TALKING WITH PEOPLE - February Edition

THIS COURSE THAT I AM STUDYING

I am often cautious of my use of the definite article “the”. It removes ambiguity and pinpoints the main thing. As in “The winner is…” “The truth is…”

Even though it never ends a sentence, it is quite conclusive. It is bold and daring. It is with this sense of regard for the definite article “the” that I say “Higher Education is becoming THE problem in Nigeria”. Who agrees? 

You would if you bring to mind the far-reaching consequences of its failure. Though, around the world, there have been debates about the effectiveness of the education system in general. Sir Ken Robinson in a presentation tagged “School kills Creativity”, asserted that the education system is designed to create University Professors out of all school attendants. However, improvements are noticeable in the education system of many countries across the globe. Education has provided the platform in such countries as the United States, China, South Korea, for technological innovations that have translated into economic growth, expansion and development.  Courses in the Universities of many developed countries are in harmony with the obtainable in the world of works. 

Not so in my dear country. I graduated with a Bachelors of Science in Economics, able to beat my chest and boldly say that a large chunk of my classmates could not interpret the Nigerian Budget- a very economic document.  We could all define a Budget and list the various types. But give us a real budget and we would have fallen amongst the lay men. Recently, I had to assist a third year student of a University to write a complaint letter to the Head of her department. The previous letter she had written was written in such incomprehensible English or should I say it was written in a language similar to English. The H.O.D’s secretary sent her away to rewrite it.  I had to write the letter for her after painstakingly asking her what the subject of her complaint was.  It was an obviously labourious activity for her to communicate the problem to me verbally, in English. But I could not speak her native language. This left me wondering, how did she make it into the University? How has she been able to survive three years? In a few years, she would be said to have been found worth in character and in learning, and would go on to amaze employers. 

In this second edition of Talking with People, I went on to speak with University Students.

where the frustration begins…

Frustration is just the word. For many Students in Nigerian Universities, their years of study are nothing more than periods of disguised frustrations. It all begins with securing admission into the University. According to statistics from the National Universities Commission, Nigerian Universities have the capacity to admit about 150,000 freshmen each year when well over a million candidates apply.

The problem is obvious. We don’t have the capacity to admit every candidate into a higher institution.  Like every scare commodity, admission into Universities in Nigeria is rationed and hoarded. Some schools even employ federal character in selecting candidates. It has also provided an avenue for employees of Universities to make money by charging illegal fees to ‘help’ candidates with admission slots. It has bred favouritism. I have heard of such things as the Vice-Chancellor’s admission list, Professor so and so’s admission list; admission exercises sometimes turn out to be clashes of titans within an institution.  In this process, many unqualified candidates slip into Universities. Admission becomes less about your academic performance and more about who you know or how much you can pay.

So it is not strange to apply to study Law and be offered English Language, or Medicine and be offered Plant Science; not because you are not qualified for the course that you applied for but rather because the new course is all your inside person could get. Untold frustration begins here.

Martha is a 300 level student of Sociology in one of the State Universities in Nigeria.

TWP: Why do you want to be a graduate?

Martha: Due to the kind of home I come from, this is the only opportunity I have to educate myself. If I stay at home I will end up the way my parents ended up. I want to go higher than they did, that is why I want to be a graduate, get a degree and get something good for myself.

TWP: What year did you complete your secondary education?

Martha: 2009

TWP: What year did you gain admission into the University?

Martha: 2010

TWP: Tell us briefly about your pre-admission story?

Martha: I first applied to Amadu Bello University, Zaria. It was difficult to get the admission though I passed the JAMB and I wrote the School’s aptitude test. My scores were okay and I was surprised I did not get the admission. I also applied to the University of Jos but I was advised not to pursue that school due to poor security there. I applied to this School. This is my State and I got the admission. It was not really a struggle.

TWP: What challenges did you face in the process of applying for admission?

Martha: I felt I had no one to give my credentials to who could assist me in securing admission.

TWP: What do you think being a graduate means to your Sponsors?

Martha: It means a lot to them because it has always been the desire of my parents to do whatever they can to sponsor their children to whatever level they can. Being a graduate would bring great joy to my parents. I am the first born and so I would be the first graduate in the family. And from my clan I would be the first female graduate.

John is a 300 level student of Political science in one of the State Universities in Nigeria.

TWP: Why do you want to be a graduate?

John: There are so many reasons. Being a graduate of political science would help me analyze politics.

TWP: What year did you complete your secondary education?

John: 2008

TWP: What year did you gain admission into the University?

John: 2010

TWP: Tell us briefly about the admission process, was it difficult?

John:  I wrote JAMB three consecutive times and though I made the required score of above 200, I could not gain admission. There were a lot of difficulties and even at my third try it was by God’s grace that I got the admission. Admission in Nigeria is difficult. You can get it only if you have somebody who can stand for you or when God helps you.

TWP: How did you feel during this period?

John: I felt sad. I felt so embarrassed and isolated because I was thinking that we the poor ones had been ignored and so our rights sometimes are being trampled upon. In fact, there is no equality in Nigeria when it comes to areas like this because even people who did not have the requirements were being granted admission but others who had the necessary requirements where being ignored.

TWP: Did you suffer insults from people during the period while you were at home applying for admission?

John: Yeah, yeah. I received a lot of insults because some people thought that I repeatedly could not gain admission because I was incapable of doing so.

TWP: Where you pressurized by family members?

John: No, my parents did not pressurize me. Though, my mother advised me to apply to a polytechnic or a college of education. She felt I did not necessarily have to attend a university; any other tertiary institution would have been fine to her.

To be Continued...