INTRODUCTION
Education is the best legacy a country can give to her citizens. Igbuzor (2006) in stressing the importance of education stated that education is a human right that should be accorded to all human beings solely by reason of being human.
Because education employs the largest number of staff in the Nigerian public sector, the development of the Nigerian society is largely dependent on it.
Education is a crucial sector in any nation. Being a major investment in human capital development, it plays a critical role in long-term productivity and growth at both micro and macro levels. This explains why the state of education in Nigeria continues to be our national discourse at all levels. Consequently, the implication of the declining quality of education at all levels has far reaching negative impact on a nation’s moral, civic, cultural and economic sustainability. At this point, it is important to realize that discussions on education and its reforms to make it contribute meaningfully to national development should gradually and systematically move away from a politicized to a more analytical approach that appreciates the complexities inherent in proffering genuine and workable solutions for revamping our educational system.
The education beat is a wide umbrella, covering everything from preschool through higher education, and from school funding to learning outcomes. The beat has become even broader and more complex in recent years in part because of the expansion of charter schools, the increasing popularity of homeschooling, and federal achievement standards. These days, education stories are often political stories as well, and reporters on the beat frequently have to navigate overlapping layers of authority to get the information they need to understand what’s really happening in the schools.
Irrespective of the above observation, the main focus of this assignment remains the influence and importance of the educational sector to development of the Nigerian society. Hence, viewing from the angle of the reporter.
THE IMPORTANCE OF REPORTING ON EDUCATION; BRINGING ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY
Development media theory
theory posits that media should access and carry out developmental tasks in line
Since this assignment is within the context of the Nigerian university. I will focus on only Secondary and post-secondary schools.
Everyone has a stake in education, and everyone needs the educational system to serve them. Reporters on the education beat have the opportunity to help their readers see the connection between schools and the community. Below are the advantages of reporting for the education sector.
Infrastructure
Many of Nigeria's school buildings are in disarray, with leaking roofs, toxic air and termite-infested walls.
The education beat reporters come back with reports concerning the education system, and this reports are transmitted via the mass media, Government, non-government organizations and individuals now sight the dilapidated and poor infrastructures, embark on projects to build better infrastructures wherein education could be reasonably convenient for the students.
This however still improves the quality of the Nigerian society infrastructures.
Payment of staff salaries
Looking at the present condition in the Nigerian society where staff in the education sector suffer nonpayment of salaries and wages, the specialized reporters bow take it upon themselves to report on such issues thereby leading to Government's consideration. Especially in cases where it is reported in a large scale form, where it I'm everywhere on the television, newspaper, radio etc. The staff now have cause to smile at the end.
Employment
Reporters covering education need to understand the structure, staffing and economics of the school systems they cover, which may vary widely. They should be prepared to decipher statistics and to compare budgets over time to see where the money goes and what happens as a result. Covering education also means tracking statistical data such as dropout and graduation rates, teacher retention and vacancy rates.
Since education has the largest number of staff in the public sector, there is now room for employment as vacancies are published via the mass media.
Information provision
As an education reporter, you should read school newspapers and websites, subscribe to parent newsletters and e-mail discussion lists, and check local university alumni reviews to see which issues are bubbling up. To stay abreast of national developments so you can put local stories in context. People around that society are also informed about educational activities like strike, protests, ceremonies etc.
Corruption reduction
Also important to be mentioned is corruption. In most cases, budgetary allocation to the sector is always embezzled. At the same time, politicians use their offices to accumulate more money. For example, Nigeria has spent over N1.1 trillion on national assembly for the past eight years. With this, much will not be spent on education and it cannot contribute more to national development. This problem so identified by the education reporters, reduces the rate of corruption in Nigeria.
NEGATIVE INFLUENCES OF REPORTING ON EDUCATION; BRINGING ABOUT DEVELOPMENT OF THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY
Since the term influence can mean the power to change or affect someone or something either positively or negatively, we would look at the negative influences.
False information
Education is a primary beat in every Nigerian news outlet. One reason is that readers care deeply about their schools’ academic quality, safety, cultural richness, fiscal health, and the taxes they pay to support education. Another reason is that public education plays a crucial role in civic life. Schools are expected not only to educate individual students, but to develop an engaged citizenry, mend racial inequities and level the economic playing field for every student in Nigeria.
In my opinion, there is no negative influence, but If the reporters are not skilled enough in reporting for education sector, there maybe negative consequeces such as false alarm
REFERENCES
Abubakar, S. and Murtala, A.R. (2010). “An Evaluation of Educational Funding in the Fourth Republic: A critique”. In Terhemba, W. and Talla, N.S. (eds). Governance and Economic Development in the Fourth Republic, Lapai; Aboki Publishers, P. 257.
