₦airaland Forum

Jenniifer you sound clever so I am sure you can do better than this. Trust me there are a surfeit of qualified teachers  or at least graduates  available to teachin high schools in the main urban areas in Nigeria. The rural areas are very different because of lack of business opportunities and infrastructure.

Hmmm . . .maybe someone should start a TFN (Teach for Nigeria) organization and deploy nigeiran graduates to teach in rural areas for two years in places like the North lol

[quote author=eku_bear link=topic=582709.msg7536524#msg7536524 date=1295069541]Do you plan on doing your youth service, @fstranger? Or skipping out?[/quote]fstranger probably will not survive NYSC and will try his best to serve in lagos or abuja

Can't wait for all the hausas to show up, the thread will probably blow up . . . no pun intended

Sefago do you really know what you are talking about? Huh You were cramming maths at WAEC level? Shocked Maybe you are talking about the formulas which you were not supposed to derive anyway. Anyway there was absolutely no need to cram at that level since working on a representative sample of graded exercises would deepen your understanding and enable you to apply any needed formulas or theorems as a matter of course.
Anyway you may have gotten away with it but most students that adopt such a haphazard approach to the subject don't even come away with a minimum pass grade.
As for the mathenatical olympiad they test creativity and improvisation as opposed to how well the participant has mastered a particular syllabus. So they really are designed as a way of identifying future mathematicians and physicists.

Yeah math is algorithm, you can cram it. The math you do at the secondary level is based on an algorithm that can be reduced to basic arithmetic and algebra. Even the most complex of mathematical issues boil down to basic algebra and arithmetic.

Isn't that what Nigerian studnets should aim for? Creativity as opposed to just "mastering" a subject.

How far back is your time ? Is this still obtainable today ?

Probably. The issue is that you have to be amongst the highest in WAEC.

Nigerian Math is way more advanced than Yankee or Britico match.

Of course after doing Matrices and Advanced Calculus (which we did in SS1 Further Maths), why wouldn't you appreciate your American teacher more for giving you simple algebra?

Its nothing to do with Naija, its just that you are slow with figures and prefer 1+1. Hehehe.

Naija Maths is the best (after China). I can say that anywhere cos I still met my SS1 Further Maths in 2nd Year University.

Its advanced in concepts but the depth is shallow. I have to agree with Chiogo. I crammed further math myself for WAEC, and I always thought I was hot at math. But I have figured out that I am really infact good at building alogorithms and might not be really good at the true core of mathematics-proof and application. There are two different things- learning how its done and constructing a proof . The latter is difficult.

The Matrices you are taught in Nigeria is difficult conceptually, but its all an algorithm. The real linear algebra you would take would be based purely on proof and would be significantly more difficult. The similarity between them is nil. What we did in SS1 was Calculus 1 & 2 but on a brief idea of it.

I agree that Nigeria compared to the US and UK has better math. But compared to China, India, Germany, Russinas No Nigerian has won an international math olympiad b4.

^^^ Too many things determine the price. Loyola Jesuit order is an educational brand, supported by the Archdiocese and the Jesuit order. You can get same quality at say CKC or Regina Pacis in Abuja. In Nigeria, more price means more toys for the kids like learning music, French, excursions, fried eggs instead of beans and corn etc On the other hand a well managed Public school especially the boarding schools can also pull off great results. But again only the exam data would be a valid indicator.

I dont know if I agree with this. Loyola Jesuit takes the best best students in Nigeria. It offers scholarship to several Nigerians who cannot afford to come there from all over Nigeria. When you meet someone from loyola 9/10 they were one of the best in their primary school. When i was in school everyones wanted to send their kids to Loyola as a fad. Now that the school has begun to rival Andover in placing kids at Ivies and Oxbridge even more Nigerian parents want their kids to go there. It might be hyped but it delivers.

Loyola Jesuit students get the highest WAEC results, students wreck the SAT and A-levels. Its not an educational brand- the teaching at most catholic schools might be good but those marginal differences are what makes loyola better.

I googled, Loyola seems to be one of the best in Nigeria, if not the best. The price for what they provide (N 650k/ year or so) is probably out of the reach of your average Nigerian though.

They offer scholarships. The people there are academic superstars not all but the majority.

This I disagree with. There is this guy, Kayode Fakinlede (a PhD research chemist somewhere in Jersey) who also writes very good Yoruba educational material. He has spent some time indigenizing scientfic measurements and basic concepts from math into Yoruba (inequalities, exponents, etc.)

Really, I want to c this. However basic concepts like inequalities e.t.c are likely to be explainable in Yoruba. But what about quantum theory, string theory very complex stuff?

