Their problem is a generational one,so u will need to ask their fathers who are illitrate.
They always believe they re d one who surpose to be head wether qualification or not
They will continue lagging back if they don't change their orientation my people

they might not be educated, yet they are feeding the Nation. for those of you who served in various part of the north can attest to that. being academically incline is not the yard stick for progression. the chenese are not using westhern education to be wher they are today.

The real issue is probably language.If their education can be conducted in Hausa I am sure many of these kids are geniuses.It is us in the south who have a problem of linguistic enslavement in believing We cannot or must not learn in our mother Tongue.In that mindset anyone who cannot speak English is not educated.We are all victims of this to varying degrees until you travel and meet Germans,Japanese,Dutch etc with little or no English who are even more productive than English folk.
By default we have all decided that our languages should die and are even proud of it

A shift in paradigm is required and I look forward to the day when Ijebu kids will learn Geometry or Quantum Physics in Ijebu
We must not forget that even the English studied in Latin for centuries and then changed.Where is Latin today??

The Arabs ,Flemish,Indians,Chinese and others all do it so why can't we..A few years ago the Saudis decided to pilot it in a medical school and many medical terms were created from scratch. If you look at the English language today it is full of birrowed words like Opepe,induction,veranda etc

.In our situation a likely casualty is the corporate existence of Nigeria but hey who says that is sacrosanct.

aribisala0: The real issue is probably language.If their education can be conducted in Hausa I am sure many of this kids are geniuses.It is us in the south who have a problem of linguistic enslavement in believing We cannot or must not learn in our mother Tongue.

A shift in paradigm is required and I look forward to the day when Ijebu kids will learn Geometry or Quantum Physics in Ijebu
We must not forget that even the English studied in Latin for centuries and then changed.Where is Latin today??

The Arabs ,Flemish,Indians,Chinese and others all do it so why can we..A few years ago the Saudis decided to pilot it in a medical school and many medical terms were created from scratch. If you look at the English language today it is full of birrowed words like Opepe,induction,veranda etc

.In our situation a likely casualty is the corporate existence of Nigeria but hey who says that is sacrosanct.

I belong to the school of thought that believes that we'll go places if we're being taught in our native languages because that will give the everyone an equall opportunity to be educated. But a situation whereby you have to learn english first which you'll use to learn the main thing is sick. But as it is now, we can go back because we've been baptized by the english water. We just need to create a new program for people who have deficiency in English. I see no reason why we should not have hausa-speaking engineers, Igbo speaking doctors and Yoruba speaking lawyers.

la furia: As a northerner, yes we have big educational problem because the govt has refused to invest in pry and secondary education. Large number of youth and children go to school, u just need to see them in the morning others simply dont (almajiris), others drop out because of financial prblms or lack of intrest. U cant tell me that northerners dont go to sch(some think we dont at all) . Statisticaly, the number of gradute from the univesity to non gradute is not impresive.
We have more southern graduate than north but their pry and secondary edu is no better than ours.
The north isnt backward because of academic standard, but because of lack of infastructures. When the eldest in a family is a graduate wt no job, why should the father send the younger ones.

Respect for admitting the truth. The north has future if there are many more of your type.
Although the OP's observation is not sufficient to use in measuring the north as a backward region academically, it is a pointer to serious educational inadequacy.
FACT: The north is academically backward however, the degree of backwardness differ from state to state with the core north being the worst hit. It is not unconnected with the insatiable greed of their leaders who always prefer keeping the majority of their people in perpetual illiteracy so as not to be questioned/challenged.
However, academia have fallen far below the standard level across all the regions. Only one factor remains- the importance individuals attach to western literacy which is dependant on the exposure inherent in those regions.

afam4eva:
I belong to the school of thought that believes that we'll go places if we're being taught in our native languages because that will give the everyone an equall opportunity to be educated. But a situation whereby you have to learn english first which you'll use to learn the main thing is sick. But as it is now, we can go back because we've been baptized by the english water. We just need to create a new program for people who have deficiency in English. I see no reason why we should not have hausa-speaking engineers, Igbo speaking doctors and Yoruba speaking lawyers.

