February 3, 2010
Have you ever been in a dream and called 999 for help, and minutes later a policeman knocks at your door and asks ‘can I help you?’ Impossible in Nigeria, you’d think. Well that’s why you have to read this report and believe it’s possible.
Have you ever been in a dream and called 999 for help, and minutes later a policeman knocks at your door and asks ‘can I help you?’ Impossible in Nigeria, you’d think. Well that’s why you have to read this report and believe it’s possible.
With the current lingering constitutional and political crisis in the country, one would hastily conclude, and let me put it politely, that the present administration consisting of the legislative, executive, and more importantly the judiciary, need to act now to save this country from distress. This is not just about the health of the President, but the system and objective of running the affairs of this country. This is rather a constructive criticism than a condemnation and I do this with love for my country.
Everyone is asking, where are the jobs? Where is electricity? Where is education? Where is technology? Where is health? Where is security? And personally I ask, before ministers are appointed, are they really sat down and asked what their goals are for the ministry, and how they plan to achieve them? Or do they just get appointed to come and run the affairs of the ministry? Better still, does the president have a goal for them? Does the government really look critically at the ministry and decide what needs to be done, and then hand it down to the minister appointee as an agenda, and then periodically evaluate the rate of progress? Well I can’t answer these because I don’t work for the government in that capacity, but there is a solution which I can’t see. The Federal Government simply waits for oil revenue and taxes to sustain and implement development, the states simply depend on allocations and taxes to function, and the local governments? Then how are other developed nations able to do it, How did Israel make it, and China today? My lecturer once told me that Capital is not just money, but your brain (which is a means of achieving the money). This is how countries without oil are able to develop.
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Ok let me leave it at that and go ahead to discuss just the education system because this report is gonna turn to a book if I have to discuss every major aspect of developing the economy.
Our education system needs complete restructuring. Not just with the objective of imitating what other western societies are doing right now, but the reforms need to address critical issues:
a. Will it be available to everyone who needs it?
b. Do people have to quit their jobs to go to school especially if they are to train themselves?
c. Will it become a research and knowledge based study rather than a hunt for certificate?
d. Will people be able to study the courses they desire?
e. Will it be affordable?
f. Will it be competitive?
g. Will it reduce or eliminate exam malpractice?
Well these are some of the most crucial questions which need to be addressed by any reform being carried out by the system. It’s not just about developing a system which makes education available but expensive, just like we have in GSM and Internet communication today. It must be a complete reform which comes as a package. It is possible to achieve all these even with the current infrastructure on ground. Let’s consider a scenario for this using our traditional system of writing UME.
The National Open University could be equipped and expanded and then affiliated with the Federal Universities in the country and used as an extension campus for distance learning courses. These National Open Universities may be autonomously run but licensed to offer the courses of these Federal Universities within their states. For example, National Open University in Abuja will be licensed to offer degree programs for the University of Abuja on distance learning capacity, same with other states, and on graduating, students will be given degree certificates bearing University of Abuja etc. I do not necessarily have to go to the nitty-gritty of how the system will be run to be qualitative and eliminate fraud and malpractice, but don’t be pessimistic, this scenario checks out and it will even be more efficient and malpractice free than the traditional system which we so much are used to. My critics will be alarmed here but that’s only because they don’t know how it can be achieved, and that’s basically the difference between the underdeveloped and developed societies. After all you’re using ATM, aren’t you?
Except for certain specialization courses in medical and legal fields, most courses can be done by distance learning including some engineering courses. But for a start, we can be offering business courses, humanities and some science courses; many successes start small afterall.
Going back to the UME, JAMB can let’s say set the pass mark for sciences at 160, arts 160, engineering/medicine/law 200. Any UME exam conducted is valid for 1 year so it should be conducted at least twice a year so that someone has a chance to make up for failures if the first one is not successful for any reason.
Any student who makes the pass mark for any category is given admission to the University of his choice, and if the registrations for regular classes are filled up, the student will go the National Open University and be enrolled for the course, just like a regular student. In fact you can have a choice straight away to do the study by distance learning if u pass UME.
This quick scenario will satisfy the crucial questions raised. First, it will be available to everyone who can pass the entry exam and meet the entry requirements. Second, people do not have to quit their jobs to study if they can do so by distance learning. In fact this system will encourage everyone to work and become more independent minded right from adulthood.
