Bridging the Gap: Overcoming Challenges in Rural Education

The introduction of urban cities and modern societies has led more and more Nigerians to leave their Nigerian rural communities (what some call villages). This is done in search of a better life and better education for their children. 

The concept, in theory, has its merits; an opportunity to raise the next generation with a quality education that will be a stepping stone for a successful life, an introduction to a network of opportunities, and such things some will term 'greener pastures'.

However, the Nigerian reality with its economic state can not allow this. It's not easily doable nor is it sustainable for a guardian to afford such a lifestyle change. Although some could achieve this through sheer will, determination and maybe a little bit of grace, it'd be untrue to say this is the situation for a large majority of people. 

Thus, the people are left only with the choice of rural education.

This should not be an issue. Quality education is a fundamental right and a United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), there should be no reason that the government should not be putting ample resources and manpower into the provision of equal access to quality education. 

However, this is far from Nigeria's current state. The United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, UNICEF reports that 1 out of every 5 of the world's out-of-school children is in Nigeria. A truly embarrassing status for the nation. 

This gap in quality education in Nigeria is separated by the weight of the challenges in these rural communities. Some of the ways we may overcome these include:

1. The Cultural Barrier:

In many societies, education is seen as a white man's tool for trickery, thus the fear of the unknown keeps some wary of education. In another vein, gender bias may prevent some young girls from going to school. Of course, there is also the issue of religious beliefs, guardians would be wary of their children accepting religious beliefs unknown to their culture. All these cultural beliefs must be addressed and debunked, also religious sentiment can be kept out of the classroom to promote an inclusive society. 

2. Ease of Access: 

Provision of transportation or where feasible boarding facilities (that is, hostels) for students would reduce the strain on the students and their guardians. This logistics issue takes a heavy toll on rural education because guardians who are unable to drop off/pick up their children from school may be unwilling to risk the safety of their wards by permitting them to go on their own. In a case where this responsibility is taken up by the school, the guardians will be at ease.

3. Nutritional support or Feeding programs:

 Feeding programs such as that used in Ghana can be a great enticement for children to come to school. The strategy is to leverage the free meal to be given during school hours to entice guardians and their wards to come to school. Aside from the money-saving implication, who doesn't want free food? 

In addition, providing water and other forms of refreshment will be a great way to encourage education in rural communities. 

Also things like building conducive environments for learning, public-private partnerships which are already done in some schools in Nigeria, adapting curriculums to what is relevant in these rural societies, volunteer programs, book donations from older students, and so on would make a real difference in breaking bridging the gap of rural education in Nigeria. 

In a nutshell, an investment in quality rural education could change the pace of Nigeria's current development. Ensuring nationwide quality education by bridging the gap will improve not only the state of these rural communities but the state of Nigeria as a whole because education, quality education in particular is the foundation we need for the well-established Nigeria we've all dreamed of. 

Adebukola SA,

of Sustainobles.