Thank you
I hope our people see the light quicK
There are fewer speakers of Dutch than their are Igbo and yet they all learn in Dutch.They also learn English too but their own is supreme. Clearly If we choose to remain as One in Nigeria the solution would have to be that you must learn at least One Nigerian language in addition to your own and when two people with the same qualification apply for the same job you can separate them on the basis of knowledge of Nigerian languages. In fact Compulsory learning of other Nigerian languages will go a longer way than the NYSC Scheme
In many Indian states it is complusory to receive Mother-tongue instruction in primary school here in Naija we make fun of her Excellency the First Widow
No reason why we cannot go back The useof English leads to spiritual death and iDon't mean religious but consciousness.You cannot have consciouness without language,poetry,song and drama in your own language

@OP I am sure everyone who served and got posted to teach (especially Maths/English) will agree that whether North or South,the results are comparable - PISS.POOR.
I remember interviewing a guy who was preparing for UME and when asked to write what courses he found interesting, he spelled course like so "curse". this is someone who had the "benefit" of attending a school in Victoria Island Lagos (I won't mention which one). Education is on the low-low and it is still going down further.

kaeto: Some1 pls check this up, a combination of waec n neco examination for 2011/2012 in gombe state in the northern part of nigeria, just 17 people were able to make 5 credits including maths n english . And instead of accepting academic defeat, nagoma n his friends r beating their chest in this public show of shame n charade. Allah help u all o.

People cheat in most of the states where students make 9 A's. Are u not surprised that these same people with A's get withdrawn in their first year in the university while those few with 5 C's are the ones that eventually graduate with good grades? This thing is a national issue and not just the north alone, though it's more pronounced in the far north.

yemorinho: It's such a pain in the neck.

I'm a serving corp member in one of the northern states and teaching in this Govt Sen Sec Sch has not been a bumper ride. I was assigned to teach mathematics and my first class was in SS3.

I was solving statistics and got to a point where I exclaimed '6x6'. The whole class was silent like a grave. (Prior to this time I had been carrying everyone along, with an intermittent 'understood?' and they would chorus a 'yes sir').

I then started pointing at students randomly. Some said 12, some, 10. Most others were jst mute (these were students who would b sitting 4 SSCE 3months from that time ). Only one student, the head prefect bailed the class. Was further shocked the following day when some students I had given †he task of studying the multiplication table couldn't recite 2x table past '2x5'.

It goes on an on... SS2 students also can't differentiate between '2 raise to power 3' and 2x3. To say the end of term assessment was woeful would b needless.

My counterparts in other northern states also experienced same and it cuts across all subjects. It's so discouraging, as this means students can't reproduce what u teach 'em owing to lack of the basic knowledge they ought 2 have acquired before that level.

This got me worried about the future of these lads.

To say the North is backward academically is more than a fact, infact more than a truth. Plenty of statistics in JAMB, WAEC abounds, even there leaders admit it. It is quite shameful to hear some people who I believe are northerners here, denying that it exists. You can never solve a problem by denying it exists, that's a defeatist mentality. The number of graduates a University in the north churns out for the NYSC program, more than half of them are usually from the southern part of the country. I am sure we all know the statistics, no need bugging us with such.

