The ills of modern Nigerian educational system

In today’s realm of academia, the dangers of modern education cannot be overemphasized. Researchers have proven why academic curriculum and learning contradict the skills needed for students to succeed outside the academic environment. Our education system is based on stereotyping people and so is our society. What the current system persuade us to believe is […]

In today’s realm of academia, the dangers of modern education cannot be overemphasized. Researchers have proven why academic curriculum and learning contradict the skills needed for students to succeed outside the academic environment. Our education system is based on stereotyping people and so is our society.

What the current system persuade us to believe is that, we should conform rather than innovate, which is an immense weight holding the progress of the whole generation. Students after graduation who fortunately get into the system often find themselves incompetent after years of learning in institutions. Reason  because they are unskilled and lack capacity development, hence focus on passing examinations. Our institutions are only concerned about grades, a student is graded based on scores  and not his ability to innovate. So students have this mindset that says “just read to pass” because their coaches and lecturers only care about grades. A student’s knowledge is determined by his ability to solve societal ills.

Being graded all the time is actually crippling students. People learn the most from their mistakes, but mistakes are the worst thing one could do in the context of contemporary institutions. And the best way to get good grades is to innovate for community development.

Students can, and should spend much of their time thinking critically, analyzing information instead of just learning it, do real things and develop their talents for the future. The world is filled with people of  good academic grade but yet to be successful in life. Therefore, there is a need for the education system to be reviewed critically towards building a system that will foster individual who know how to push the progress of humanity forward.

Godiya Pindar, Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri