An Assessment of the Impact of the National Policy on Education in Benue State

Abstract

The main thrust of this study was to assess the impact of the National Policy on Education in Benue State. From the focus group discussion and field work, many school leavers are unemployed and are looking up to the State Government for job placements. The study revealed that two factors have significantly affected the effective implementation of the Policy. These are the changing political climate and the down turn of the economy. The general state of unemployment has encouraged a noticeable increase in crime waves across the state. It was also discovered that absence of specialized staffing has had a negative impact on the goals and objectives of the National Policy on Education in the State. The situation is aggravated by the changing political climate and the down turn of the economy. Although more schools are being established and existing ones expanded in the state, Education for self-reliance which is one of the main objectives of the National Policy on Education has remained elusive. The key findings of the study revealed that increase in the number of school leavers is quantitative rather than qualitative.This situation accounts for the massive unemployment among young school leavers, encouraging the desperate and restless ones into different criminal activities such as armed robbery, thuggery and various acts of sabotage. The study therefore recommended that Government should have policy change as far as employment of teachers is concerned. Government should also embark on vocational training for the unemployed as a measure of curbing crime in the state.