kaboninc:
DearPreye,

I do agree with the meaning of your entire post. But I disagree with some points you raised.

Firstly, education is the best legacy a father can bequeath unto his children. Education is the best gift a society can bequeath to her people. The evidence of being educated is the issuance of a certificate most especially in formal forms of education.

Education can also be informal and this form does not need a certificate. It does not need a proof of paper but by actions and words.

In the world today, paper qualification - formal proofs of education will always be an integral part or nexus in the grand scheme of things. The proof signifies that you have acquired the requisite skill, knowledge and understanding in a particular field of endeavour. It signifies that you have the capability and depending on the 'grade', it shows the level of intelligence you exhibit in that field.

This is the reason grading was introduced. The very best were graded at the very top and as performances varies, individuals are assessed. This reminds me of my convocation wherein I was said to have been found worthy both in character and in learning.

So education is very crucial in every field of life and a certificate is a proof of being educated.

However, the manner, style and condition in which education is taught is the crux.....not certificate or no certificate. We have a problem with how we are taught in schools. We do not have quality education in most of our schools. We lack good tutors, good administrators, good infrastructure, good and well revised and updated curricular, funding. These things add up to the rots we have today. And that is why we say the certificates are worthless and at the same time, downplaying the importance of education and most especially certificates.

Education provides the means for learning. Learning the works of others and bringing into life our innovations and ideas while using the works of others as our lunching pad. That way, we create our own pad for others to use as theirs and the cycle continues.

Thus in all, education and a certificate is very vital for personal and societal growth.

And this is what OP is trying to point out

That your statement "certificate is the proof of being educated" is wrong.

Certificate shouldn't be the primary proof, but the secondary proof.

If certificate is the main focus then the education system will be flawed.

/
Education is nothing but a tool.

What one does with such tool is entirely up to the individual which is why education does not guarantee success.

There will always be poor people in the world both educated and illiterates. What I noticed is that a lot of Nigerians have moved from seeing education as a tool to seeing it as title. Instead of getting a degree in Engineering, some would rather have a Ph.D in Botany just to add the title "Dr" to their names for massaging their egos. And when passionate botanists gather, the Nigerian cannot find his "bearing". It is a common malaise.
/

Great post.

God2Man

kaboninc:
DearPreye,

I do agree with the meaning of your entire post. But I disagree with some points you raised.

Firstly, education is the best legacy a father can bequeath unto his children. Education is the best gift a society can bequeath to her people. The evidence of being educated is the issuance of a certificate most especially in formal forms of education.

Education can also be informal and this form does not need a certificate. It does not need a proof of paper but by actions and words.

In the world today, paper qualification - formal proofs of education will always be an integral part or nexus in the grand scheme of things. The proof signifies that you have acquired the requisite skill, knowledge and understanding in a particular field of endeavour. It signifies that you have the capability and depending on the 'grade', it shows the level of intelligence you exhibit in that field.

This is the reason grading was introduced. The very best were graded at the very top and as performances varies, individuals are assessed. This reminds me of my convocation wherein I was said to have been found worthy both in character and in learning.

So education is very crucial in every field of life and a certificate is a proof of being educated.

However, the manner, style and condition in which education is taught is the crux.....not certificate or no certificate. We have a problem with how we are taught in schools. We do not have quality education in most of our schools. We lack good tutors, good administrators, good infrastructure, good and well revised and updated curricular, funding. These things add up to the rots we have today. And that is why we say the certificates are worthless and at the same time, downplaying the importance of education and most especially certificates.

Education provides the means for learning. Learning the works of others and bringing into life our innovations and ideas while using the works of others as our lunching pad. That way, we create our own pad for others to use as theirs and the cycle continues.

Thus in all, education and a certificate is very vital for personal and societal growth.

The OP's article is spot on. As for you, "education" is beyond acquiring certificate/passing through formal school. You and majority of the general populace misconstruction of what "education" really is is the bane of our retrogression as a country. Certificate/going through formal school doesn't guarantee automatic intelligence or success but "education" (been a master in your chosen art) does. Guess what, you can gain education through either formal or informal means - in fact, I prefer the latter after going through formal school up to a secondary level. I am a strong proponent of self-education and hands-on experience, believe you me this is the kind of education that makes one to become self reliant and productive.

TheWisest:


Exactly why I dropped out of school. And now I'm better off.

Well, I'm so happy you took that step and it worked for you. That was both and brave!

There's nothing wrong about acquiring a degree but the manner in which we seek it, and the motive with which the system was set up, IS wrong.

God2man:
Great post.

