CERTIFIED BUT ILLITERATE GRADUATES

An illiterate is someone who cannot read and write. Technically, an illiterate is someone who knows little or nothing about a particular subject. Someone who didn't study medicine or related courses is an illiterate in medical works. Many people are certified but they're illiterates in their career. Illiteracy in choosen career was not noted by many Nigerians because they only see an illiterate as someone who can't read and write.

There are many certified illiterates among primary and secondary school teachers. It include lecturers at our Universities, Polytechics and Colleges of Education. Many lecturers cram lecture notes before they enter lecture room. This kind of lecturers normally turned students questions which exceeded their crammed notes into an assignment to avoid embarrassment. Many of them also encourage students to cram lecture notes by telling them to write the exact notes they were given in the lecture room for their examination to earn good marks.

It's awkward that most students of nowadays are illiterates in their courses. It started from secondary schools where most students don't know about their departments. Many students of SSS 3 in our secondary schools don't know correct combination of subjects for the course of their choice at University or Polytechnic. This is because most of them depend on what they're taught by their certified illiterate teachers. I've been a victim of this before.

It's not new in Nigerian that most of our graduates can't defend their certificate. There was a news sometimes ago that many of our graduates can't write an application letter. This is because many of them did "runz" throughout their education stages. In fact, "runz" is seen as norm in Nigerian schools. Nigerian schools are producing more certified illiterates every year because their certified illiterates teachers and lecturers support examination malpractices.

Most lecturers in Nigerian Universities and Polytechnics only teach students to have certificate to secure job not how to sustain it. The freedom of creating private schools had contributed to the breeding of more certified illiterate graduates in Nigeria by some private schools. It started from their admission process till graduation. They always pass unmerited students because of huge amount of tuition fee. Government owned schools are not left out because some lecturers do pass unmerited students who have money to bribe them.

I'll drop my pen here to make this article concise. I didn't write this article to ridicule Nigeria education sector. It's to serve as an eye-opener for all students, teachers, lecturers, parents and government at all levels. Let's stop running after certificate without acquiring necessary skills.

Share this article with your friends on facebook, WhatsApp and BBM. You can also share it at your blog but make sure you give credit to the writer. Let's join hands to stop breeding more certified illiterate graduates in Nigeria. Thanks for reading.

(c) Oladele Mayowa (babaM0DDER) Ibadan, Nigeria.

Brb