I grew up in the North, speak their language fluently, but since left the place. The problem with the north isn't the children or the youths in terms of education , it is a social and leadership problem. In the north a father would want his children to go and beg or sell petty things to cater for the large family, thus schooling isn't a priority. In the north a father would want his daughter to be married at age 12, thus schooling isn't an option. In the north, a father would want his son to cater for the goats, cows and sheeps he has, thus schooling isn't an option. In the north, leaders would siphon money meant for academic infrastructure into his pocket, while ensuring that his own children even his daughters go to school. I once followed my secondary school mates to participate in an Inter-School quiz competition. During the competition, we went out to visit some schools and hold a bit of motivational talk with them (I was in SS1 at that time), and we had a list of schools we were to visit. When we went to the 'schools' to visit, we were shocked to be told by the village head that they don't exist. They were simply 'ghost' schools, ghost teachers, ghost students, ghost academic materials supplied.... The list of 'ghosts' is endless. And the point was that the head of education there (or whatever he/she is now called) would connive with the local government chairmen, village heads, ward heads, create these ghost schools to siphon money from UBE allocations. It was so shocking and sad to me and my friends that were there. That is the north for you. The politicians up there are to be blamed as well. There seem to be an unwritten rule to ensure the children of the masses don't go to school so their minds can be flexible and gullible enough to be used as agents for political and religious violence. And again, there seem to be a conflict with the religion up there and western education. They would rather send their children to evening Islamic schools than day 'western' schools. When you have this happening at grass-root, early child development stages in children, you end up developing an academically backward generation. And all this was years before a certain Islamic group called 'Boko Haram' showed up. I did what I could there, holding seminars, leading volunteers to drag children to school, at least I left there with a clean conscience.

We can go on and on. That is the north for you. That land has so much potential, with its population, they can become the next India. However, the first seed towards solving the academic impasse they find themselves in must be sown, which is the rejection that academic backwardness doesn't exist. Because it does. At shockingly alarming levels.

Most northerners here are either making excuses or being unduly defensive. The north is behind educationally due to a myriad of factors, chief amongst which is ignorance and outright brain washing. What but ignorance makes a man have a family of more than ten children and three wives just because he can or because it's legal? Our hypothetical father is most likely an artisan or subsistence farmer- how many children can his meagre income put through school? The same school where his offspring will be raised in the ways of the demonic white man, as advised by his imam? I'm from the north and I know how many of my mates gave up school after primary 6, that is for those who managed to agree to even be educated. The vast majority prefer to become transporters (drivers) as they handle cash on a daily basis albeit on behalf of their employer. The average northerner lacks motivation and ambition from his environment and even family; most are just content enough to get by from day to day. And make no mistake, our environment is suited for laziness.

darqly: Most northerners here are either making excuses or being unduly defensive. The north is behind educationally due to a myriad of factors, chief amongst which is ignorance and outright brain washing. What but ignorance makes a man have a family of more than ten children and three wives just because he can or because it's legal? Our hypothetical father is most likely an artisan or subsistence farmer- how many children can his meagre income put through school? The same school where his offspring will be raised in the ways of the demonic white man, as advised by his imam? I'm from the north and I know how many of my mates gave up school after primary 6, that is for those who managed to agree to even be educated. The vast majority prefer to become transporters (drivers) as they handle cash on a daily basis albeit on behalf of their employer. The average northerner lacks motivation and ambition from his environment and even family; most are just content enough to get by from day to day. And make no mistake, our environment is suited for laziness.

There are many Yoruba men with a similar degree of fecundity.
There may be SOME parts of the North that are underperforming but to generalize and create a spurious North-South Dichotomy is not based on hard evidence.There are many pockets of backwardness in the South e.g in Yorubalan and many Yoruba men have children they can barely afford.I believe this happens elsewhere in the south too. This idea of brain washing is a fallacy The last few CJNs have been from the North. The most recent is Muslim and female and almost 70 so she was clearly educated quite a while back.We need to recognize our own prejudices for what they are.How many people on this thread has ever set foot inside a Northerner's house I wonder??

Well, I think its everywhere. I served in Igbeti local government in Oyo state. And although I wasn't posted to any school, I usually stopped by to take the students in English and Literature. I remember asking one SS2 boy where he hadn't done his homework. And he said it was because he had a "haaaad arch cheeeeee". I had no idea what he meant and the class repeated it with glee as if the boy had said something sensible. It took me a few minutes to figure out that the guy meant "headache". SS2! Our public school system in remote villages is messed up generally.

ajobes: guys, i beg ur pardon to disagree with u that northernern are backward academically.
we are realy up to date academically. we have it takes when it come to academic field of studies and learning. pls stop saying all these rubish

you are a confirmation.

