As recently suggested by Minister of Education Tunji Alausa, Nigeria is Contemplating implementing a 12-year Basic Education system modelled after Malaysia’s. Junior and senior Secondary School divisions would be eliminated under the new paradigm, resulting in a continuous Curriculum with an emphasis on inclusivity, quality control, and standardisation. According to Alausa, this will enhance learning outcomes and increase Nigeria’s educational system’s competitiveness on a worldwide scale. Preschool, elementary, secondary, post-secondary, and Tertiary Education are the five phases of Malaysia’s educational system. At the secondary level, it gives pupils the option to pursue academic, technical/vocational, or religious education.
Human resource development and technical education are also top priority, and they are backed by educational Subsidies and scholarships. In an attempt to conform to international norms, Malaysia has also contemplated expanding the duration of its mandatory schooling beyond six years. Nonetheless, there are obstacles, such as monetary limitations, issues at school, and family worries. Nigerian education specialists like Nubi Achebo and Jessica Osuere stress that curriculum development, Teacher preparation, and resource allocation are essential to successful implementation. Achebo cautions that shoddy execution can negate the advantages of the new method.
Malaysia’s educational system has seen considerable success.
Osuere emphasises that Nigeria needs to match its curriculum to international norms, emphasising competency-based education, digital literacy, and vocational training. The shift is not well received by everyone. Nigeria’s primary problem, according to Audu Amba, president of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), is money rather than a structural shift. He maintains that issues like teacher strikes and unfavourable working conditions will persist in the education sector in the absence of adequate funding. Over time, Malaysia’s Educational System has seen considerable success. In Malaysia, 96% of 15-year-old pupils were enrolled in the 10th grade, and 94% had completed at least one year of pre-primary education, according to the OECD’s PISA 2022 results.
Problems still exist, though, as 24% of Malaysian pupils attended schools where principals reported a shortage of teachers, a sharp rise from 7% in 2018. Furthermore, Malaysia spent roughly USD 50,700 on each student between the ages of 6 and 15 in total in 2019. Nigeria, on the other hand, has serious educational difficulties. There are 22.7 million pupils enrolled in public elementary schools, representing a gross enrolment rate of 68.3%. In public primary schools, there are typically 51 students in each class. There are 7.4 million pupils enrolled in lower secondary school, with a gross enrolment rate of 54.4%.
The proposed 12-year basic education model will require significant money.
Male upper secondary school completion rates are 67%, while female completion rates are 53%. Nigeria’s government understands that the proposed 12-year basic education model will require significant money. A $1.57 billion funding package for Nigeria was authorised by the World Bank in September 2024 with the goal of bolstering sustainable Electricity development and improving the health and education sectors. Specifically, $500 million will be used to address governance concerns in healthcare and education, and $570 million will be used to improve primary healthcare.
Despite the lack of individual teacher, student, and parent interviews in the materials cited, broad conclusions can be drawn from them. Education professionals stress that curriculum creation, resource allocation, and teacher preparation are essential to successful implementation. Critics contend that issues like teacher strikes and subpar working conditions would persist in the education sector in the absence of adequate funding. Nigeria can think about improvements include improving teacher training programs, incorporating Technology into classrooms, and updating curricula to emphasise critical thinking and problem-solving abilities in addition to lengthening the basic education program.
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Addressing socioeconomic issues like Poverty and child labour that keep kids from going to school is also essential. The Economy and labour force of Nigeria may profit greatly in the long run from the adoption of a 12-year basic education plan. A better educated population is more likely to spur innovation, draw in foreign investment, and increase productivity. Furthermore, raising the nation’s competitiveness can be achieved by bringing the educational system into line with international standards. These advantages, however, are contingent upon adequate funding, successful implementation, and resolution of current systemic issues.