UK lecturers unbiased – Huddersfield graduate

Salim Ubale, 20, obtained a first-class degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from the University of Huddersfield United Kingdom. In this interview, he said his lecturers were open-minded, adding that academic challenges almost forced him to stop schooling. What was your school experience like? The weather was extremely cold and unpleasant for many students, especially […]

Salim Ubale, 20, obtained a first-class degree in Electronic and Electrical Engineering from the University of Huddersfield United Kingdom. In this interview, he said his lecturers were open-minded, adding that academic challenges almost forced him to stop schooling.
What was your school experience like?
The weather was extremely cold and unpleasant for many students, especially those from Africa. At the early stage, the environment was a bit challenging that I almost withdraw from the system. But along the line, I adapted though it took me sometime before getting used to it. I completed my A-Level programme successfully but didn’t perform very well in my first year in the university. By the second year, I worked hard and there were changes up to the final level, though I faced some difficulties while doing my project.
How did you turn out to be the best graduating student in your department?
I was open minded and a lot of students used to come to me for help and this made me to understand the course contents more.  I also participated in a project called ‘The Railway Challenge’, a student internship programme jointly organised by the school management and some companies in the UK. We manufactured a small locomotive train and competed with other universities. I did the wiring of the train. It was really complicated that I almost withdraw from the project. But it later became so interesting.
How can you compare Nigerian system of education with that of the UK?
Though I don’t know much about Nigerian universities but the education system in the UK is flexible. The lecturers are unbiased and if you have issues with any of them, you can easily complain to the management who quickly take action. Also, a student can easily change his/her course of study at the early stage if he/she is not comfortable with a particular programme. The lecturers and the professors are really friendly; it is easier to talk to them. In fact, the student-lecturer relationship is very cordial. Every week, we had student-lecturer interactive forum where we discussed issues affecting the students and areas of studies that needed to be improved.
You have spoken about the student-lecturer relationship. Can you talk about the system?
The system is quite similar with that of Nigeria. Like Nigerian universities, most programmes require four academic years though some including like engineering and technology courses are five years. In terms of quality, the standard there is high because there are sufficient learning facilities that are up to date.
Majority of the lecturers there are professors and doctors. After exposing you to a number of areas, the lecturers make you stay focused on your field of study which you can continue to develop in the future.
Are there social vices like cultism in the school campus?
No, we don’t have such things there. The environment is peaceful and no student harasses a fellow student. Students are from different nationalities; we do things together and learn from each other’s experiences.
What about exam malpractice?
Yes, it happens but very rare. The rule is: if you are caught cheating, you are gone.
Which areas of education do you think Nigerian government needs to improve on to make the system much better?
There are lots of areas that need improvement. The engineering aspect needs to be reviewed. Though, Nigeria is not as developed as the UK but in universities there, they engage their students in different kinds of projects and they compete with other universities. Also, the student-lecturer ratio in Nigerian universities is worrisome. You could imagine a lecturer to more than one hundred students. Lecture halls are overcrowded and this often results in poor class management and consequently students may not assimilate the course content.  More qualified lecturers need to be deployed to tertiary institutions across the country.
There is this notion that Nigerian students perform better than their UK counterparts. Is it true?
It is true, they perform better, and this is because they pass through a system that is rigid. You know, when one passes through a hard system and succeeds, if he gets to a somewhat flexible one, he will find everything easier. Once they get there, it becomes a bit easier because the system there is very flexible and the learning environment is friendly.