2015: Lessons and qualifications

Ultimately, learners that have exhibited considerable learning progress through correct responses to the tests are ‘certified’ as ‘qualified’ in formal written statements issued to them. Eventually, the utmost benefit that an earner of such a ‘certification’ gets is some vocational competence or reward (public or private sector–including self-employment). Thus, in Nigeria, as in other typically […]

Ultimately, learners that have exhibited considerable learning progress through correct responses to the tests are ‘certified’ as ‘qualified’ in formal written statements issued to them. Eventually, the utmost benefit that an earner of such a ‘certification’ gets is some vocational competence or reward (public or private sector–including self-employment). Thus, in Nigeria, as in other typically developing economies, formal qualifications on the primary, post-primary and tertiary levels are mainly valued along vocationally financial returns. This tendency also entails consideration of the particular academic field ‘tilled’ by the learner. Consequently, a Primary School Leaving Certificate cannot be said to be more ‘qualifying’ than a first degree; BSc in ,say, Nuclear Physics is accorded greater ‘value’ than, say, a BA in one of the three major Nigerian languages.
  Along these parameters, educational qualifications are ‘valued’, at least in our socio-economic milieu, by their financial rewards. To a pedant or pedagogy instructor, who views and loves learning or knowledge as fulfilment that is rewarding in itself, even such vocational or financial ratings of educational qualification signify to him some value but not commensurate with its real worth. The ‘invaluable’ value of knowledge or education is a truism reiterated by many scholars, philosophers and academics throughout the ages of human existence. However, relatively fewer individuals and events have demonstrated the highest ‘material’ worth imaginable of formal modern education. Among such few individuals are the prominent ‘players’ in great democratic ‘events’ across our modern world. Even in a developed democracy like the United States, losses of stakes could be incurred by any political contestant due to previous non-performance or moral scandal or procedural/technical elimination. The performance stake is very essential for contestants responsible for some office (present or past). The moral stake is the most essential of the three; in some instances, it may even entail the performance and procedural stakes. Scandalous revelations like conjugal infidelity or perjury fall under the moral stake. The procedural stake, in itself, is the least pervasive of the three. A contestant’s short-comings like age, crime, non-submission of some document or information to the electoral agency on time, could each entail the loss of procedural stake by the contestant.
  The current ‘qualification’ saga in our collective 2015 race as a democratic nation is not a sudden novelty from the on-going sparring between PDP and APC. Educational qualification has been a major political campaign issue in Nigeria since 1999. However, our focus here is not on the particular players or targets on that stake; it is on the lesson to be learned on the ‘value’ of academic qualification in the pedagogic, vocational and political senses. The pedagogical and vocational views having already been introduced above, the political value given to educational qualification in our political campaigns since 1999 can be seen to have remained the highest exhibition of ‘material’ value to educational qualification. Many Nigerians (educated or not) could be baffled as to why PDP has kept harping on General Buhari’s “missing” O ‘level results and why General Buhari finally presents the results for examination not only by his political opponents but also by the entire Nigeria (nay, the world) as well.
However, this ‘qualification’ issue constitutes one of the most pervasive and viral variables under the moral stake explained above. Morally, a political contestant who claims to have some qualification (academic or otherwise) which is later found to be non-existent among his qualifications could be deemed to have lied. Academically, such a lapse could project him as educationally incompetent. Legally, political opponents could even go the extra vindictive mile of suing one for perjury. Procedurally, the combined toll of immorality, educational incompetence (or non-qualification) and perjury could raise the technical possibility of disqualification via legal proceedings or hindrance from timely participation in the race, leading to the contestant’s ultimate electoral and ballots failure. Both the PDP and APC are fully aware of these implications; hence, they pull no punches on this issue until the logical end of that round.
Now, in the aforementioned material or vocational value of educational qualification in the contemporary Nigerian milieu, how would you evaluate a successful o’level result or certificate? If you were to ‘buy’ or ‘sell’ such a result, what would you consider an adequate price? Or if you were to dare to entertain the most fantastic vocational dream or hope for yourself based on your good O ‘level result, what would be your target wage or industry? And do add to those dreams the fact that you are just an ordinary Nigerian. Even if these dreams of yours were to come true, they cannot muster even 1% of the celebration of ‘value’ of educational qualification witnessed by Nigerians in the current ‘qualification’ duel of 2015 campaigns. For both parties, no amount of financial price can buy the stakes borne by such educational results.
The questions to ponder upon by all lovers of education in Nigeria are: Should we be happy that so great an exhibition of ‘value’ to education has emerged from our political elite (in both camps)? Can even our academics, despite their frequent championing of educational value, compete with such magnitude of ‘value’ exhibition? Herein are positive lessons we can all learn, that our political elite (ruling or aspiring) are as appreciative of educational value as we are, probably more appreciative. Our only wishful musing will remain: if only all educational and vocational seasons were showered with electoral rains, then schools would be the most expensive and lucrative industry. Meanwhile, the 2015 ‘lessons’ and ‘examinations’ continue. May Nigeria ‘qualify’ through objective political campaigns and dispassionate elections.
Dr Umar is of Department of English, Federal University, Dutse.