@ Almagai, plz it is imagine not imergine be like say you b dem boko sef! Which school did u graduate from?

Cus education is not necceasary for them. You are wasting your time, see their ogas the bokoharams. Like oga like children

6 x 6 = Bomb. 2 to the power 3 = Boko Haram. See wetin quota system don cause, people no longer care to work hard because they get things without competition.

Ayee Idris: Well, I think its everywhere. I served in Igbeti local government in Oyo state. And although I wasn't posted to any school, I usually stopped by to take the students in English and Literature. I remember asking one SS2 boy where he hadn't done his homework. And he said it was because he had a "haaaad arch cheeeeee". I had no idea what he meant and the class repeated it with glee as if the boy had said something sensible. It took me a few minutes to figure out that the guy meant "headache". SS2! Our public school system in remote villages is messed up generally.

i had a similar experience with a bunch of Japanese guys telling me how much they ROV RONDON. Apparently they love London a lot.Bottomline is they are NOT English and Neither are we. As Obesere ,Fuji artiste, quite aptly put it when challenged about his English Solecisms ,He responded in Yoruba with words to the effect that "English people do not understand Yoruba"
Not understanding English is not a mark of ignorance nor is the converse true.

So let us stop making fun of our First Widow Please

la furia: As a northerner, yes we have big educational problem because the govt has refused to invest in pry and secondary education. Large number of youth and children go to school, u just need to see them in the morning others simply dont (almajiris), others drop out because of financial prblms or lack of intrest. U cant tell me that northerners dont go to sch(some think we dont at all) . Statisticaly, the number of gradute from the univesity to non gradute is not impresive.
We have more southern graduate than north but their pry and secondary edu is no better than ours.
The north isnt backward because of academic standard, but because of lack of infastructures. When the eldest in a family is a graduate wt no job, why should the father send the younger ones.

you have said it all......

yemorinho: It's such a pain in the neck.

I'm a serving corp member in one of the northern states and teaching in this Govt Sen Sec Sch has not been a bumper ride. I was assigned to teach mathematics and my first class was in SS3.

I was solving statistics and got to a point where I exclaimed '6x6'. The whole class was silent like a grave. (Prior to this time I had been carrying everyone along, with an intermittent 'understood?' and they would chorus a 'yes sir').

I then started pointing at students randomly. Some said 12, some, 10. Most others were jst mute (these were students who would b sitting 4 SSCE 3months from that time ). Only one student, the head prefect bailed the class. Was further shocked the following day when some students I had given †he task of studying the multiplication table couldn't recite 2x table past '2x5'.

It goes on an on... SS2 students also can't differentiate between '2 raise to power 3' and 2x3. To say the end of term assessment was woeful would b needless.

My counterparts in other northern states also experienced same and it cuts across all subjects. It's so discouraging, as this means students can't reproduce what u teach 'em owing to lack of the basic knowledge they ought 2 have acquired before that level.

This got me worried about the future of these lads.

whoever you are u must be illtrained and biased...... why are you making such categorical generalization on us?.... on what paremeter u put this your baseless research..... For only measuring the performance of some students will be your yardstick of measuring the educational development of a particular region?.... Even in the south there must be such kind of students..... This is something to do with individual differences( no individuals are alike even the identical twins).... hmm! may be u r just a bsc graduate, u lack teaching method abi?.....ROGET COPER.

chmod777: [size=24pt]Why Cant people accept simply truth. Ask BBC, ask WAEC, ask JAMB. The north should learn to tell themselves the truth. Without sentiments, Imo state alone might exceeds the ENTIRE north, I repeat the ENTIRE northern JAMB enrollment by statistics.[/size]

Dear nairalander, pardon me for my harsh criticism and please read through your texts above to see why you have no right to judge. Without sufficient common sense and with such sheer display of grammatical naivety, I wonder why you are in this.
By the way, I am an engineer from the south who works for an international energy company just to put things in the right perspective. However, I simply do not see reason in arguing a case of educational incapability when your write up exhibits gross under-qualification.

ebamma: in northern nigeria arabic education is valued more than western education

lt's true, since they are against Western education & Christianity, they shall continue 2 go backward academically.

fortyfeet:
you are a confirmation.