God2Man

Thanks brother. We need to change a lot of things OR risk our nation remain the same for centuries.

dangers of certificate conscious education.

dearpreye:


Thanks bro. I'm also done with them. Had to suspend my personal development books for a short while, though I still occasionally peep into them. They've formed a part of my life.

can you recommend some of these books for me please?

oluwadanie1:


can you recommend some of these books for me please?

Sure. And happily too.

You may start with Jim Rohn's Leading an Inspired Life. It's one great book that will help you.

that's a 750 capacity hall in futo,

Nice thread.

Certificate is overrated in Nigeria at the detriment of societal development. That's the more reason you see engineers who can't design engines or draw engineering circuit, Computer scientist or engineers who knows nothing about a computer and economist who can only quote theories but can't manage a business to a developmental level.


Past and present government pays lip service to the education sector. They are still product of the failed education system. No wonder their leadership qualities is not moving the nation forward. No wonder they send their children abroad to school. If we don't pay serious attention to our education sector, we will continue to be "beggars" to foreign nations. We depend on foreign nations for almost everything simply because our education system is bad.

We just have schools set up to issue paper certificate at the end of 4-5years without imparting anything meaningful into the lives of the student. The paper certificate has made student derived cheap means to pass exams just to be certified. It's true that we produce more of educated Illiterates in the country. After the school has make the student believe so much their lives and future depends on the certificate, they only find a different situation after school.

NYSC has also failed in this area. It's almost a complete waste of one year. If NYSC can't be re-structured to a 1yr skills acquisitions or entrepreneurship programs, then it should be scrapped from the system. The so-called SAED program is a scam organized by NYSC to deceive Nigerians they are actually equipping corps members. It's a big scam. The system has not help in terms of equipping corps members with the relevant skills to face the challenging economy.

Skills is the key. Acquire the certificate and back it with the relevant skills that will give you an edge in the competitive society.

butanep:
Nice thread.

Certificate is overrated in Nigeria at the detriment of societal development. That's the more reason you see engineers who can't design engines or draw engineering circuit, Computer scientist or engineers who knows nothing about a computer and economist who can only quote theories but can't manage a business to a developmental level.


Past and present government pays lip service to the education sector. They are still product of the failed education system. No wonder their leadership qualities is not moving the nation forward. No wonder they send their children abroad to school. If we don't pay serious attention to our education sector, we will continue to be "beggars" to foreign nations. We depend on foreign nations for almost everything simply because our education system is bad.

We just have schools set up to issue paper certificate at the end of 4-5years without imparting anything meaningful into the lives of the student. The paper certificate has made student derived cheap means to pass exams just to be certified. It's true that we produce more of educated Illiterates in the country. After the school has make the student believe so much their lives and future depends on the certificate, they only find a different situation after school.

NYSC has also failed in this area. It's almost a complete waste of one year. If NYSC can't be re-structured to a 1yr skills acquisitions or entrepreneurship programs, then it should be scrapped from the system. The so-called SAED program is a scam organized by NYSC to deceive Nigerians they are actually equipping corps members. It's a big scam. The system has not help in terms of equipping corps members with the relevant skills to face the challenging economy.

Skills is the key. Acquire the certificate and back it with the relevant skills that will give you an edge in the competitive society.

It's a worrisome trend. Our education system was designed to achieve the shameful results we're having today. Any developments minded person will be alarmed with the current situation. I'm so burdened and pained I hardly pass a day without thinking of the gloomy future that await us, if nothing concrete and decisive and timely is done about it. There's a huge issue on ground.

This thread was borne from pain and frustration occasioned by a weak and retrogression education sector. No nation ever became great by having an unworkable education. No nation ever became great by dissing skills and enterprenuership. The future will be worse if we keep recycling this unworkable system. Like you rightly said, the primitive and unthinking leaders are a product of the bad education system; it's already hurting us.

Yes. I agree. The NYSC should be restructured and converted into a skills acquisition period. Skill is the way forward; no goverment employs EVERYONE.

Frankly speaking, Most students don't read, they only pass exams.

If the Examination Bodies can conduct exams free from examination malpractice, only 5% will pass WAEC, 3% will pass NECO, probably 7% will pass Jamb and 2% will pass post ume.

Examination bodies now celebrate success which are failures in the real world.

Education sector need total overhauling.

