Orikinla:

[size=13pt]We do not need to build new universities, but to spread their campuses.[/size]
UNN, ABU, OAU, UI and others  can have more campuses within and outside their states of origin.

You do not just establish new universities overnight without consulting the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), National Universities Commission and other principal stakeholders.

Do we have enough qualified lecturers for the new universities?
When currently UNIBEN students are protesting non accreditation of courses.

This is actually the better suggestion here as the last thing we need is this same Government, that has failed our students, having more INSTITUTIONS under it's management. Schools like UNN, OAU, UI, UL are schools that have proven to hold up against the poor management culture and so it makes sense to work to increase capacity in the already capable schools, rather than creating more schools and hence increasing the chances of the government to mess up even more.

And you are right on the shortage of qualified individuals for the new universities the government plans to build. This problem has been in existence for so so long, it almost seems as if the government expects that shortage to somehow disappear if it does not effectively tackle it.


http://www.wcpsd.org/posters/education/Boyo_Adenike_1.pdf

CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED IN STUDYING PHYSICS AT THE
SECONDARY SCHOOLS
We identified a number of deep-rooted issues peculiar to physics subject in secondary
schools which need to be addressed. These problems, common to secondary schools are:

· Inadequacy of materials and personnel with respect to teaching the subject.

· Lack of laboratories and Equipment

· Inability of the teachers to impact the subject to the student s, which might be due to
the problem of teachers qualification and effectiveness.

· The overloading of West African examination council syllabus.

· Shortages in the supply of physics teachers and poor environments in which physics
practical are taught.

· The ability of this subject to inspire and interest pupils, particularly girls; and
other factors such as careers advice which affect pupils’ desire to study physics at
higher levels.

· The inflexibility,  irrelevance and repetitiveness of the curriculum;

· The lack of engagement in debate and quiz in this subject

· The limitations on practical and fieldwork

· The low educational value of coursework

· Non  implementation of ICT in science teaching.

· The shortage of qualified science teachers is a well-known problem. The increasing
demand for science graduates in other more lucrative sectors and the decreasing
number of graduates in these subjects means that we are caught in a  seemingly
endless cycle of decline in specialist science teachers

· Insufficient account taken of pupils' previous learning and attainment, including
what they had already learned in primary school;

· Some tasks set for pupils were either too difficult for  them or insufficiently
challenging

· Insufficiently high teacher expectations of the pace of pupils' learning and of the
quality of presentation of their written work

Kobojunkie:

This is actually the better suggestion here as the last thing we need is this same Government, that has failed our students, having more INSTITUTIONS under it's management. Schools like UNN, OAU, UI, UL are schools that have proven to hold up against the poor management culture and so it makes sense to work to increase capacity in the already capable schools, rather than creating more schools and hence increasing the chances of the government to mess up even more.

And you are right on the shortage of qualified individuals for the new universities the government plans to build. This problem has been in existence for so so long, it almost seems as if the government expects that shortage to somehow disappear if it does not effectively tackle it.


http://www.wcpsd.org/posters/education/Boyo_Adenike_1.pdf

Thank you.
A President whose resume shows that he is a product of the Nigerian university system should know better. But unfortunately, he is playing politics with the systemic failures of the education sector.
He and his accomplices continue to perpetuate the mismanagement and send their own children to world class schools they can afford with their ill gotten wealth.

It's quite unfortunate that in the year 2011, rather than listening to the cries from the students, staff, and administration, our own government would rather proffer solutions that are not even linked to the reality of the situation down there.

See "Concerning more degree-awarding schools" by Dr. Taiwo Oladokun on

http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=36365:oladokun-concerning-more-degree-awarding-schools&catid=38:columnists&Itemid=615

May I recommend Nigeria at the crossroads: Religion, education and nation building by Prof. Jacob Olupona, a Professor of African and African American Studies, Harvard University, United State.
Read it on http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/education/25922.html.

He also addressed some of the issues raised in our conversations.

We don’t need new varsities – Reps

http://www.punchng.com/Articl.aspx?theartic=Art20110224362050

Wahala dey. . . its about time nigerians stood up and ask the legislooters to do us justice or leave, these people dont even see themselves as representing

This, in my humble opinion, epitomises the calibre of PhDers being churned out of Nigerian universities. It's become an absolute joke and ridicule. What many academics publish in Nigerian academic journals would not make it into international academic journals. To prove this case, someone I know recently re-submitted 6 journal articles written by one Nigerian academic within the last 2 years and resubmitted to high impact academic journals in the UK and the US. They were promptly rejected. They never went beyond the initial editors' review because the respective editors adjudged the papers as extremely weak. Yes, there are Nigerian academics who get published in high impact journals in Europe and the Americas, yet there are several others paying to get published in dodgy European and American journals.

we need new universities. we need 300 universities.

Federal goverment should hands-off secondary and tertiary education, more like in the 1960s, so that states can be educated at their own pace.

Orikinla:

May I recommend Nigeria at the crossroads: Religion, education and nation building by Prof. Jacob Olupona, a Professor of African and African American Studies, Harvard University, United State.
Read it on http://thenationonlineng.net/web3/education/25922.html.

He also addressed some of the issues raised in our conversations.

Thank you Orikinla. That's a great article/speech. At the risk of sounding immodest, I'll say Olupona spoke my mind. Only if I was 1/100 as smart as he is.

The old link is not working, here's another one;

http://www.nigeriaradio.net/news/nigeria-music/401-nigeria-at-the-crossroads-religion-education-and-nation-building-.html

What i find most amazing is the fact that some people are actually trying to defend the indefensible just because he was their presidential candidate. This ''my countryman can do no wrong'' mentality is what kills any good left in the country. The OP raised valied points. We do not need new universities, sure, but Jonadumb has to pay back some people with contracts.
I sorry sorry for Nigeria.

reindeer:

What i find most amazing is the fact that some people are actually trying to defend the indefensible just because he was their presidential candidate. This ''my countryman can do no wrong'' mentality is what kills any good left in the country. The OP raised valied points. We do not need new universities, sure, but Jonadumb has to pay back some people with contracts.
I sorry sorry for Nigeria.

. The low IQ of GEJ is what we are seeing now. And he is even afraid to admit his incompetence. I saw all this coming. I rejected appeals and even bribes to support his election. Those who shared N200 million are too ashamed to even support him now. Don Jazzy said one of his worst mistakes was voting for GEJ. The cookie has crumbled.

blacksta: it was Only a matter time before the Goodluck apologetics show up - Are you sure you people are not suffering from Inferiority complex


abeg no kill me laughter

so because he is first to spend on education hence i should lick his yan sh. tell me what is the responsibity of the Government

in a basket of rotten tomatoes - you are tell me i should choose this one GEJ that has not spoil finish


I laugh

nobody says u shud lick his ass...bt lets be sincere..he is trying

And aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaall the Solomons on this forum cannot simple see that it is the Assembly that is at fault and holding the nation to ransom as the budget would not be passed if there money is reduced or tampered with.

PapaBrowne: Are you serious This is the first time Education is receiving the highest budget allocation in Nigeria and you are complaining!! We have a President that has just established 9 new Universities(There were just 27 FG Universities b4 now established in the last 60 years) and you are complaining. We have a President that approved N40 Billion for Research in Universities and you are complaining? All these in less than 1 year!!

We have had Presidents that have ignored the education sector, but Jonathan is surely not one of them!!!

And you think that justifies a budget of #35 billion for education as against #350 billion for the National Assembly. It only shows education isn't properly prioritized.