on how to assist students in improving their reading and writing by using the newspaper as a text. The aim is to (I) improve the reading

ility level of students who read newspapers (ii) enhance their writing skills on the newspaper experience of these students, and (iii) forge a link between

· newspaper experience and the world outside.

!tarts by looking at the reading habit of Nigerians, with particular reference to newspaper. It explains and gives guidelines to teachers and students on what to us on when reading and how to read for specific purposes.

~en expatiates on the above techniques as well as materials which are now used ~ving the students guidelines on writing strategies.

paper concludes by making suggestions that would be of benefit to teachers, · ts as well as the average newspaper reader.

uction · paper is concerned with how to enh~ce and promote reading and writing 'Is, using the newspaper as a text in order to derive maximum understanding enjoyment from the ability to usethese skills effectively. The.aim is to improve

~well as sharpen the reading and writing skills of students who read newspapers.

leading and writing have, for some time, been treated as separate skills that · are oot related in any way. This led to the distinction made between receptive skills ~stening and reading) and expressive skills (writing and speaking). However, with ~integrative approach to teaching and language learning, it was found that these :wo skills are actually closely related and could, most often, be regarded as one anified skill, with reading acting as a stimulant for writing and vice-versa. Cheyney (1992: 19) actually argues that "writing is not an activity to be pursued in isolation from any other skill area".

People read in order to obtain information, develop vocabulary, make inferences, classify, observe, analyse, criticize, identify relationships, differentiate styfes, draw conclusions and make generalizations. These should be the goal of a good reader. As the reader approaches the material to be read, he is expected to perform certain tasks either before, during or after he has fmished reading.

211

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A" '

a~ciag Reading And Writing Skills In The Jss Through The Newspaptr

o and writing skills are very essential to the student since he has tr nd what he has to read in order that he can put it in writing. These twc

en-e several purposes and functions which include personal, social • and political. In addition, these skills increase students' awareness aoo

ng of social problems, enable them to forge a moral code fa e-courage them to try to transform other people's lives and consi~

tl•l.tes t~ would never have thought of. But how well do our studen~

in these two skills? Perhaps, a look at the reading habits of Nigeri~ f mi~t help.

g Habits of Nigerians en observed that reading is not part of our culture. Olaofe ( 1988:15-16.

study on the reading tradition in Nigeria, noted that:

N:g ria's educational system is still largely ·a, natwn-oriented ... The approach to the teaching

of rwding across the various educationai levels is faulty.. . The Nigerian environment itself does not promote reading for pleasure.

ng to h1m, only 16.43% of the literate adults were reading: f I j1

wrapping paper. P handy, can be rea without fear of mis people buy newspa: particular point in 1

One might be temp newspapers? Textb actually put off advantages:

It is aathentic The currency of i students can obtai Education, Health,

O>nh1uwa (1991 :5) later observed, among other things, that:

Newspapers are "u Like, sports, mus education etc. The reader through the excites students by outside. Even witt most accessible tex being used in copin Tea· ·hers at post-primary education levels did not read, although

they could. Adult outside the school system hardly ever read effectively: Books to read were not available in the homes of over 5C~ ... of Nigerian nuclear families: More seriously, books to read ~~ ~... not available to pupils within the formal school system: ... and Nigerian adults do not read for pleasure.

Se~f'<""'i to.ars also share the views of these authors (see for exarnr Emf"t".vnm•, 1982; Lawai 1989).

T!·. ding habits of Nigerians, from the fore-going, is slightly different woo C!'"il~ 16 the newspapers. The aim of the newspaper is to entertain, inform ed·(, c< e •its readers . .It does this by providing up-to-date information on al e\~ ~ sul1ject that ' is taught in schools, ih a simple and clear way. W

pers· were· sold at affordable prices, people bought them just to scan browse through, obtain results of pools and even for later use 1

.212

It encourages stuc ·retain information 1

Research studies h "have greater kno\1 about the world a reading skill and 2

behaviour, motivat

The teacher who i: always have some ; (1988) observe tha requirernents/resou

e Newsp11p~r LiteTIICY 1111d R~ading In Nig~ri11

ince he has to :ing. These two ~rsonal, socia~

ing paper. People fmd it easier to read newspapers perhaps because it is , can be read . anywhere and at any time, can be easily JUShed through ut fear of missing out on anything really. significant etc. In ~ present times,