Unfortunately we are centuries behind when it comes to the value validation we place on our education system. It was not 2 decades ago Banks started taking on more Diploma and Polytechnic Graduates because they outperformed their Degreed Graduates in similar tasks and challenges. it did not take long before Seocndary-ICAN holders outpaced Degreed University Graduates at the work-place.. I am not saying a University Education is not important - There are Institutions that lean more to Real-world application of Academics than those that strictly focuses on lectures and grades -- take a look at your president.

butanep:


Frankly speaking, Most students don't read, they only pass exams.

If the Examination Bodies can conduct exams free from examination malpractice, only 5% will pass WAEC, 3% will pass NECO, probably 7% will pass Jamb and 2% will pass post ume.

Examination bodies now celebrate success which are failures in the real world.

Education sector need total overhauling.

We're in trouble! Deep mess.

What I found disturbing is our unwillingness to change a system even when it's obviously unworking or unworkable.

voltron:
Unfortunately we are centuries behind when it comes to the value validation we place on our education system. It was not 2 decades ago Banks started taking on more Diploma and Polytechnic Graduates because they outperformed their Degreed Graduates in similar tasks and challenges. it did not take long before Seocndary-ICAN holders outpaced Degreed University Graduates at the work-place.. I am not saying a University Education is not important - There are Institutions that lean more to Real-world application of Academics than those that strictly focuses on lectures and grades -- take a look at your president.

We have a serious system problem.

bare1:


Will they swallow the skills? Wouldn't they still be educated?

how many footballers,musicians, actors etc are university graduates.
The core thing is for every child to attain basic education which is primary school to Js 3.
Our society teaches us to neglect skills and passion and embrace full education till university. thats why we hav alot of dependents, job seekers with paper qualification bt no passion or skill cos d society made it so and d unready university didnt help

I and a friend were just talking about this same topic some minutes ago, actually ours was about a movie *three idiot* i believe most of u have watched that movie.it was abt d educational system in india,almost the same as that of nigeria.where no new innovations in our universities nd students only read during exams.where students just want 2 have good grades and good jobs.
If only we follow excellence,success will chase us.if u haven't watched three idiot am advicing ya'all to today. Pants down!

SamsonJohn743:
I and a friend were just talking about this same topic some minutes ago, actually ours was about a movie *three idiot* i believe most of u have watched that movie.it was abt d educational system in india,almost the same as that of nigeria.where no new innovations in our universities nd students only read during exams.where students just want 2 have good grades and good jobs.
If only we follow excellence,success will chase us.if u haven't watched three idiot am advicing ya'all to today. Pants down!

Thanks for sharing. I actually created a thread with that caption of 3 idiots, and sent series of mentions to the appropriate quarters to move it to the front page, but to no avail. I watched a part of it about an hour ago. It's a great movie.

I felt through the contributions of the thread many could have their mindset changed but I'm still waiting for it to hit the front page. Indeed we have serious issues with our educational system.

750 capacity....one of my favorite hall!

The problem is not 'certificate' but what I term 'Education without a purpose'. Generally, the purpose of education is not to fill the mind of individuals with fact, but to teach them how to think! Solutions to problems are discovered through creative thinking and not memorization of fact. Knowledge for the sake of knowledge is pointless and that's what our educational system seems to encourage. What should be encouraged instead is acquisition of knowledge with its application in extreme focus. That is the only way education can be purposeful.

Let us examine Tertiary Education. In saner climes, every Tertiary Institution is established with a clear objective and such objective is usually geared towards solving a particular problem. That way, the institution will exist for a purpose and its continued existence will depend solely on fulfilling that purpose. But what do we have in Nigeria? Tertiary institutions existing for mudane reasons like Increasing Access, Federal Character etc. or how else do we explain the establishment of 12 more Federal Universities when existing ones are suffering from acute shortage of funds? What purpose will those 12 new ones serve? Perhaps adding to the number of teeming unemployable graduates churned out annually by old ones. We don't need more than 6 Universities (One in each geopolitical zone) if our attention is on quality and purpose as against quantity. As it is today, it is no secret that the combined useful research output of of MIT, Havard and Stanford (just 3 universities) in a year for instance, will be more than that of all our Federal Universities put together for same period. Isn't it therefore obvious that it is quality and sincerity of purpose that matters and not quantity?

We need a radical change and this is what I propose:
1. A state of emergency should be declared on Education.

2. At the tertiary level, Colleges of Education and Polytechnics should be scrapped and their structures merged with proximate Universities. We should only have one Conventional University in each geopolitical zone while the remaining Universities should be converted to Specialized Universities offering courses at two levels; associate degree (2years of undergraduate study) and bachelor's degree (4years of undergraduate study). Technical and Vocational programmes should be the focus at associate degree level.

