CAUSES OF FALLEN STANDARD OF EDUCATION IN NIGERIA by Orji Ujunwa V. (Ex D.S.P)
The standard of education in Nigeria is falling drastically. This is greatly affecting every aspect of the country’s growth.
What are the causes of these problems and how can we possibly solve them? One of the causes of this problem is lack of incentives from the government. Government fails to pay the teachers their salaries and arrears as and when due. This discourages them. It is truism that a hungry man is an angry man. There is no way a hungry teacher can teach effectively.
Another cause of this ugly trend is insufficient teachers who are qualified. Most of the teachers are not specialists in their subject areas. They read and teach the subjects assigned to them. They teach the little they understand since one can’t teach or offer what one does not have.
Examination malpractice in Nigeria is also responsible for the fallen standard of education in Nigeria. Majority of students depend wholly on malpractice during examination. Due to this fact, they pass through schools without the school passing through them and this results in the increased number of “quacks” we have today in different professions.
Most of the professions I know about are ESTATE SURVEYORS AND VALUES, LAW, Medicine and Surgery, etc. People in the estate surveyors and values field can survey a land, value any type of property like residential buildings and commercial buildings and the rest of them. They are professionals in it because they are into the field. For instance, if the person did not study the course very well, he/she will not know what to do in the field.
Today, it is an open secret that students exhibit a non-attitude towards education. They rather focus their minds on trading which they see a very quick way to generate money. They do not believe that they need to be well educated so as to carry on with their trading smoothly.
However, apart from the government, teachers, students, parents are also responsible for the fallen standard of education. Some parents impose careers on their children. Parents are not interested in intellectual capacity and ability of the child.
The major solutions to those problems of fallen standards of education is prompt payment of salaries and arrears to teachers in order to encourage them. Unqualified teachers do not make for high educational standard, they are just like square pages in round holes. In service training should be introduced so as to upgrade them. Students should also be allowed to choose careers for themselves so as to make them specialized in their field. Continuous assessment should also be enforced in schools so as to test the ability of students at certain intervals and to find out the areas where more efforts are needed.
In conclusion, some causes of fallen standard of education in Nigeria has need to x-ray and selections are also offered in order to improve or alleviate if not eradicated, those factors responsible for the fallen standard of education. The Government, teachers are implored to heed rigorously to solutions offered so as to improve on the quality of education in our country.