Education Beyond Schooling: The Nigerian Perspective
Generally, education is considered as the process of teaching and learning. The Cambridge Dictionary supports this assertion by defining education as “the process of teaching or learning, especially in a school or college”. Hence, education is the process of imparting and acquiring knowledge, values, skills, etcetera.
Contrary to general belief, it is my joy to inform you that education is not limited to the four walls of a classroom. Education is undoubtedly beyond going to school to formally acquire knowledge and skills. And then this should trigger a question: ‘What is schooling?’ Schooling, according to the Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, is a kind of education that is received at any formal school setting. On this standpoint, this piece will seek to educate us on how education is beyond schooling, using the Nigerian experience as a case study.
In this ever-changing world, a generation of schooled young adults is not what we desire. We need educated and productive young adults to make the world a better place. A renowned educationist and scholar, Dr Ganiu Abisoye Bamgbose, usually says that education, basically, means the acquisition of skills, knowledge, values and attitudes which make one a functional member of the society. This suffices to say any education that does not bring about real life changes in you is definitely a scam. In other words, if the education you claim to have received does not make you a value-adding and responsible human being in the society, then, you are not educated.
What is more, many people of this age go to school just to be seen as "educated" individuals. Most times when they are being asked "Are you educated?", they're quick to shout; "Of course! I even graduated from the Department of English". Sadly, when many of them are critically examined, it turns out that they truly went to school but haven't received any education. For instance, you see a graduate of English who cannot distinguish between a simple and a complex sentence. They sometimes disguise to sound sophisticated by using high-sounding words (grandiloquence). However, they do not even understand, let alone tell the rules that guide the use of the language they supposedly have learnt for four years.
Additionally, tell me why a student of Religion and Peace Studies would talk aggressively and act violently in the bear eyes of the public. What is actually the purpose of the knowledge he/she has acquired if he/she could not display tolerance and peace in public settings. Are we not supposed to be curious as to why university students will make grammatical blunders, and when they get corrected, they say "Am I a student of English?”. Even if you did not do English as GNS (general studies), don't you think the fact that you hold a degree confers on you the responsibility and duty to speak and communicate well with people in the language? Mark you, you need not be a student of English to express yourself clearly and effectively. After all, the language is the official language in the country.
In conclusion, education is beyond schooling because at the end of everything, no one will actually be interested in how many times you attended lectures while in school. The end goal is about how you can creatively, efficiently and productively make an application of whatever you have learnt in school.