3. The mandate of the six Conventional Universities should be purely Research and Development. The Specialized Universities should focus on training of highly skilled manpower while also carrying out research focused mainly on solving problems in their respective constituencies.

4. The Federal government should stop subsidizing tuition fees for bachelor's degree programmes. Such funds should be diverted to funding of Technical and Vocational Education at associate degree level in the new specialized Universities.

5. Vocational Centres, under the mentorship of the Specialized Universities, should be established in each Local Government area to absorb Secondary School Leavers who may not be interested in pursuing an associate or bachelor's degree.

6. Broad subjects such as Physics, Commerce, Government etc. should be de-emphasized in Secondary Schools and substituted with narrow subjects such as Basic Technology, Book Keeping, Civic Education etc.

7. Primary Education should be fully funded, made free and compulsory.

butanep:
Nice thread.

Certificate is overrated in Nigeria at the detriment of societal development. That's the more reason you see engineers who can't design engines or draw engineering circuit, Computer scientist or engineers who knows nothing about a computer and economist who can only quote theories but can't manage a business to a developmental level.


Past and present government pays lip service to the education sector. They are still product of the failed education system. No wonder their leadership qualities is not moving the nation forward. No wonder they send their children abroad to school. If we don't pay serious attention to our education sector, we will continue to be "beggars" to foreign nations. We depend on foreign nations for almost everything simply because our education system is bad.

We just have schools set up to issue paper certificate at the end of 4-5years without imparting anything meaningful into the lives of the student. The paper certificate has made student derived cheap means to pass exams just to be certified. It's true that we produce more of educated Illiterates in the country. After the school has make the student believe so much their lives and future depends on the certificate, they only find a different situation after school.

NYSC has also failed in this area. It's almost a complete waste of one year. If NYSC can't be re-structured to a 1yr skills acquisitions or entrepreneurship programs, then it should be scrapped from the system. The so-called SAED program is a scam organized by NYSC to deceive Nigerians they are actually equipping corps members. It's a big scam. The system has not help in terms of equipping corps members with the relevant skills to face the challenging economy.

Skills is the key. Acquire the certificate and back it with the relevant skills that will give you an edge in the competitive society.

yes, you are indeed right, sir.
I would however like to add that conventional education can also be a form of skill if properly utilized.
Engineering, music, philosophy, accountancy, medicine and more are indeed skills we just haven't learnt to see them that way.

kayusbrown:
The problem is not 'certificate' but what I term 'Education without a purpose'. Generally, the purpose of education is not to fill the mind of individuals with fact, but to teach them how to think! Solutions to problems are discovered through creative thinking and not memorization of fact. Knowledge for the sake of knowledge is pointless and that's what our educational system seems to encourage. What should be encouraged instead is acquisition of knowledge with its application in extreme focus. That is the only way education can be purposeful.

Let us examine Tertiary Education. In saner climes, every Tertiary Institution is established with a clear objective and such objective is usually geared towards solving a particular problem. That way, the institution will exist for a purpose and its continued existence will depend solely on fulfilling that purpose. But what do we have in Nigeria? Tertiary institutions existing for mudane reasons like Increasing Access, Federal Character etc. or how else do we explain the establishment of 12 more Federal Universities when existing ones are suffering from acute shortage of funds? What purpose will those 12 new ones serve? Perhaps adding to the number of teeming unemployable graduates churned out annually by old ones. We don't need more than 6 Universities (One in each geopolitical zone) if our attention is on quality and purpose as against quantity. As it is today, it is no secret that the combined useful research output of of MIT, Havard and Stanford (just 3 universities) in a year for instance, will be more than that of all our Federal Universities put together for same period. Isn't it therefore obvious that it is quality and sincerity of purpose that matters and not quantity?

We need a radical change and this is what I propose:
1. A state of emergency should be declared on Education.

2. At the tertiary level, Colleges of Education and Polytechnics should be scrapped and their structures merged with proximate Universities. We should only have one Conventional University in each geopolitical zone while the remaining Universities should be converted to Specialized Universities offering courses at two levels; associate degree (2years of undergraduate study) and bachelor's degree (4years of undergraduate study). Technical and Vocational programmes should be the focus at associate degree level.

3. The mandate of the six Conventional Universities should be purely Research and Development. The Specialized Universities should focus on training of highly skilled manpower while also carrying out research focused mainly on solving problems in their respective constituencies.

4. The Federal government should stop subsidizing tuition fees for bachelor's degree programmes. Such funds should be diverted to funding of Technical and Vocational Education at associate degree level in the new specialized Universities.

