Education is essential for the growth and development of any country, and Nigeria is no exception. However, the state of education in Nigeria has been a cause for concern for decades.
Although Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and has an economic situation, Nigeria has one of the lowest populations in the world, where 59% of adults can read and write.
Here, Poor Funding, Unavailability of Qualified Teacher, Lack of Responsibility and Control, Poor Governance, Unwillingness to Study Education in Schools, Failure to Accommodate the Rising Population Demands, Politicization of Education, Indiscipline, Lack of Teaching Aids, Academic Fraud, Bribery and Disorderliness, Poor Teacher's Welfare, Unaffordable Education, Scarcity and Prohibitive Cost Of Books At All Levels Of Education, Lack of Dedications from Teachers, Poor Infrastructure and Training Facilities, Corruption, Curriculum Issues, Poor Parenting & Guidance etc, are the challenges facing the Nigerian education system and opportunities for improvement.
The importance of education in a country cannot be overstated; in many parts of the world education is considered a human right. Education is one of the factors that determine the growth and development of a country. If you want to destroy a nation, destroy its education.
Unfortunately, the standard, quality and level of education in Nigeria has seen a geometric decline in the last two decades and this bad practice has made Nigeria a capital for African students to migrate to other parts of the world.
Sometimes I wonder if Nigerian students do well abroad they do well and sometimes become one of the best students in Europe and other parts of the world but when they are here, they are not high. They are not being used properly and the best people are not being brought out of them.
Current Problems of Education in Nigeria
There are many other issues that will be highlighted below.
1. Poor Funding
2. Unavailability of Qualified Teacher
3. Lack of Responsibility and Control
4. Poor Governance
5. Unwillingness to Study Education in Schools
6. Failure to Accommodate the Rising Population Demands
7. Politicization of Education
8. Indiscipline
9. Lack of Teaching Aids
10. Academic Fraud, Bribery and Disorderliness
11. Poor Teacher's Welfare
12. Unaffordable Education
13. Scarcity and Prohibitive Cost of Books at All Levels of Education
14. Lack of Dedications from Teachers
15. Poor equipment and training facilities
16. Corruption
17. Curriculum Issues
18. Poor Parenting & Guidance
1. Poor Funding
The Ministry of Education is responsible for the education in Nigeria. Municipal governments are responsible for implementing public education policies in public schools at the state and local levels.
This makes education funding a government issue. Due to longstanding corruption at all levels of government, education in Nigeria is often underfunded which has resulted in poor infrastructure, lack of quality textbooks and underpaid teachers.
In addition, the sharp decline in the price of oil, which is the government's main source of income, plunged the country into a crisis that led to a sharp reduction in government spending, exacerbating the situation of poverty. The financial crisis has also led to the blocking of international education funding, which has limited the number of international students from Nigeria.
2. Unavailability of Qualified
Teacher
In Nigeria, poor working conditions, low wages and salaries of teachers make qualified teachers and qualified teachers to accept teaching positions, they prefer to apply for other paying jobs fees are higher than teaching, while few teachers accept teaching jobs. It was done for lack of better work, so their dedication is low as they always look for green grass. This directly affects productivity because this fear lowers the quality of education.
3. Lack of Responsibility and
Control
This is an issue that affects not only Nigeria but many countries about who controls the education sector. Is it federal, state or local government, for example, the control of primary education is not entirely in the hands of the central government, or state or local government, it is a major obstacle to the development of good education in first grade. Essential tasks are delegated and no official position is actually required to take up any task.
4. Poor Governance
Poor governance and ineffective management have paralyzed many parts of the country, not forgetting the education sector. The attitude of the government to the critical problems of education, especially its quality, is not in vain. Governments at all levels tend to focus on non-essentials like education and this is damaging the sector.
5. Unwillingness to Study
Education in Schools
Unlike other academic disciplines which are highly competitive, applications for academic departments in colleges are rare.
According to research, in 2015, of more than 1,700,000 college applications, less than 5% applied for teaching and education. These data testify to the lack of interest of candidates for jobs and teaching jobs. Many graduate teachers are not professional enough to expose teaching practice, when most of them cannot communicate well in English, which directly affects the education department.
6. Failure to Accommodate the
Rising Population Demands
The total population of Nigerians at independence is 45.2 million, but this does not seem like the country has experienced astronomical growth. In 2015, the population of Nigeria was estimated at 182.2 million, this is a big problem for the country as the education system cannot accommodate its rapidly growing population. For example, Nigeria's primary education sector is population-laden.
In 2015, 44% of the city's population was under the age of 15. The system does not connect a large number of young people.
According to the United Nations, 8.73 million children enrolled in primary school in 2010 did not participate in education at all, most of them Almajiri children. They are the largest number of school going children in Nigeria. These boys are sent to Koranic teachers to receive an Islamic education, which includes vocational training or apprenticeship. Some engage in street begging.
The Ministry of Education said there were 9.5 million Almajiri children in the northern part of the country in 2010, making Nigeria the country with the highest number of out-of-school children in the world. The net enrollment rate at the elementary level is 63.8% against the world average of 88.8%. This low enrollment in basic education in Nigeria has increased the level of illiteracy in Nigeria.