Je buy newspapers largely because of the topical issues ·that are prevalent at a · ar point in time- especially Nigeria's political and ecOnomic problems.

awareness and 1oral code for ::s and consider . . · 0 t d

teDllght be tempted to ask:. Why.devtate from the use of textbooks?: Why use our s u ents . · · ·

Is Of N. . rtV!papers? Textbooks are volununous, bormg, stereotyped and fnghtemng; they 1genans . .

rt~ally put off some students. Whereas the newspaper has the followmg ~!vantages:

: ( 1988: 15-16), i altbentic currency of ideas, infonnation, innovation, etc. is high. This means that

1lthough rer read of over to read

rodents can obtain up-to-date information from a fresh perspective on Law, :ducation, Health, Technology, Politics, etc.

'ewspapers are "user friendly" as students can always find interesting topics here . . &e, sports, music, politics, health, in~emational developments, environment, liucation etc. The design is such that makes information readily accessible to the uder through the headlines, editorials, opinion columns, etc. It challenges and :xcites students by acting as a bridge between life in the classroom and the world :utside. Even with their present prohibitive prices, newspapers stHI remain the :A>St accessible text that covers a variety of subject areas in one edition capable of :eing used in coping with the realities of day-to-day living.

ft encourages students to think critically, interpret correctly, reason logically, in information and transfer it to the world of reality.

·stem: ... Research studies have indicated that students who study the newspaper in school

for example 'have greater knowledge of current events, are more politically aware, know more about the world at large, have positive attitude towards school, improve their reading skill and attitudes (as measured by standardized tests), and improve in

=t'erent when it behaviour, motivation and verbal interaction (Cheyney, op. cit: ix).

in, inform and . · ion on 1 1

The teacher who mtends to use the newspaper as a text for hts students should r way a;hos always have some goals in mind before starting the process. Zakaluk and Samuels st to ;can t: (1988) observe that the writer always assumes that the reader has the necessary later llse as : requirements/resources for ad~uate understanding of what he is going to read.

213

Enhancing Reading And Writing Skills In The Jss Through The Newspaper

This implies that the reader has a duty to perform - he has to bring in his own world experiences so that he can meet the writer on a common (middle) ground. He cannot, however, do this if the necessary resources - vocabulary, decoding skills, making inferences, etc. have not been cultivated to an appreciable level.

The teacher should give ;nstruction that focuses on the process of ideas rather tlm1 the output. This is the process versus product approach. Process being the ideas as

they flow out from the wnter's pen, and product being what the reader makes o. the outflow of ideas. Both process and product could als0 be in relation to t1r

reader only. .

Get copies of the pap·er you intend to use. You may choose to use a different oo

Techniques Techniques ~ use the tradi they will fin• The teacher will answer c

A much mor and post-rea instance. "0 1 this order:

for each group. Then start by either classifYing the paper yourself or by asking~ a. Pre-

students to do this. Typical classification can be Name of Newspaper, Dau Opinion, Education, Sports, Politics, State news, World news, Advertising, L~ matters, Lehers to the Editor, etc.

However, doing it yourself gives you the advantage of promptly correcting erroc: made by the students. Determine which aspects of language use you want to tead After you have done this, design activities that would help the students improving their reading and writing skills. By this time, you should have selectt' the article you wish to present to your students as the activities they engage in~ be based on the article. Then consider the following: a. What is the desired outcome of the reading and writing lesson(s) b. The time available. c. Characteristics of the learners viz.:

i. Interest and relevance of the article to the students ii. Proficiency level of these students iii. Language needs of these students iv. Topicality of the material, etc.

It is important that the teacher should read and fully understand the article befi it is given to the students. As it is with the teacher, so it is with the students. M sure they read and understand before they are asked to write. Students can ~

write what they understand and can correctly interpret. for instance, tak1 newspaper cartoon and ask them to read it. After about 5 minutes, ask therr interpret this cartoon. Listen as each student interprets. There is always a lot the class to learn when you allow them to talk. Then you can ask each studen write down his own interpretation of the cartoon.

