Education Minister's English Policy U-Turn Exposes Flawed Strategy, Hurting Students.

2 hours ago7 min read

The education minister's dramatic policy reversal on English language instruction serves as a stark admission of failure, confirming that student exam results have significantly declined in areas where the core subject was abandoned. This U-turn is not a minor adjustment but a direct confession that a foundational pillar of education was mistakenly removed, leaving a generation of students academically disadvantaged.The initial policy, which traded the global utility of English for a perceived localized ease, has proven to be a catastrophic miscalculation with real-world consequences. This scenario reflects a global tension between cultural identity and the pragmatic need to prepare students for an interconnected world, a debate raging in school systems worldwide.We have repeatedly seen this narrative: the dilution of rigorous curricula under the banner of accessibility inevitably leads to a reckoning of diminished student capabilities and national competitiveness. Expert analysis consistently highlights the cognitive and economic benefits of bilingualism, particularly in English, which remains the primary language of international business, technology, and higher education.The fallout from this error is severe: individual students now face limited university and career prospects, while the nation risks economic and intellectual isolation with a workforce ill-prepared for the global stage. While the minister's reversal is a necessary corrective action, it is a reactive patch on a self-inflicted wound.The core failure was one of vision—a capitulation to short-term political narratives over the long-term, evidence-based necessity of a robust and comprehensive education. The lingering question is not only how long it will take to repair the damage, but what other essential subject might be the next target for a similarly misguided reform.

#Nigeria

#education policy

#mother-tongue teaching

#English language

#primary schools

#exam results

#featured