@SEFAGO: Yeah, Williams is one of those schools that gives financial aid even to foreign kids with no money. That is the main reason I'd want to realign education even further with the West, to make it easier for Nigerians to study there for free. Btw I'm surprised you know about Thomas Jefferson, I guess you must have spent some time in the DC metro area.

Most top US universities give. Previously very few Nigerians competed for this scholarshiips. Then Loyola got established and started sending kids to Harvard, Caltech, Princeton e.t.c in signifcant numbers. Dont worry lots of loyola kids are getting the scholarships. No need to align anyone with anybody. A large number of people from loyola are also wealthy so if they cannoy crack an Ivy they might try to head to Oxford or Imperial.

Btw I'm surprised you know about Thomas Jefferson, I guess you must have spent some time in the DC metro area.

I was actually going to mention stuyvesant in new york. But thought TJ would be more popular anyways.

A lot of people have cited China and other countries as using the native language. That is true. But it may surprise you to learn that a lot of those students are also whiz kids at English! They learn English concurrently with whatever they may be learning in their native language. Asians do best on the SAT, even in the Critical Reading and Writing portions of it. Math has always been their strong suit.

For starters, Asians and Chinese are not synonymous. Koreans, Taiwanese, Hong Kong and the Japanese do great on standardized tests. Chinese people dont do well in english exams until recently when more and more chinese people have been trying to learn chinese. Most chinese who come to the US are the few that can speak english. A lot of chinese people also go to school in the UK/germany/france.

The ones in the UK use textbooks in Chinese to prepare for exams  . I swear when i saw that I could not help laughing.

So the idea of teaching in the native language is not a bad idea - but if at all, it should be done very very gradually and you also need to be sure that change in government will not lead to the idea being scrapped. On the whole, it seems fraught with more challenges than just adapting what works already.

First of all which native language? Yoruba, Igbo or hausa? That one is going to cause a civil war lolz.  Second have you examined the structure of African languages. They are primitive to the core. How are you going to explain Newtons laws of physics in Yoruba? You will have to use a lot of analogies that might not be easy for the average student to understand. African languages- sorry to say- lack the complexity to use as a tool for scientific instruction.

Now bring on the criticism

I think we underestimate how useful english is to Nigeria, in a global economy in which English would be the dominant language of business. We are at an advantage

I am surprised that you should be saying this because you sound far more educated than to be making generalizations as 'silly' (forgive my use of this term but I just couldn't help it) as this.I am very proud to state that I didn't cheat on my high school exams.  Did you cheat? Are you trying to justify that?

Thats not hard to believe. However, I find it hard to believe that you did not hear a hint about WAEC questions before you took the exam. Thats kind of like cheating. Even fstranger did a partial confession- I lived in Nigeria mate, I know how things work like a charm. Except you went to a really exclusive private school where the kids are mugun and just sit waec/GCE for the fun of it before they jet-set to go to boarding school in london or did not know what was going on. Personally, being an anarchist and excessive liberal, I have no problem with cheating, just when you do it, at least get it right .

Not trying to justify anything. I just saw widespread cheating in Nigeria that bordered on disgusting. Someone asking you for answers or passing exam questions. Some kids even swap sits with each other, and exchange exam papers. Naija gangstas

The problem is that cheating is so widespread- even before the exam you see kids practising "sample questions ." Sit down, and if you are the best student in a subject, someone would bring a mysterious paper and tell you to work it out for them. You keep asking them what year is for the exam, and they just smile at you.

I haven't taken US High School exit exams because I schooled here in Nigeria but I can assure you that the WASSCE to a large extent is not comparable to the SAT. I took the SAT last year and I did okay. The funny thing is that a lot of my mates who had stunning scores on the WASSCE did terribly on the SAT because the scores they had on their WASSCE were from cheating. You are safer comparing the WASSCE exam to SAT Subject Tests in different subjects,e.g Physics, Mathematics Level 1 and 2, Biology etc.

The US educational system is not standardized so you dont have High School exit exams. Schools in the US range from extremely good magnet schools (Thomas Jefferson comes to mind) to s/h/ithole public schools (The DC system is on the top of my list) that will give Ijanikin a run for their money.

And about the organisation you talked about, one such still exists. In fact it is that organisation that found me, paid for my SAT, TOEFL, etc and is helping me navigate the college admissions process.

Nice, goodluck!!! I never made the cut myself, because I was not top three in my secondary school. Would have saved my dad a lot of money. However, I would advise you to also do research yourself into the college admissions process.

In naija, I generally sucked at math but as I've gotten older, I even like it. . .sometimes  Grin Well, the American education system also helps, teachers are actually patient and take time after school to explain course materials to you. So, I guess it still boils down to the teachers, most naija teachers don't show a personal interest in helping students learn. Their job ends with the school bell since many are already underpaid. What do you expect from the students?

