While there is a list of systems that are going wrong in Nigeria, this is how I think the educational system gained their spot on that list. I chose to write about education, because I’ve had the opportunity to experience it at home and abroad, and I know how differently both experiences felt to me.
Education in Nigeria is losing value, and those in charge don’t seem to be concerned. The system is getting more corrupt, with more teachers and lecturers being bribed to pass students more than ever before. Whatever the reason, this is the current reality, I'll try to paint a picture of the damages that have been made so far.
In my primary and junior secondary school days, the agenda was to try to be the best in whatever class you found yourself. Of all the subjects taught, the English language was usually the most applied. Other subjects just seemed like you're supposed to understand how things worked only in theory and teachers saw the need to flog and mistreat students for not understanding what they tried to teach.
The reason I learned most of what I did was so I won’t get flogged in class. I didn’t care about the bigger picture of whatever I was learning; 2 plus 2 is 4 right? Data crammed and ready to go for exams.
The universities are a different ball game. Most people get admission to study a course they’re not interested in, due to the fact that their desired course choice is overpopulated or their parents force a certain profession on them.
My Dad asked me to study Civil Engineering, and since I was good in Math and Physics, I had no problem taking on the challenge. I remember one of my sisters asking if that's the course I wanted, and I replied: "All I have to do is study and pass exams, right?"
Learning in university was tough. I’m not sure how much of an effect it being a Federal University had on the toughness, but since there was nobody to flog or shame me for not passing exams, I hardly retained any knowledge.
Lecturers would come on the stage of a 500+ capacity auditorium and say whatever they felt they needed to, at whatever tone or pitch they had the energy for at that time.
the rot hasn’t eaten too deep. We can fix things as quickly as they’ve deteriorated
As usual, the auditorium was never filled to capacity on regular school days, but at the slightest mention of ‘test’, people (sometimes me) would come flying in from all the exits/entrances.
During exam season, I would burn midnight candles one week before the exam, then write the exam to the best of my memory. At some point, my aim was just to graduate with my mates. I didn't really see any meaning to it.
It was so bad I didn't attend my convocation ceremony - wasn’t interested! I graduated university without a roadmap of what I wanted out of life, and how I was going to implement whatever I had "learnt" so far. Maybe I just wasn't bright enough.
I moved to Canada after my National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), enrolled in Construction Project Management - a Post-Graduate Degree Program, and I started noticing changes. Learning felt different. I felt like I was being prepared for something outside of school.
It could be due to the fact that Post-Graduate programs are structured differently, but I really understood the need to do whatever was required of me. Long story short, I graduated as one of the best students in my class.
I say all these because the educators had a huge role to play in this journey. My Nigerian educators dwelt and tested you on the derivation of concepts and principles, while my Canadian educators introduce the concepts, and spend more time on the application. They spend more time on the application because they want you to know how to use what you’re being taught.
My Nigerian educators tested you on concepts that aren't practically used in the environment they're in, so they don't know exactly what you need to be successful. Some of them don't even care about your success outside the school.
Canadian educators teach you concepts currently in use, and how they have been consistently improved. They know what you need to succeed, and they'll guide you in that direction.
Nigerian Universities have some awesome lecturers that care about nurturing outstanding students, but for every 1 that cares, there are 7 that don't, and 3 others that are just assholes. Experiencing these two sets of lecturers from two different parts of the world opened my eyes to the gap in their educating skill sets.
This gap I believe is the reason for the dwindling standard of the Nigerian educational system. This gap is huge. Although it's not totally their fault, (I mean, that's how they learnt to do their jobs), but they need to understand that they're doing more harm than good. They need to re-learn what they know; we all need to re-learn the basics we think we know because there are way better ways of doing these things.
I mean, we adopted education from the western part of the world, we need to understand that they have made major improvements to what our fathers learnt decades ago.
I stumbled on this tweet below, and I think it’s spot on.
October 19, 2019
The evolution of technology isn't even helping matters because most of what you learn within the four walls of a University can now be learnt online, for a fraction of what you pay in tuition. I think the revolution Nigeria needs should be in the educational system, because the only thing that gives Universities the power they have today is the ability to award recognizable certificates.
Some of our parents even testify to the fact that Universities were better in their time.
This means the rot hasn’t eaten too deep. We can fix things as quickly as they’ve deteriorated.
Systems need to be upgraded to suit current times. Feedback systems should be implemented to discover areas that need improvement, and Continuous Improvement should be our mantra.
If you work in any role that has a connection to the Nigerian educational system, you really need to think deeper about your work.
Yes, teaching is one of the hardest jobs, and it would probably get harder. But they say “many hands make light work”. So don’t just show up, gossip, and collect a salary at the end of the month. Show up, make little daily improvements to yourself and your systems, ask for help when you need to, collect that salary at the end of the month, and watch the world around you change for the better.
This is my take on the deterioration of the Nigerian educational system, and how I think we can make it better. What do you think?