The onslaught against education in Nigeria

Interestingly, the Federal Government keeps budgeting billions for education even though there is nothing on ground to justify the money being spent. As the government spends on education so also the number of dilapidated primary, secondary and tertiary school buildings, increases. Only recently, the May/June 2012 West Africa Examination Council results recorded another mass failure, […]

Interestingly, the Federal Government keeps budgeting billions for education even though there is nothing on ground to justify the money being spent. As the government spends on education so also the number of dilapidated primary, secondary and tertiary school buildings, increases.

Only recently, the May/June 2012 West Africa Examination Council results recorded another mass failure, with only 38.81percent of the candidates considered to have passed.

WAEC’s Head of Nigeria National office Iyi Uwadiae said that 649,156 candidates representing 38.81percent obtained credits in five subjects and above, including in English Language and Mathematics. This is out of a total of 1,695,878 candidates registered for the examination, out of which 1,672,224 candidates, consisting of 923,974 male and 748,250 female candidates, sat for the examination.

What I find disturbing is the statement that the results, as poor as they seem, showed an eight percent improvement when compared to last year’s May/June results, where 30.91percent of the candidates made the pass benchmark.

Unfortunately, Nigerian parents seem satisfied with the situation. In fact some parents, instead of encouraging their children to study hard so that they can justify their certificates when they graduate from schools, are the ones putting unnecessary pressure on teachers and lecturers to pass their children. They tend to forget that education is more than just the acquisition of certificates.

No wonder so many higher institutions of learning outside Nigeria are insisting on another set of examination before admitting students from Nigeria. They have since found out that not all certificates coming out of Nigeria are genuine. The government, teachers and parents should therefore work together to improve the standard of education in Nigeria.

Fateema B. Bello, Jimeta-Yola, Nigeria. [email protected]