Third, it’s gonna be more research and knowledge based because you’ll encounter more assignments and presentations, and exams can be more flexibly conducted under surveillance. In fact you could have a scenario where you are examined by the National Open University as well as the Federal University so the only thing that’s gonna help you is study and do more research, plus you’ll be opportune to learn using modern systems and technology being implemented in developed countries. Fourth, you have an opportunity to study the course you desire because if it’s not achievable on regular basis, you go through the distance learning. This does not mean that certain courses are not gonna be competitive especially the ones not offered at the National Open. Not everyone will be able to study medical sciences for instance but if you don’t get it, you have option to change course.
Also, every student must be evaluated by a career counselor and a psychiatrist periodically before admission and during his program, to track and ascertain fitness, progress, and competence. This should be part of the continuous assessment and if a student is not doing well, he can be stepped down to another course on recommendation by the counselor. Fifth, of course the program is gonna be affordable, I mean if you can afford the University education on campus, you can afford it anywhere, apart from that, scholarship and loan programs can be initiated by employers and government to help sponsor students who wanna go to school, that however depends on other things put in place. Sixth, this is gonna be real competitive as the private Universities are gonna wake up and compete too. This helps to bring down cost as well as maintain standards without unnecessary legislation.
Now the last point about fraud and exam malpractice. Well, apart from writing exams more than once and under surveillance, there’s an arguable point I want my readers to know about. I recently conducted a research study about exam malpractice and I came to a relationship; Students are more susceptible to exam malpractice in the University when (a) they’re not studying a course of their interest and they just wanna graduate and have the certificate (b) they face frustration by waiting too long to gain admission to the University after many UME attempts. I’ll simply leave it at this point.
I can go ahead talking about the 21st century Job creation, revenue generation, security, technology advancement, electricity, housing etc. The point is, Nigeria has all it takes. What it needs is a complete package that is translated into a working system. This is something we should believe in, and with this, there’s no doubt Nigerians will stand up and be part of it. The spirit of the nation will be stronger and dominant over few cabals who benefit from the lack of progress of the country.
If you’re a parent, I’d love to ask you this question, Are you truly responsible for what goes on under my roof? Would you take responsibility if things went wrong in your home but sincerely there was something you could have done to prevent or stop them? Your answer will tell what happens the moment you take over the mantle of leadership.
Ozioma Unegbu
08051600457
[email protected]
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With the current lingering constitutional and political crisis in the country, one would hastily conclude, and let me put it politely, that the present administration consisting of the legislative, executive, and more importantly the judiciary, need to act now to save this country from distress. This is not just about the health of the President, but the system and objective of running the affairs of this country. This is rather a constructive criticism than a condemnation and I do this with love for my country.
Everyone is asking, where are the jobs? Where is electricity? Where is education? Where is technology? Where is health? Where is security? And personally I ask, before ministers are appointed, are they really sat down and asked what their goals are for the ministry, and how they plan to achieve them? Or do they just get appointed to come and run the affairs of the ministry? Better still, does the president have a goal for them? Does the government really look critically at the ministry and decide what needs to be done, and then hand it down to the minister appointee as an agenda, and then periodically evaluate the rate of progress? Well I can’t answer these because I don’t work for the government in that capacity, but there is a solution which I can’t see. The Federal Government simply waits for oil revenue and taxes to sustain and implement development, the states simply depend on allocations and taxes to function, and the local governments? Then how are other developed nations able to do it, How did Israel make it, and China today? My lecturer once told me that Capital is not just money, but your brain (which is a means of achieving the money). This is how countries without oil are able to develop.
articleadslinks
Ok let me leave it at that and go ahead to discuss just the education system because this report is gonna turn to a book if I have to discuss every major aspect of developing the economy.
Our education system needs complete restructuring. Not just with the objective of imitating what other western societies are doing right now, but the reforms need to address critical issues:
a. Will it be available to everyone who needs it?
b. Do people have to quit their jobs to go to school especially if they are to train themselves?
c. Will it become a research and knowledge based study rather than a hunt for certificate?
d. Will people be able to study the courses they desire?
e. Will it be affordable?
f. Will it be competitive?
g. Will it reduce or eliminate exam malpractice?