214

t.

11.

iii. tv. v.

Then. Let stl such as socic These "why"

b. Dur.

Ask specific use as well a

i. ii. m.

tV.

v.

Let students chalkboard s to make gen1 and descripti

Newspaper

ring in his own middle) ground ulary, decoding iable level. deas rather than ~ing the ideas as ·eader makes of . relation to the

~ehniques

~hniques abound in the process of teaching reading and writing. The teacher can ae the traditional technique which stans by the teacher telling the student what ]ey will find in the article. Then, he teaches words that are new to the students. !be teacher then asks questions after the article has been read. Finally, students ill answer questions on what they have read.

~much more innovative approach would be to d.esign pre-reading, during-reading utd post-reading activities (Stoller, 1994). Take the article (Appendix 1) for ;'!Stance. "Our children's future". One can design activities based on this article in

' a different one U!is order: x by asking the ' Pre-reading activities

1. Have a general discussion on what the students observe about the . present education system.

wspaper, Date, vertising, Legal

:)ITecting errors 1 want to teach. he students in

11. Who are the people involved? iii. Why are they behaving that way?

tv. How can we help; v. When do you think things will change?

d have selected Then. Let students scan for details, skim for main ideas, consider new vocabulary ' engage in will such as socialization, increment, bounced, motivated, etc.

e article before itudents. Make dents can only I stance, take a s, ask them to

These "why" questions help students to learn to draw conclusions.

b. During Reading activities

Ask specific questions that will enable you to cover several aspects of language use as well as cover what they are reading e.g.

1. What is the problem in this article? ii. Can you describe it? m. Is there any comparison between this problem and any other you are

familiar with? iv. When you think about the problem in this article, what first comes to

your mind? v. In your own opinion, what role has the government played so far? etc.

!ways a lot for Let students make notes as they read. The questions above should be on the ~ch student to chalkboard so that students are made to read for specific purposes. They are free

to make generalizations, inferences, etc. in addition to the comparison, analysis, and description mentioned above.

215 .

Edad11g Readi11g A11d Writing Slcills /11 The Iss Through The Newspaper ·- -- · -·- - --·-· - -- . - -

c. Post-reading activities You can give stud Have another discussion with the students. Ask them how they c.an apply wl( • Write.reports/ they have learned to their own life. You could also bring an argumentali'i • If it is possibl1 dimension to the article by asking them to take sides with either the government~ • What sections the teachers. Ask them to write short summaries, use the new vocabulary in n~ • What do you t contexts, etc. Then, for correct sequencing, they should be asked to cut the artie into bitst making sure they do this in paragraphs. Mix these up and ask them arrange these paragraphs in a sequence. Of course, you have the original copy.~ Conclusion

1 a matter of fact, some articles have been improved by students in this way. The main thrust o

newspaper and v. illustrations have articles for a sys oblivious of the contact between t agent. The triangu many of the pater Despite the prohi become involved i where the parents . compose their owr

Connotations and Denotations can be taught by picking words such as " baked" "raw deal" etc. Explain how newspapers often use the different nuance~ a word, to make a point. To determine the cause and effect relationship in article, ask them to find out why school children are roaming the streets and or what is responsible for this.

The students should pay particular attention to the punctuation marks in article. They should be able to point out similes, metaphors, change of tense person, etc. Synonyms, antonyms, definitions and idioms can be taught by u

crossword puzzles. Most newspapers have crossword puzzles with the ans~:

appearing in the next issue.

In writing, writing a good paragraph is very important. Let the student answer "wb" questions in the pre-reading activities. The answers should be written. 'II

they can write good paragraphs, involve them in activities based on the newsp1.1 e.g. writing obituaries, personality profile, biographies, advertisements, for' columns, advice columns, cartoons, etc. The Daily Times is quite noted fcr

obituaries. These could be on the death of a favourite pet, a favourite 'T' ~ plate, pair of shoes, etc.

As earlier acknow be taken to build

generating writing some of the systerr into reality.

Aboderin, Y. (IS Integration. In S.

After any writing .exercise, encourage students to rearrange their para~ 300-314. Ahmadu proof read and edit for mistakes, etc. The fact is that teachers can do much+ Association of Nig with only one article. When it is becoming boring, especially if students have it twice, disca~d it and give them a new one. There is no gainsaying. the facl newspaJ?er can encourage and lead to change and development. Teachers stud~ particularly have an important influence on public opinion. "Thl course, makes newspapers themselves influential ... " (Sheal and Omojuwa, I 303).

216 .

heyney, A. B. ( Newark, Delaware /12 Olaofe, I.A. (1988 Vol 23, No. I April -:::-

L .\_

~P~paper Literacy and Reading In Nige~

can give students assignment such as: ~an apply what Write.reports/comments on your favourite newspaper argumentative !fit is possible, make a trip to the nearest library or newspaper agen ...

J government or What sections interest you most in the newspaper? :abulary in new What do you think you can gain by reading the newspapers? o cut the article .nd ask them to ·iginal copy. ~lusion

1 lis way. ~main thrust of this paper was to highlight the potCQtial inter-link b

foVSpaper and writing development at the school level. The suggesti such as "half. iiStrations have dwelt on how the teacher and students can utili.,.

:rent nuances o · les for a systematic build-up of the writing skill. The writer, t

ltionship in the ivious of the frightening upsurge in newspaper cost, recommends streets and who>lltact between the classroom, the library and, where possible, tile n

en!. The triangular relation can provide the basi~ for a practical _ tua, s 11ny of the potentials buried in the printed material available o

1 marks in the~pite the prohibitive cost, it is this presentt.-r's view that pa eDts , nge of tense or ome involved in developing the reading-writing culture. 1 hi!> II taught by usin tere the parents encourage their wards to read ava ilable new-;P,ap~. .. 1m ith the answers pose their own stories based on their reading.

earlier acknowledged, much rests on the teacher regarding the 1

dent answer the taken to build on the potential advantages of the newspap e written. When ~erating writing practices. What this paper has concentrated on IS to ~ .. 1 the newspaper ~me of the systematic procedures that can be follo~ed to translate -sl

:ments, for sale to reality. te noted for its Jurite 'T' shirt, ReferenN':<I

~derin, Y. (1985) Readmg and Writing Tie-up: Strnte ~

Integration. ln S. Unoh et. al. (eds.)Literacy and Reading in. N.~ , eir paragraphsJJ00-314. Ahmadu Bello University Zana in collaboration ' 1 do much mord~ssociation ofNigeria. dents have us ing the fact tha :. Teachers a ~heyney, A. B. (1992). Teacbmg Reading Skills tbroug 1 ,, ... t.

inion. "This, Newark, Delaware 197 I 4 : International Reading Association. )mojuwa, 1985: r'l?

Olaofe, I.A. ( 1988). Reading Tradition: Can it be developed in Nigeria? READ, Vo/23, No. I April. Pp 13-20. \:;:.-

L -L- 217

Enhancing Reading And Writing Skills In The Jss Through The Newspaper

Omojt.4wa, R.A. (1991 ). "RAN and Literacy Promotion in Nigeria" Presiden' Address. InT. 0. Oyetunde et. a/; (eds.) Literacy and Reading in Nigeria. 5. Pp3-8. NERDC in collaboration with the Reading Association of Nigeria

. ,~er, F.L. (1994). Making the Most of a Newsmagazine Passage for Readi Skills Development. In English Teaching Forum, Vol 32, No.I January. Pp.2-'

Zakaluk, B.L. & Sam~els, S.J. (eds) 1988. Readability: Its Past, Present Future. Newark, Delaware: International Reading Association.

· Shea!, P.and Omojuwa, R; (1985). Advanced English Course for Colleges Universities in Africa. Engiand: Longman.

Emenyonu, P. T. (1983). Promoting the Reading Habit in Nigeria. InS. 0 Unci a/ (Eds). LITERACY AND READING IN NIGERIA. Vol. I. Ahmadu &, University Zaria in collaboration with the Reading Association of Nigeria.

