…As parents urge government to unify system
Cries, wailing and lamentation are heard from many families in Nigeria today. It is not just about increase in fees or accommodation problem, but about the endless academic calendar of some universities that keep undergraduates beyond the normal years they should spend in school.
Many Nigerian students are currently being held hostage in some universities as a result of irregular calendars being operated.
While some public universities operate the normal semester of three to four months, some others stretch theirs.
Some universities are behind their peers by two academic years or more, thereby wasting the time of the students and resources of parents.
For instance, while some students who gained admission in 2019 into some universities are just going to final year for a four-year course, their peers who chose other institutions have rounded off their one-year National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.
The unnecessary delays are impacting negatively on the mental, psychological and emotional wellbeing of the affected students.
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) is an example of this negative trend. The delays are eating into the productive age of the students in a country where employers now peg employment age at 22 or 23 years.
Jessica Osuere, the chief executive officer of RubiesHub Education Services, described the situation as disturbing, and believes if the policymakers should have the political will to address the abnormalities.
Read also: Beyond degrees: Character education in Nigerian universities
“It is actually a very disturbing issue and how l wish our policymakers could actually put their feet down and address it,” she said.
Osuere advocated for a unified calendar as demanded by Fabian Osuji, a former minister of education, which did not see the light of day.
She said that the problem of the country was the political will to implement policies.
“Like l always say, we are not bereft of good ideas in Nigeria, our problem has always been implementing these laudable ideas.
Having a unified academic calendar for tertiary institutions has enormous benefits to students, parents and guardians, school management and nation at large,” she noted.
The seasoned education planner said that with a unified calendar equity is assured, families can plan vacations and resources, administration of schools will be a lot easier, resources can be fully optimised, students transitioning from one level to the other becomes predictable and so reduces gaps in learning.
“It is also beneficial to planners as it helps us in manpower forecast, projection and planning. The calendar for all institutions both public and private can be unified actually but as we know, several forces at play in our system won’t allow that to happen.
“With these powers in place, they would ensure private institutions continue thriving at the detriment of public institutions; so, the dichotomy between the rich and the poor can be maintained, which is sad,” she said.
A parent, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that his two children in one particular university have lost two to three years in that institution.
“I have two children, one in Pharmacy and another in Humanities, their friends who got admission in other federal universities have rounded off their programmes, my children are just going to final year. Most times, they complained and one of them had at a point come close to depression and threatened to abandon the programme. It is also not easy on our part as parents. It is not as if there are serious reasons why there have been delays, but flimsy reasons; people are just toying with the future of others. I am so disappointed in the system. I have taken a decision that no other of my children will go to that school,” he said.
Joshua Abayomi, a father of three, share how his elder son who entered a public university before his young brother was still in school while his young brother that attended a private university was already doing his NYSC.
Read also: Oloyede exposes underage admission, other racketeering in Nigerian universities
“I face a great challenge in my home over this issue of non-unification of calendar due to the government impasse with ASUU. It affected my first son, and when his young brother who entered the university two years after he entered was serving, he became angry with me for sending him to a public university,” he narrated.
Osuere however pointed out that unifying the calendar could be challenging but that that does not mean it is unachievable.
“One major challenge is the diversity in ownership of these institutions, federal, state and private, each with different governing councils making decisions, hence; what is applicable in one institution might not be applicable in another institution due to differences in internal administration.
“Also, to a very large extent, tertiary institutions in Nigeria are autonomous which confers on them powers to decide their own academic calendars informed by their needs and situations,” she stressed.
She also cited challenges of labour disputes, students’ activism and cult wars which have on different occasions led to closures of schools thereby interrupting the calendar, and funding issues, among others.
Isaiah Ogundele, an educationist, said the unnecessary haphazard university calendar gap can be avoided if the government is ready to do the needful for their employees in the sector.
“When government who happens to be the main stakeholder owes the lecturers all their allowances which they promised and signed, for flimsy excuses, it creates a crack in the system.
“Definitely, when the lecturers are pushed to the wall, the only way they can register their displeasure is strike. These incessant strikes have caused a lot of serious problem in the tertiary institutions for students by the unnecessary extra years that the strike must have added to their years,” he said.
Ogundele also cited internal crises as a result of power tussle as one of the reasons for calendar gulf in the tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
“The appointment of vice-chancellors, and rectors often come with political backing hindering qualify people to occupy the position. When they put inexperient person, there will be mismanagement and underperformance which may lead to student riot and other unrest,” he said.
He urged the government to respect any agreement reached with ASUU, SSANU, and NASU. Besides, he enjoined the government to grant a total autonomy to all the tertiary institutions to choose their leaders on merit.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
