I write this as a product of the Nigerian education system. You might say I am bias, but tell me, who won’t be? I have received a solid foundation here and this is why I refuse to sit and watch the system dwindle away. Against others who have lost faith in the system, I am a strong believer that whatever we try now would work, even if it would take a while. Remember we did not get to this state over night.
Regardless of the poor performance of students in the May/June 2010 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) whose results was released four weeks ahead of schedule, probably to show their competence, there are still great minds in the education system yet to be harnessed. According to the results, about 1,278,843 candidates, representing 94.62per cent of the total number of students who sat for the exams have their results fully processed. But, they could have as well been patient enough to treat the remaining 5.38 per cent for the next four weeks before its release.
Although I must admit that I was quite disappointed at the results, but who is to blame? The students have put the blame on the teachers and lack of infrastructures, including poor communication, while the teachers blame the Council for the hurried work, bearing in mind that they still have some errors and omissions to sort out. The Council has talked on errors that were committed both during the online registration and during the actual conduct of the examination. The question is why were such errors not properly looked into before the release of the results? I am not outrightly saying that the council is to blame. Nobody wants to be blamed for wrong. But the truth is that the teachers, the council, the students, the examination bodies, and the parents have a part in this fall in standard.
This is time for action. A quick repositioning of the education system has to be done by concentrating on those areas of emphasis such as this. As I said, there are still great minds to be harnessed. With a closer look at the result analysis, about 1,058,806 (78.33) per cent of a total of 1,351,557candidates had 2credits and above. This implies that all hope is not lost. Most of these students still have and end goal of being truly successful, with great dreams and aspirations. Would we then say that because some failed then all have failed? Certainly not!
All that is needed is better support from well meaning Nigerians to those students who are ready to step up against all odds even if they are aware of an easier way out through malpractices. They have made a decision today to be loyal and honest with the works of their hands, which would invariably payoff in the nearest future if they keep at it.
Free holiday schemes should be highly encouraged as well as programmes on training the teachers. The Parents Teachers Association (PTA) meetings should be more purposeful as to improving the standard of education, and the government should do more in funding these programmes, with other external support.
The truth is everyone has a part to play; but the greater is on individual decision to see to a rise in the system and creating the change they desire.