Education is the best legacy a country can give to her citizens. Igbuzor (2006) in stressing the importance of education stated that education is a human right that should be accorded to all human beings solely by reason of being human.
Because education employs the largest number of staff in the Nigerian public sector, the development of the Nigerian society is largely dependent on it.
Education is a crucial sector in any nation. Being a major investment in human capital development, it plays a critical role in long-term productivity and growth at both micro and macro levels. This explains why the state of education in Nigeria continues to be our national discourse at all levels. Consequently, the implication of the declining quality of education at all levels has far reaching negative impact on a nation’s moral, civic, cultural and economic sustainability. At this point, it is important to realize that discussions on education and its reforms to make it contribute meaningfully to national development should gradually and systematically move away from a politicized to a more analytical approach that appreciates the complexities inherent in proffering genuine and workable solutions for revamping our educational system.
The education beat is a wide umbrella, covering everything from preschool through higher education, and from school funding to learning outcomes. The beat has become even broader and more complex in recent years in part because of the expansion of charter schools, the increasing popularity of homeschooling, and federal achievement standards. These days, education stories are often political stories as well, and reporters on the beat frequently have to navigate overlapping layers of authority to get the information they need to understand what’s really happening in the schools.
Irrespective of the above observation, the main focus of this assignment remains the influence and importance of the educational sector to development of the Nigerian society. Hence, viewing from the angle of the reporter.
THE IMPORTANCE OF REPORTING ON EDUCATION; BRINGING ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY
Development media theory
theory posits that media should access and carry out developmental tasks in line
Since this assignment is within the context of the Nigerian university. I will focus on only Secondary and post-secondary schools.
Everyone has a stake in education, and everyone needs the educational system to serve them. Reporters on the education beat have the opportunity to help their readers see the connection between schools and the community. Below are the advantages of reporting for the education sector.
Infrastructure
Many of Nigeria's school buildings are in disarray, with leaking roofs, toxic air and termite-infested walls.
The education beat reporters come back with reports concerning the education system, and this reports are transmitted via the mass media, Government, non-government organizations and individuals now sight the dilapidated and poor infrastructures, embark on projects to build better infrastructures wherein education could be reasonably convenient for the students.
This however still improves the quality of the Nigerian society infrastructures.
Payment of staff salaries
Looking at the present condition in the Nigerian society where staff in the education sector suffer nonpayment of salaries and wages, the specialized reporters bow take it upon themselves to report on such issues thereby leading to Government's consideration. Especially in cases where it is reported in a large scale form, where it I'm everywhere on the television, newspaper, radio etc. The staff now have cause to smile at the end.
Employment
Reporters covering education need to understand the structure, staffing and economics of the school systems they cover, which may vary widely. They should be prepared to decipher statistics and to compare budgets over time to see where the money goes and what happens as a result. Covering education also means tracking statistical data such as dropout and graduation rates, teacher retention and vacancy rates.
Since education has the largest number of staff in the public sector, there is now room for employment as vacancies are published via the mass media.
Information provision
As an education reporter, you should read school newspapers and websites, subscribe to parent newsletters and e-mail discussion lists, and check local university alumni reviews to see which issues are bubbling up. To stay abreast of national developments so you can put local stories in context. People around that society are also informed about educational activities like strike, protests, ceremonies etc.
Corruption reduction
Also important to be mentioned is corruption. In most cases, budgetary allocation to the sector is always embezzled. At the same time, politicians use their offices to accumulate more money. For example, Nigeria has spent over N1.1 trillion on national assembly for the past eight years. With this, much will not be spent on education and it cannot contribute more to national development. This problem so identified by the education reporters, reduces the rate of corruption in Nigeria.
NEGATIVE INFLUENCES OF REPORTING ON EDUCATION; BRINGING ABOUT DEVELOPMENT OF THE NIGERIAN SOCIETY
Since the term influence can mean the power to change or affect someone or something either positively or negatively, we would look at the negative influences.
False information
Education is a primary beat in every Nigerian news outlet. One reason is that readers care deeply about their schools’ academic quality, safety, cultural richness, fiscal health, and the taxes they pay to support education. Another reason is that public education plays a crucial role in civic life. Schools are expected not only to educate individual students, but to develop an engaged citizenry, mend racial inequities and level the economic playing field for every student in Nigeria.
In my opinion, there is no negative influence, but If the reporters are not skilled enough in reporting for education sector, there maybe negative consequeces such as false alarm
REFERENCES
Abubakar, S. and Murtala, A.R. (2010). “An Evaluation of Educational Funding in the Fourth Republic: A critique”. In Terhemba, W. and Talla, N.S. (eds). Governance and Economic Development in the Fourth Republic, Lapai; Aboki Publishers, P. 257.
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