[b]DECLINE IN STANDARD OF EDUCATION IN NIGERIA.

There is no gainsaying that the prestigious standard of education has drastically declined. Education is no more what it used to be, the value and standard of education has loosed as a result of indiscipline in the sector. What prompted me to ink this article is the mass failure of students in the just concluded Joint administration matriculation board (Jamb) exams.

From the look of things, it is lucid that few youths now have the zeal for education while others are mere sycophant looking for short way to success. The road to success is narrow; hence, any student that has desire for success in his/her education should endeavour to burn midnight oils or candles. But, it is pathetic that the common slogan today is “no room for failure” paving way for student to bribe pedagogue, lecturer, and professor to get exam questions and rehearse on before the exam time, all in the name of success. The most worrisome of the issue is parents who ought to be the messiah guiding and directing their children or wards in the right paths, willingly support them to get engage in examination malpractices by paying for the so called “logistics” and buying their children exam questions to rehearse on.

The common believe these days is now “connection” which is a typical epitome of “tribalism” and “favouritism”, just as the way students believe in the general concept “he who knows way, knows the book” which make them become indolent. Examination is no longer the best way to determine merit student as so many unqualified students had gained admission into tertiary institutions at the expense of the best. The paining part is that ninety-nine percent of them can’t defend their certificate, giving bad names to the country by engaging in cultism and prostitute. The keen interest of going to school is no longer there, poor students are likely to end up not going to school as huge amount of money is needed to fund their schooling, lecturers sell out handout compelling student to buy or they fail and schools increasing fees yearly, while scholarship award is at less.

In addition, the dressing attitudes of students these days is highly uncultured, students dress shabbily and obscene on campus. The ladies put on kinds of mini skirt that are capable of sending the mind of a man to lust. Ladies in obscene dress is simply saying “am available, come and have me”, they sometimes behave and dress like high way deceit virgin. How would you describe the male counterpart as well having dreadlock on their heads to school boastfully, appointing themselves as cultist? Some of them carry laptop around in the name of yahoo-yahoo, they are proud fraudster. These era students are going to school for fashion and fun fair.

Obviously, students of nowadays walk majestically to lecture room like a king, even when they are late. Amoral and indiscipline is now order of the day as students have no fear for lecturer or professor again. To make the case worse we often hear cases of lecturer, pedagogue and professor sleeping with female students to pass them in their exams. Likewise, we often hear numerous of cases of lecturer being beaten up by students for snatching one of their girl friend.

Lecturers no longer have zeal for lecturing as they believed they receive low pay, they only go to classes to brief students and place them on research and mark attendance to have their money at the month. Compare to ancient time when lecturer go extra mile to impart knowledge and culture to students, than now when lecturers hardly have time for them, going on research to abroad from time to time leaving students to the big issues.

Inclusion, how can this malicious acts be curbed in our institutions and schools? Well several steps have been taken which seem abortive as it was not done with loyalty. Firstly, all hands must be on deck. The parents and the government have the greatest role to played, parents should devote a peculiar time for their children to imbibe moral and culture to them as a child is the product of the home. Also, government should strictly look into educational sector because developments of a country solely rely on better education for our youths. The government should set a panel that will curb the excessive power of lecturer or professor molesting students or who admit student through back door and will be severely dealt with or fired. Also, to give a law beyond expel for students engaging in criminal and corrupt acts on campus. Finally, if all these are put to check our education in Nigeria will be normalcy.

By: Iyiola Oluwatosin .D
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