Hehehehehehe

don't see Japanese or Chinese embracing Christianity or Western education and they are doing quite fine.
Algebra was an Arabic word last time I checked

ajobes:
and there are many more of professionals in all field of endeavour today in the north. i mean real frofessionals.
one of them was just appointed as the 1st female CJ in nigeria now

very right bro. But I can assure u that for every 1 u av in the north there's 100 here (south). Truth be told; they're backward.

PLEASE STOP BRAGGING, THE WHOLE OF BAYELSA STATE HAS ONLY ONE SAN.

north has only one problem- they hate to be told the truth. They havent got the ball to face their shame. See how many people trying to deny the obvious here. Such a pity

aribisala0: don't see Japanese or Chinese embracing Christianity or Western education and they are doing quite fine.
Algebra was an Arabic word last time I checked

using japan or china as examples do not fit as the language of taught in those places are japanese and mandarin respectively.english is the language of taught in nigeria so we have to be good in the language until at a time we are ready to purge ourselves of 'colomentality' and start using our indigenous languages as mode for teaching. _{btw i wonder if you are the same aribisala that writes about faith issues on sunday vanguard}

The school I graduated from in Kaduna, if you asked '6x6', they may not reply cuz the question is so dumb

kbdrim: The Nigerian education system is a disaster. It might be more pronounced in the north but believe me, The difference between those northern schools and those in the south is minimal. I served in Ondo state. Both in ondo town and akure as far back as 2004.I was shocked at the level of ignorance in those secondary schools and there were about the best private schools in the state. Infact, the effect teaching had on me led me into going into teaching as a career. Nigeria might produce very few students who are naturally gifted but majority of Nigerian students right now dont know Jack. That also has to do with the teachers who cant give more than they have. You can imagine Patience Jonathan who has a degree from a nigerian university teaching students. Most teachers in Nigeria are bad products of coilleges of education and universities and so cant impact knowledge to students and we have a circle of IDIOTAs churning out Idiots. My experience in Ondo opened my eyes to the fact that education in the south isnt any different. If you look at GEJ, it sums up what our education system looks like. What private schools do in the south is just pay WAEC and NECO officials so they can use a few good teachers and NYSC members to write exams for their students. This was the same school that had a morning and afternoon bible devotion. so much for religion yet exam malpractice was never an issue for them. Until we start paying teachers the same money been paid to bankers so we can attract the best from our universities into the teaching profession. There is no hope!!!

GBAM!!

Blame the parents, blame the teachers, blame the government! Even blame the religious ' fanatical' leaders, who dont want them to know the truth! Keep the people in ignorance, you use them as you please is the tactis. Why do you think they 'boko haram' the people? So that the people will not see their weakness and inefficiency. It is everywhere my people. They use religion in north while they use toughery in the south. Divide and rule they poor masses and by the time they realise it, it is late...poverty and backwardness their lot.

MacLovington: The problem has been there a long time.

Many Northerners were sent to southern boarding schools even 30 years back. I had many of them as mates. They were often kids of army officers and federal civil servants who had worked in the south before and saw the difference. When transferred to the North, they sent their sons back south to study. These guys are engineers, accountants etc today.

A good numbe of the north's intelligentsia schooled in the South(at least secondaryu education).
Sanusi, Mansur Mukhtar, Shamsideen Usman, Sanusi Daggash etc all attended King's College.