While many individuals are still stuck on debating the importance or otherwise of the one year mandatory National Youth Service Corps program for Nigerian graduates, a corp member who was part of the recently discharged Batch A stream 1 corp members Ayodele Bidemi chose to take that year and make the most of it.

Ayodele graduated with a B.Ed in Biology Education from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and was mobilized to Bauchi state for her NYSC. She was later posted to Abubakar Tatari Ali International School as her place of primary assignment. As its the practice with the NYSC program, Ayodele joined a CDS unit and through the CDS group her service year project was conceived.

The project was domiciled at Rafin Makaranta Primary school Bauchi where she carried out the renovation of 3 blocks of 7 classrooms and other health intervention project including the deworming of 1223 pupils of the school.

The project which was huge in budgetary requirements was pursued to fruition by her through the support of a funding organization. This project which has earned her the state honours award for exceptional corp members has helped in no small means of addressing the external and the internal factors affecting learning in the school.

Research has shown that children are sensitive to their environment and this is important where ever learning is taking place, the total environmental outlook will help the pupils to assimilate faster, also the deworming exercise will help the pupils in maintaining a sound health which is necessary for a seamless learning process.

That a corp member has to renovate several classroom buildings in a district with a functioning government is as powerful indictment on the incompetence on the government as we can get.

Education has lost its rightful place in the political state of things and has remained underfunded by government at all levels. Thousands of schools are spread across the nation in a dilapidated manner and has not attracted the interest of our political office holders. In 21st century pupils are sitting on the floor in dilapidated classrooms while some are exposed to the combine action of sun and rain.

 

The sleeping stakeholders in the ministry of education and government houses across the country are advised to take a cue from Ayodele Abidemi and reposition the falling educational sector in the country.

Abidemi has done well, she deserves all Accolades!