The Joint Education Stakeholders Action Coalition (JESAC), a voluntary political action coalition of 19 critical education unions and associations has begun mobilisation of its 24 million members to support and elect education-friendly leaders in 2019 elections.
According to a statement issued by National Coordinator, JESAC and Founding Chairman, Exam Ethics Marshals International, Ike Onyechere, the group is convinced that myriad of problems bedeviling the education sector can be effectively addressed and resolved “with bold, courageous, visionary and strategic leadership actions of marshal plan proportions and not by routine administrative fixes.”
It lamented the fire brigade approach which operators of the sector are currently compelled to adopt in trying to grow it. “Operators of the education system in Nigeria are often compelled to resort to extreme measures of agitations and strike actions in the attempt to get political leaders to commit the necessary leadership, political will and financial resources to resolve the challenges in the sector and set it on the part of transformation.
“The serial neglect of the education sector, the frequent strikes, the consequential shutdowns of institutions and its associated tragic chain reactions including disruption of academic calendars have clear, present and devastating consequences for the quality of education and to the short, medium and long term development of Nigeria.”
Onyechere posited that the 24 million members of JESAC have the power “to transform the education sector if they bond, campaign, work and vote together to elect ethics and education-friendly leaders in 2019 who can summon the vision, political will and courage to commit and manage the huge resources required for transformation of education,” adding, “with such leaders agitations and strikes will become unnecessary.”
According to the statement, the mobilisation of the 24 million education stakeholders will be formally flagged off at the JESAC National Consultative Conference on “Irreducible Minimum Education Reforms to qualify Candidates for Support of 24 Million JESAC Members in 2019”.
The conference is scheduled to hold from 17th to 20th December, 2018 at Green Minds Hotel, Utako, Abuja.
The statement disclosed that political parties and their candidates will present their education scorecards and/or manifestos for critical assessment by the group with a view to deciding which candidates get their support and votes.
The scorecards and manifestos of parties and candidates for 2019 elections will be assessed based on 100 factors divided into 10 sub-groups including:
* Staff welfare and payment of salaries and pensions as and when due
* Provision of infrastructure and municipal facilities in institutions.
* Provision of teaching and learning facilities
* Enactment of and compliance with enabling laws and legislative frameworks
* Building strong regulatory and inspectorate systems
* Formulation and implementation of policies devoid of politicization
* Promotion of integrity of admission, examination and certification processes
* Commitment to industrial peace and harmony in education sector
* Leadership by example in combating exam malpractice, academic dishonesty and corruption in education
* Allocation and use funds based on global best practices.
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JESAC was launched in 2010 when nineteen (19) critical education unions and associations decided to move away from being passive political observers to being active political game changers.
The inaugural member organisations of JESAC include: Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT); Association of Primary School Head Teachers of Nigeria (AOPSHON); All Nigerian Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS); Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU); Non Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU); Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU); Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP); Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU); National Parent Teachers Association of Nigeria (NAPTAN); Senior Staff Union of Colleges of Education (SSUCOEN); Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP); National Parents Association of Federal Unity Secondary Schools (NAPAFUSS); National Association of Education Secretaries of Nigeria (NAESN); National Association of Exam Ethics Students of Nigeria; Exam Ethics Marshals International (Coordinating Agency).