5. Vocational Centres, under the mentorship of the Specialized Universities, should be established in each Local Government area to absorb Secondary School Leavers who may not be interested in pursuing an associate or bachelor's degree.

6. Broad subjects such as Physics, Commerce, Government etc. should be de-emphasized in Secondary Schools and substituted with narrow subjects such as Basic Technology, Book Keeping, Civic Education etc.

7. Primary Education should be fully funded, made free and compulsory.

Great ideas and points there. Please, endeavour to save these points somewhere in your system. Please.

dearpreye:


It's a worrisome trend. Our education system was designed to achieve the shameful results we're having today. Any developments minded person will be alarmed with the current situation. I'm so burdened and pained I hardly pass a day without thinking of the gloomy future that await us, if nothing concrete and decisive and timely is done about it. There's a huge issue on ground.

This thread was borne from pain and frustration occasioned by a weak and retrogression education sector. No nation ever became great by having an unworkable education. No nation ever became great by dissing skills and enterprenuership. The future will be worse if we keep recycling this unworkable system. Like you rightly said, the primitive and unthinking leaders are a product of the bad education system; it's already hurting us.

Yes. I agree. The NYSC should be restructured and converted into a skills acquisition period. Skill is the way forward; no goverment employs EVERYONE.

Serious attention is needed in the sector bros . Everyone is running away from skills not knowing that is the key. Nobody wants to attend polytechnics, everyone wants to be university graduate where 70% is based on theories.

What should the government do?

All technical schools in the country should be given adequate attention.

Polytechnics should be supplied with the relevant equipment for skills development.

Our universities curriculum should be structured to accommodate compulsory skills relevant to your field of study.

Every local government should have skills acquisition centre to train their indigenes and also empower them.

NYSC should be re-structured into a skills acquisition programme or practical entrepreneurship scheme to engage corps members with the necessary skills for nation building.

Greater percentage of our budget need to be captured in education development.

... In no distant time, we will be competing with China in term of development. China did it, Singapore did it and it worked for them.

Nigeria need to do it... enough of papers seminars and symposium. Let us see it in reality.

Superbreed:
Here in 9ja..


"Finish school and start living the real life "

Teachers should help create interpreneural mindset on students. Stop making them see certificate as one final buss top... Hmnmmmmmmmmmm.


After school if you no get job or capital to establish yourself. O. Y. O.

Abeg forget entrepreneural mindset. Education should never be seen as a ticket to get a job. You don't have to go to school to become an entrepreneur.
We should discard this mentality of go to school and get a job or to become an entrepreneur.
Rather encourage people to go to school in order to broaden their horizon and learn about a particular field or area of life in other to be better person's and also to contribute meaninfully to overall advancement of the society.

JurassicPark:
Education used to be very important until graduates started working for illiterates.

This got me laughing that I almost fell from my chair...


Skillful education is the key!

butanep:


Serious attention is needed in the sector bros . Everyone is running away from skills not knowing that is the key. Nobody wants to attend polytechnics, everyone wants to be university graduate where 70% is based on theories.

What should the government do?

All technical schools in the country should be given adequate attention.

Polytechnics should be supplied with the relevant equipment for skills development.

Our universities curriculum should be structured to accommodate compulsory skills relevant to your field of study.

Every local government should have skills acquisition centre to train their indigenes and also empower them.

NYSC should be re-structured into a skills acquisition programme or practical entrepreneurship scheme to engage corps members with the necessary skills for nation building.

Greater percentage of our budget need to be captured in education development.

... I no distant time, we will be competing with China in term of development. China did it, Singapore did it and it worked for them.

Nigeria need to do it... enough of papers seminars and symposium. Let us see it in reality.

In saner climes the burden should be that of the ruling class but the reverse is the case here.

See the paltry some that's being allocated to education every year in our budgets?

We have all it takes to excel and prosper as a people but we have a faulty system.

Good write_up

Abdul4success:
Good write_up

Thanks sir.

Teempakguy:
yes, you are indeed right, sir.
I would however like to add that conventional education can also be a form of skill if properly utilized.
Engineering, music, philosophy, accountancy, medicine and more are indeed skills we just haven't learnt to see them that way.

Those courses are skills on their own. They are courses naturally built with practical skills.

But so unfortunate that in Nigeria, you are only taught the theoretical aspect except for medicine. The practical aspect is left for you to learn in whatever way you need to... So bad.

dearpreye:


Sure. And happily too.

You may start with Jim Rohn's Leading an Inspired Life. It's one great book that will help you.

okay boss, thanks very much. I'll search for it.