True. I used to get caned everyday by my math teacher just for existing. The teachers themselves dont even know what they are teaching. The US system actually is very education friendly- basically the teachers make an effort to teach you and your education is their joy. Having observed higher education in a number of countries- I would consider the handholding that goes on in US system- while detrimental to the curriculum- actually helps bring most students to some level of literacy in Math and English. In Nigeria, its sink or swim- you are either good at something or you are not.

In naija, I generally sucked at math but as I've gotten older, I even like it. . .sometimes

Dont worry most girls suck at math and science. Its your gender not you.  Ask Larry Summers.

Hmm. What about at the university level?

That, I am not sure about. During visits to friends at Unilag/OAU, I have asked them about cheating at the University level since I know at the secondary school level its rampant like hell. They claim that its not and everyone works hard- I dont believe this though.

You are actually more Nigerian than I think. But why do you come across as Omo butty on NL.

If you take me seriously, you do so at your own detriment.

And Lambert! HAHAHAHAHAh

Lambert was good, I carried that book with me to America- my oyibo friends even started using ababio for general chemistry  . I had to throw away my ababio when I graduated college. I had that book for 8 years- I nearly cried- It was one of the reasons why i chose to study pure science.

Incentive to students: Why not map some university scholarships to performance in WAEC exams?

There are scholarships for WAEC- usually the best three in WAEC during my time. Some people who win the award get like 1 million naira but most sit the SAT and end up leaving Nigeria. One of the best students in WAEC I know from my school headed to Williams College (He was the only Nigerian there) till someone from ISI joined him. Another one who got 9A1 got a 1 million naira scholarship then headed to Wash U while another kid who is a friend of my younger brother but went to loyola who got perfect A1s also went to Notre Dame. Not the tippy top but these students got a once in a lifetime opportunity than let their talents waste in Nigeria.

During my time, an organization used to identify brilliant Nigerians in secondary schools and pay to prep them  and sit for the American SAT. Like the best students in QC, Kings College e.t.c. So thats how I know how some really brilliant Nigerians might have woeful performance on the SAT based on their economic background. Most never got over 1300 but easily got 7A1-8A1 in WAEC. These guys were really brilliant and its unfortunate that they ended up studying at universitties in Nigeria because there talent is already getting wasted.

Mostly wealthy Nigerians who are brilliant do well on the SAT which holds against my argument that intelligence is strongly dependent on your environment as opposed to being exclusive innate ability as claimed by some arrogant and misguided people.

I kind of get frustrated when I see wealthy Nigerians who stole our money sending their semi-r/e/t/a/r/d/ed kids abroad. Most rich people in Nigeria, tehir kids dont even sit WAEC. WAEC is for poor people. They sit the british GCSE and then send them to public schools in the UK on OUR MONEY 

I was 14 when I took my SSCE, in a state school in some goddamn village in Ife, during the ife modakeke clash, yet I cleared it once and for all, with a respectable A2 in English


Sefago, Who is your daddy?

So you are 20 yrs old? You are such a baby!

Nah I am a bit older than that. Yeah whatever, you probably cheated. Come on you went to high school in Nigeria, you know how things work- lets be honest. 95% of the people cheat in WAEC except maybe those who went to ajebota schools who are too s.t.u.pid what is going on. Why do you think the best WAEC results come from certain schools?

Its also no secret that schools pay for their WAEC. Thats why those public schools always top WAEC list. Those 79.6% did not ttend the right schools LOL.

All the people here blowing grammar, as long as they schooled in nigeria cheated for WAEC. Dont worry they cheat in the US too- just better than Nigerians.

Infact these 79.6% are a shame. They cheated and still failed. Thats like ridiculous

woah, I just figure u were trying to guess my age- you could just have asked nicely

fstranger1:
SEFAGO

How old were you when you took WAEC and JAMB and hoe did you do in JAMB

I have a feeling I did better than you!

15

Forget JAMB, I have a Mensa Certificate man- foreign qualifications trump local qualifications

Come to think of it why is cheating a part of Nigerian Culture and we dont even know how to cheat effectively?

i took JAMB too, and while sitting down not disturbing anyone the proctors were trying to sell me the answers to JAMB. After I had wisened up to the WAEC incident and that "if you cannot beat them, join them"  . I decided to purchase my own copy with my lunch money.  From my knowledge of the subjects I was taking, I was sure that 80-85% of the questions were wrong. Why all the Nigerian students were stupidly copying down the answers, I just threw the crap away. Even our teachers and students cannot cheat effectively.

Cheating is so wide spread in Nigeria. I am 100% sure that no one can claim they have not cheated or seeked expo before even fstranger . The even cheat for common entrance.

