Following the high number of candidates that failed the 2015 West African Senior School Examinations, educationists have called on the Federal Government to deal with key factors that are responsible.

The Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie, said education should be made free and compulsory up to age 18. He said, "The federal and state governments should both agree that education be made free and compulsory till age 18.



"In addition, schools should be boarding only. Many homes have a situation where both parents work till late, and if there is no one to supervise their children when they get back from school, there would definitely be a problem. "During my time, most schools were boarding; there were rules and regulations; seniors helped us with our assignments. But now, children close from school and their parents are not yet home. There is also no one to supervise them. "A large percentage of private schools are boarding, but how many can accommodate pupils? Most of the candidates that don't do well in WAEC are from public schools.


"In my time, our seniors handed us their notes and prepared us for our exams. Now, pupils don't have anyone to assist them."

Similarly, a Professor of Biology, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Omotoye Olorode, said candidates who fail WAEC are likely from public schools.
"People are not asking whose children are failing the exam. When one looks at things, one would see that they are likely children from public schools. These are schools everyone has abandoned. That question must be addressed.

"Even some private schools are not in a position to provide education to any child. They are trading organisations that engage graduate teachers on N10,000 a month. Some pay less, especially the dilapidated, uncompleted ones.

"Most children remain in abandoned public schools, and in many schools, teachers have not been paid for eight months. If parents are not paid, how would their children buy books? These questions need to be addressed. "More so, very few good textbooks are available because there are no teachers to write them. We should also ask how many children have books. We have been forced to live in denial of our situation," he said.


Furthermore, the Vice-Chancellor, Ekiti State University, Prof. Oladipo Aina, identified the drop in education standard as a huge factor. He said teachers are demoralised and that this has affected their mode of teaching. "We have serious problems. In some schools, you have a case where a teacher can't communicate in proper English. What would that teacher teach the pupils? One can't give what one doesn't have. A pupil isn't to know more than his teacher. "This is a time kids need proper care, yet teachers are not mentoring them. There has to be a combination of teaching and mentoring because they are at the formative stage. They need the right upbringing." Aina said pupils see teachers as role models, so a lot depends on the quality of teachers. He acknowledged that some teachers are poorly paid, and urged them to give their best since they have found themselves in the education sector.


Okojie further called for states to improve the standard of their primary and secondary schools, instead of relying on the Federal Government for everything. Children learn under harsh conditions; if they are not comfortable, how can they learn? We need to revisit the entire process if there must be improvement in WASSCE results," he said.



http://www.punchng.com/education/okojie-advocates-boarding-system-to-stem-wassce-failure/