Reading Foundation In Nigeria Faulty, Says Okebukola

The former Executive Secretary of the National University Commission (NUC) , Prof. Peter Okebukola and his wife Professor Foluso Olutoyin Okebukola at the 70th Edition of the LASU Inaugural Lecture.

By LOVETH AZODO, Lagos

Professor Foluso Olutoyin Okebukola stated that one of the key reasons to the low reading achievements of Nigerians generally is the faulty foundation of reading in schools.

Okebukola, a professor of the Lagos state University (LASU), Department of Language, Arts and Social Science Education, Faculty of Education and wife of the former Executive Secretary of the National University Commission (NUC) , Prof. Peter Okebukola said this at the 70th edition of the LASU Inaugural Series Titled ‘Light Dawns On Literacy, Illitracy, Alliteracy And E-Literacy’ held Wednesday at the varsity’s main campus in Lagos.

The Varsity Don who delivered the lecture, as part of her recommendations stressed on the regular training of teachers as they cannot give what they don’t have.

“The government should always organize training for teachers, this area of reading people are so conscious of it.”

“It is easy for someone to imbibe reading culture if he/she has been properly taught how to read because it is only what you know how to do that you will continue to do, but because the foundation of reading in Nigeria School is faulty that is why some of us don’t have a reading culture” she said.

Continuing she explained “A teacher comes to class, ask the children to open to page 10 and say read, when did the teacher teach them how to read that passage? When reading becomes a boredom something that is not fun, the child will not be able to read because you have not taught the child how make reading fun and then you pick a cane and beat the child you are driving that child away completely.”

On the age and level to imbibe the reading culture she stated “as soon as a child is ready to decode, what do I mean by decode? A child is able to put at together to form cat and is able to read and understand it in a book then the reading culture begins from there”

It is easy for someone to imbibe reading culture if he has been properly taught how to read, because it is only what you know how to do that you will continue to do, but because the foundation of reading in Nigeria School is faulty that is why some of us don’t have a reading culture

Speaking on the impact of research and recommendations made, Okebukola said “recommendations come always not only on inaugural lecture like this but even when we carry out researches and it is just a pity that the government doesn’t react and that is why we are where we are today. If our findings are thrown into the dustbin then there is no use.”