Wow lots of smart talk here pople wanna takle my mensa certificate from me 

My inputs-

I remember when I was in secondary school and I used to hug my "ababio" reading the book from cover to cover so that I could become a master in chemistry . I would come into class in the morning while my classmates will be arguing over which was better Man U or Arsenal. They would argue for 2 hours till classes start. None of them reached a concession. The next day the same thing would happen. Sometimes it will be chelsea (this was b4 abramovich bought chelsea). But most times it would be Man U vs Arsenal. Instead of studying these guys spent all the time arguing over crap. Sometimes they would even make fun of me and call me a geek (The i/d/i/ots dont know the difference between a Geek and a Nerd)

I took WAEC during the infamous EXPO 2005 where there was massive exam leaks. Me being Johnny-just-come did not know why the dullards in my schools who always argued about Arsenal and Man U were smiling after Chemistry and Further Mathematics WAEC until the exam body cancelled all the exams. Even though I did not partake (not because I am holy lol but because I did not know what was happening), I had to retake several exams and I fell sick during that period. I did not do too well in WAEC thanks to the collective idiocy of lazy Nigerian students who cannot do better things than argue about Arsenal and Man U or their trips to Jand and Yankee or the girls they wanted to smooch under the tree (I knew from my teenage years that i nevEr would hook up with a Nigerian girl, so damn ugly except Ileke-Idi). Instead they where photocopying EXPO for hours.

Some of these i/d/i/ots could not even answer the questions after being given EXPO  .

Nigerian students are lazy period.

[quote author=Dr.amad.i link=topic=582709.msg7503217#msg7503217 date=1294683730]i can help,call me[/quote]Sure you can-lets cut to the chase- how much do you want us to send to your account?

tensor777:
Some insightful questions there. Well  these competitive external exams are of a somewhat higher level than US high school exams  and good enough to get the sucessful student into direct university admission into European universities.
What is the penalty for failing? What is "failing" in this context? Not getting 5 credits including English and Maths which is a prerequisite for admission to the popular university courses. Total failure is not even getting a pass grade in any of the subjects attempted.
Well the failed student is thus unable to progress with his or her studies and is thus obliged to retake the exams at a later date or just fall into the labour market.
As for high school diploma that is neither here nor there as the most a totally failed student would get is a school testimonial attesting to his character and ability.

Depends on what type of SAT score you are asking about. I knew like lots of kids in my secondary school who got >7As in WAEC and got 1250/1600 in SATs. These guys were smart oooh, no be small. I had a neighbor who got a 2100 in SATs did decently in WAEC <4As but got straight As in the A-levels and ended up at Oxford.

Nigerians tend to do less well in the SAT and better in cramming exams. It all depends on the individual. Also Nigerian WAEC exams are very straight forward- you have to cram for the exam and do past questions.

However this kind failing is too much. WAEC

Yep Loyola Jesuit is definitely worth the hype. Their students eemrge most times as the best in Nigeria, and everyone I know there is very smart.

As we Igbo's say, Igwe bu ike - there is strength in numbers. Say what you like about the Indians and Chinese etc, they understand this principle. better than we do.

Word, when we learn to support each other like the Chinese/Indians instead of making imaginary divisions within ourselves we will begin to grow

BBC made a mistake here. SLS had his Msc Economics from ABU in 1983, not LSBF. He did some courses in LSE though.

Moreover LSBF was established in 2003, man BBC is dumb. And if a Nigerian media house published such misinformation we would be setting up threads complaining about Nigerian journalism

LSBF is not top, I think you guys are mixing it up with London Business School LOL.

Yeah no hausa man would near LBS since they dont have a federal character quota system

So, would Nigerians be allowed to work for oil companies in Ghana , Just checking

Beaf's boyfriend

I know petrobras as Theophilus Danjuma's company.

Oh my only in Nigeria

We own everything

Yahooze started with britico naija boys, then they moved it to other parts of europe, then asia, then the US

We got money flowing internationally

Nigerians are smart- they started on various continents then when the governments wised up they moved to another one.

fstranger6:
^^^^

Oloshi ni bobo yi sha

I thought you said you dont speak Yoruba

When did 9ice become a philosopher

BAba nla morasucker the bobo SEFAGO yi sha

ki lo on she were yi. Ti ba fo e le ti

I dont speak yoruba, I am a posh mensa wielding guy.

oyb:
yorubas

we sabi parii

see awon egbons gettin down

Forget your troubles, borrow money, throw party, - 9ice (Yoruba Philosopher)

Aigbofa:
Yes. She's a carbon copy of Okonjo Iweala and Dora Akunyili.

LOL, and I thought I was the king of trouble making.