In 2015, the country had a youth literacy rate of 72.8% and an adult literacy rate of 59.6% compared to world rates of 90.6% and 85.3% in 2010 respectively (data provided by World Bank). 7. The politics of education
Speaking about the politics of the region, the desire to compete with others, the government at any level, especially in the state, tries to make many companies even when they are a little ready to do it. These results in a decrease in the number of existing people and the available budget cannot meet all their needs.
Also, state governments support private schools that they know are not well prepared for teaching, all in an effort to get more money for them.
8. Indiscipline
This manifests as exam malpractice, threats from cults, corruption, etc. Research has shown that some examination centers in this country are where parents pay money to enable their wards to pass the SSCE -WAEC/NECO/JAMB. There is so much lack of discipline in the industry that you hear about the murder of privacy every day in the media; students no longer care about the beauty of education. We also heard stories of parents following their wards to school and fighting or harassing teachers, all because their wards had been warned.
9. Lack of Teaching Aids
A teaching aid is an object or tool used by a teacher to enhance or improve classroom teaching. There are many teaching aids that can be audio, video, books, DVDs, projectors, computers, etc. Teachers are not given these things, which make teaching difficult.
10. Academic Fraud, Bribery and
Disorderliness
In Nigeria, there have been many reports of bribery and dishonesty in the Nigerian education system, especially in higher education where cases of collusion in schools have increased as well as bribery to pass exams. School cheating is prevalent at all levels of education.
Other forms of malpractices that have plagued the Nigerian education system range from cheating during examinations to heinous acts such as crime, falsification of academic records, payment of grades or certificates and awards, financial or sexual favors, intimidation of investigators and attacks by invigilators, etc.
11. Poor Teacher's Welfare
This is another major issue affecting the level of education in Nigeria. This is one of the consequences of both bankruptcy and corruption. Arrears and overpayments, as well as late payment of salaries, are problems facing teachers in Nigeria. It is a sad practice that teachers have to act in factories before they receive their salaries.
12. Unaffordable Education
The minimum wage in Nigeria is 18 thousand naira and many families survive on this. It will be difficult for these families to send their children to school because of the high school fees, books, etc. Many people are unable to continue their education because of the high rate of getting a university education.
13. Scarcity and Prohibitive Cost
of Books at All Levels of Education
Textbooks needed for easy learning are rare or expensive, making it difficult for students or teachers to buy or use them.
14. Lack of Dedications from
Teachers
This is a direct effect of poor teacher welfare. Teaching is not seen as a worthwhile activity. So few people want to become teachers or stay in the profession. Those who are teachers now in many cases are not dedicated, some even hate their work. Many Nigerian teachers have other businesses to support themselves and their families.
In this way, they spend more time on their business than they do in the classroom. Some also do their business in school such as selling clothes and other things.
15. Poor equipment and training
facilities
Many schools and institutions in Nigeria are in poor condition. In many states, the teaching environment is poor. The buildings are poor and many lack educational facilities. Schools do not have practical equipment or technology. The lack of standards in the new industry makes the course more formal and quantitative than ideal.
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16. Corruption
Corruption in Nigeria affects all government departments including the education sector. This happens in the education system and at a higher level at all levels. It is not only politicians who take bribes but also members of the education system, including school principals. Funds for educational facilities, salary payments, maintenance and operation of schools and institutions are wasted and misused.
Also, collecting bribes of teachers and teachers is no longer a secret. According to the Independent Commission on Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses (ICPC), corruption is rampant in Nigerian universities today and there is no political will to address it.
17. Curriculum Issues
The curriculum of the Nigerian education system has been criticized for being outdated and not relevant to the needs of the country. This has resulted in a mismatch between the skills acquired by graduates and the skills required by the job market, resulting in high unemployment among graduates in Nigeria (Ibe, 2019).
18. Poor Parenting & Guidance
Parents are expected to meet the basic needs necessary to meet the challenges of life, but many parents do not even show enough care or support. All they want is for their department to do well, whatever that means. Lack of proper guidance for their region encourages them to engage in test errors and even pay for "special agencies" for their region.
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Solutions to Current Problems of Education in Nigeria
The first step towards revitalizing the education system lies with the government. Necessary measures must be taken to organize and protect the area.
Governments at all levels must strive to provide a competitive education system across the country and beyond. Also, the right amount of money must be invested to get the desired results. Adequate funding and good management will provide quality education in Nigeria. Funds for the improvement of schools and institutions, acquisition of good training institutions, research grants, good salaries and social benefits for teachers, etc. is the things that will be abundant, released and properly.
The degree of corruption and minister of education and the military administration will be considered and will be considered.
The level of examination malpractices should be reduced through the cooperation of the government and the examination authorities.
The curriculum needs to be reviewed and improved. It should be practical and research-based. Teachers' salaries need to be reviewed and improved.
A good salary will also motivate teachers to perform their work at a higher level. Also, full-time teachers' salaries should be paid. This will attract qualified and dedicated teachers to public schools and change the attitudes of young people towards teaching and young people who will study to become teachers.
Effective teacher training with current and new technology will also improve the educational situation in Nigeria. Necessary control measures should be implemented to ensure that only qualified teachers are employed.
Admission to high school should be based solely on merit.
Finally, we can see a real change in the level of education in Nigeria, when the power lies in innovative and selfless leaders who understand the importance of quality education. Our future is in our hands.
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