Presidential candidates urged to sign off on education reform manifestos

The Joint Education Stakeholders Action Coalition (JESAC) has called on presidential candidates in the 2023 general election to sign off on their education reform manifestos to provide assurance of seriousness to deliver on education programmes.

The Convener, National Coordinator of JESAC, Ike Onyechere, disclosed this in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.

Onyechere, who is also chairman, Exam Ethics Marshals International (EEMI), said the challenges in education called for a new collective bargaining strategy by stakeholders.

According to him, history and current realities teach us that post-election strike actions, shutting down of public institutions and disruption of academic activities have proved unsuccessful as a collective bargaining strategy in education.

He said: “Let us engage our potential political leaders now. After the election it will be too late.

“To qualify for the support and vote of over 30 million education stakeholders, the Education Reform Manifesto of the candidate is required to proffer specific answers to specific problems.

“For example, how does the candidate intend to end systemic corruption, examination malpractices, academic dishonesty, racketeering, extortion, scams in education; to restore its moral foundation, infrastructure, regulatory and inspectorate frameworks?

“What is the plan for restoring the universal code of ethics, truth, honesty and integrity that govern the search for and dissemination of knowledge?

“What are specific plans to enhance safety and security of schools and for eradication of cultism and sexual harassment?”

Onyechere said the ‘Project JESAC 2023’ had started with the process of identifying education-friendly candidates with clear, bold, courageous, visionary, strategic, and out-of-the-box action plans for addressing structural and systemic challenges in education.

He said this would be done through the assessment of education reform manifestos for 2023 general elections in Nigeria.

“It has been observed that the majority of education manifestos so far released by candidates for presidential, gubernatorial, senatorial, House of Representatives and state houses of assembly hide behind scant generalisations

“And this provides no specific reform initiatives for addressing specific aspects of the challenges in education.” Onyechere said.

He, therefore, called on stakeholders to join in signing the online petition for a comprehensive education manifesto by election candidates