For the past few weeks, I have been visiting many schools in Nigeria, especially primary schools. I will implore that you also check out primary schools in your area and see for yourself what I saw, for what I experienced during my visits to those schools is what I cannot possibly share without weeping. The education system in Nigeria is just too poor. Why is the Government not paying much attention to primary schools? I do not know about you, but for me, Primary schools should be paid more attention to because it is the prime for all Learning, and it is the most important of all. Years back, standard six students were able to read, write, calculate and solve simple arithmetic. Nowadays, an SS3 student can barely spell his or her name correctly. If you think I am lying or over exaggerating, try asking 10 secondary school students to spell you their names and you will be surprise by how many will be able to do so correctly. You can also try asking the university student to spell you cucumber or hippopotamus or even spaghetti. I wager that more surprises await you.
Something must be urgently done to parry these threats that our education system is facing. If not, we shall wake up one day in the future and realized that our dear country has become a place owned and controlled by educated illiterates.
After months scrupulously studying and scrutinizing the education system in Nigeria, I have come up with what I call, “The R and D modern education system of Nigeria”. Here is what it is like:
(1). Primary level: In the primary level, pupils don't learn because they are not taught, some are taught, but wrongly taught. I have heard of a teacher telling her students that the percentage of 25 is 500%. Where on earth do we have or did the percentage of 25 become 500%? A lot of primary school teachers are not doing their job anymore; a good number of them do not even know what they claim to be teaching. This has endangered the future of our dear country. Nonetheless, they are trying. At least they will help the pupils pass their final year examinations by showing them how to cheat and pass examinations for the first time. Now you know the fons et origo of examination malpractice in Nigeria.
(2). Secondary level: In the secondary level, most of the teachers do their best to teach only the students that are interested in learning. They care less about the unserious ones. They don't coerce the unserious ones to learn, after-all it is of immense benefits to them since they will make thousands of naira helping them cheat in examinations like, WAEC, NECO, etc. Now you know how sorting to pass examination began in Nigeria.
(3). Tertiary level: In tertiary institutions, the only thing most lecturers care about is money. Money, money, money. Money over everything. If you aren’t talking money, you aren’t funny and as well not serious. Most lecturers nowadays, give students assignments just for the sake of generating revenues. They do not care about what you write. Give them money, write on your examination answer booklet "fuck you my stupid/wonderful lecturers", submit your paper, and watch them give you a B2. They would have given you an A1, but because you insulted them, as punishment, they deducted 20 marks. I know it sounds funny, but it is the truth. As a varsity student, if you have money, you are sure of a second class upper or even a first-class. And if you have no money, a pass should be more than enough to make you dance and praise your God.
The corruption in tertiary institutions can only be compared to that of politics.
Politicians loot the people, empty the treasury and buy private jets, build mansions and hotels abroad while Lecturers assemble students, empty their pockets, and buy private canoes, private Lexus and build semidetached houses everywhere in their villages. The students in the other hand are ready to do anything except reading and studying hard just to graduate with a second class upper.
The Government also is not taking any possible steps to meander these credible threats.
The Nigerian education system is just too poor, poor learning facilities poor learning environments and unqualified teachers.
Now you know why we have doctors who cannot locate a muscle in the human body, engineers who cannot repair their own vehicles, Lawyers who do not even know or take cognizance of their rights not to mention the rights of others, and most importantly, Leaders who cannot lead a country like Nigeria to greatness.
Education is sacrosanct. We should take it very serious. We cannot continue producing graduates with no knowledge of what they studied at the university. We need sound education for our children and future generation. So, I hereby implore that the government rises now and take possible steps to meander these credible threats. The government should provide schools with good and up to date learning facilities and also ensure that the learning environments are conducive enough in order to improve the level of learning. They should employ only eligible teachers and deploy them to schools across the country and set up a board to monitor them and scrutinize every step they take in order to ensure that there is no corruption on the path of the teachers.
The student also should play a vital role in the development of our education system. They should focus more on their studies and forget about irrelevances for when they study hard, they will never have to cheat in examinations or bribe lecturers in order to pass examinations.
The lecturers should focus more on their job and shun corrupt practices. They should not encourage students to cheat and sort in order to obtain good grades in examinations, but coerce them to sit-up and study hard in order to pass examinations.
In order to build a sound education system in Nigeria for us and the future generation, we must all come together, the students, parents, teachers and the government and play a vital role in the development. May God help us as we embark on this mission of creating a better education system in Nigeria.
Thank you for reading this piece. Stay blessed and pray for a better Nigeria.
God bless Nigeria.
Christian Bassey is a Writer, Film Maker, Computer Scientist, Martial Artist and a Human Rights Activist.
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