Lawai, B. ( 1989). An Analytical Study of the Reading Habits of Some Secmo. School students in Oyo Town. In R. A. Omojuwa et a/ (Eds.). Literacy Reading In Nigeria. Vol. 4. Ahmadu Bello University in collaboration wit~ Reading Association ofN igeria.

Appendix 1

Our Children 's Future By Mary Kanu

Those in authority, I hope, realise what they are doing to the future of country. Education, we all agree, is a means to achieve information, socialiZi, and foundation for the future. But the school .system through which educatiot be imparted is being assaulted every day by the inefficiency of governmenl frustration of teachers.

School children all over the country are having a raw deal. In Lagos State instance, teach~rs at the primary school level are on strike because the councils are owing them march and April salaries. Those at the secondal) st·

level are contending with grumbling teachers. A few weeks ago, the government paid their March salary including the arrears of the 45% incre~

218

Later, some of · bee:1 paid with interests on the want to, and im

The result of cc in their classro wanderings.

Now, the univc would have to crisis is comint calendars have by the teachers their part cannc campus for hal

So, what do W(

confused and a and tutored to t

As a Third We extent provide development. E future, and do manner of ace• implement ther and half-baked

We must give future of our • future for us? I would be able 1

Surely, history decrees and ed be the respons over primary a

'he Newspaper Literacy and Reading In Nigeria

igeria" President ter, some of the secondary school teachers were informed that they had actually ing in Nigeria. :1 paid with a bounced government cheque and as such would have to pay n of Nigeria Jterests on the money they have received. So, they go to classes when and if they 1

tant to, and insist they are not motivated to teach. ssage for ReadifiJ January. Pp.2-7 The result of course, is that children are roaming the streets when they should be

n their classrooms. All manner of mischief has been attributed to their various ~ast, Present aliwanderings.

~ow, the university teachers have resumed their strike. In a few days, student for Colleges a~would have to go home to join their siblings in roaming the streets. This latest

crisis is coming at a time when four months of primary and secondary school calendars have already been lost during the nation-wide industrial action embarked

t. InS. 0 Unoh tby the teachers to press for the 45% increase in their salaries. The universities on I. Ahmadu Bell their part cannot claim to have at any given time in the past five years, stayed on 'Nigeria. campus for half of any nine-month session.

Some ). Literacy Joration with

So, what do we have. Children who are not motivated to learn and a gene!ation of confused and angry youth. Yet it is imperative that every being is well informed and tutored to have a place in the highly competitive world.

As a Third World country, we are hoping for such a time when we can, to some extent provide our hasic needs without all the frustrations associated with under­development. But we are not seen to be laying a sound foundation for such a future, and do not deserve to be taken seriously. Yet we are full of plans for all manner of accomplishments by the year 2000 and beyond. Those we expect to implement them and carry the banner are the present generation of ill-motivated and half-baked children and youth.

We must give this a serious thought. Do we consider education important to the future of our country? Are we expecting the present day youth to handle that future for us? Do we think that with the frustrations they are contending with, they would be able to do it for us?

Surely, history will judge us. That is why it is important that we examine our decrees and edicts. Education, like defence, agriculture and foreign affairs· should be the responsibility of the Federal Government. It does not make sense to hand over primary and secondary education to the local councils and state governmen!s

. 219

Enhancing Reading And Writing Skills In Tht'Jss Through The Newspaptr

when more than 90 per cent of the school age population are at those levels. It does not make sense all the same to insist that the government should monopolise education when it apparently lacks the commitment to do so.

The is why voluntary organisations and missions should be given back the schools taken from them by the government. There are parents in Nigeria who are prepared to pay school for their children in mission and private school. Sud parents should be given the opportunity to do so. The rest of us who cannot pa) can be taken care of by the state.

As for tertiary education, the government should be serious about funding at tlx level. It is not enough to say university teachers are striking for more pay wh~ other issues such as the provision of facilities and autonomy are not highlighted Meanwhile, something should be done fast to keep the children off the str~ during school hours.

The Guardian, Tuesd . . May II, i993. P23 .

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Mo Nig