Well these are some of the most crucial questions which need to be addressed by any reform being carried out by the system. It’s not just about developing a system which makes education available but expensive, just like we have in GSM and Internet communication today. It must be a complete reform which comes as a package. It is possible to achieve all these even with the current infrastructure on ground. Let’s consider a scenario for this using our traditional system of writing UME.
The National Open University could be equipped and expanded and then affiliated with the Federal Universities in the country and used as an extension campus for distance learning courses. These National Open Universities may be autonomously run but licensed to offer the courses of these Federal Universities within their states. For example, National Open University in Abuja will be licensed to offer degree programs for the University of Abuja on distance learning capacity, same with other states, and on graduating, students will be given degree certificates bearing University of Abuja etc. I do not necessarily have to go to the nitty-gritty of how the system will be run to be qualitative and eliminate fraud and malpractice, but don’t be pessimistic, this scenario checks out and it will even be more efficient and malpractice free than the traditional system which we so much are used to. My critics will be alarmed here but that’s only because they don’t know how it can be achieved, and that’s basically the difference between the underdeveloped and developed societies. After all you’re using ATM, aren’t you?
Except for certain specialization courses in medical and legal fields, most courses can be done by distance learning including some engineering courses. But for a start, we can be offering business courses, humanities and some science courses; many successes start small afterall.
Going back to the UME, JAMB can let’s say set the pass mark for sciences at 160, arts 160, engineering/medicine/law 200. Any UME exam conducted is valid for 1 year so it should be conducted at least twice a year so that someone has a chance to make up for failures if the first one is not successful for any reason.
Any student who makes the pass mark for any category is given admission to the University of his choice, and if the registrations for regular classes are filled up, the student will go the National Open University and be enrolled for the course, just like a regular student. In fact you can have a choice straight away to do the study by distance learning if u pass UME.
This quick scenario will satisfy the crucial questions raised. First, it will be available to everyone who can pass the entry exam and meet the entry requirements. Second, people do not have to quit their jobs to study if they can do so by distance learning. In fact this system will encourage everyone to work and become more independent minded right from adulthood.
Third, it’s gonna be more research and knowledge based because you’ll encounter more assignments and presentations, and exams can be more flexibly conducted under surveillance. In fact you could have a scenario where you are examined by the National Open University as well as the Federal University so the only thing that’s gonna help you is study and do more research, plus you’ll be opportune to learn using modern systems and technology being implemented in developed countries. Fourth, you have an opportunity to study the course you desire because if it’s not achievable on regular basis, you go through the distance learning. This does not mean that certain courses are not gonna be competitive especially the ones not offered at the National Open. Not everyone will be able to study medical sciences for instance but if you don’t get it, you have option to change course.
Also, every student must be evaluated by a career counselor and a psychiatrist periodically before admission and during his program, to track and ascertain fitness, progress, and competence. This should be part of the continuous assessment and if a student is not doing well, he can be stepped down to another course on recommendation by the counselor. Fifth, of course the program is gonna be affordable, I mean if you can afford the University education on campus, you can afford it anywhere, apart from that, scholarship and loan programs can be initiated by employers and government to help sponsor students who wanna go to school, that however depends on other things put in place. Sixth, this is gonna be real competitive as the private Universities are gonna wake up and compete too. This helps to bring down cost as well as maintain standards without unnecessary legislation.
Now the last point about fraud and exam malpractice. Well, apart from writing exams more than once and under surveillance, there’s an arguable point I want my readers to know about. I recently conducted a research study about exam malpractice and I came to a relationship; Students are more susceptible to exam malpractice in the University when (a) they’re not studying a course of their interest and they just wanna graduate and have the certificate (b) they face frustration by waiting too long to gain admission to the University after many UME attempts. I’ll simply leave it at this point.
I can go ahead talking about the 21st century Job creation, revenue generation, security, technology advancement, electricity, housing etc. The point is, Nigeria has all it takes. What it needs is a complete package that is translated into a working system. This is something we should believe in, and with this, there’s no doubt Nigerians will stand up and be part of it. The spirit of the nation will be stronger and dominant over few cabals who benefit from the lack of progress of the country.
If you’re a parent, I’d love to ask you this question, Are you truly responsible for what goes on under my roof? Would you take responsibility if things went wrong in your home but sincerely there was something you could have done to prevent or stop them? Your answer will tell what happens the moment you take over the mantle of leadership.
Ozioma Unegbu
08051600457
[email protected]
articleadsbanner
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