First Class class of degree has hitherto been given undue prominence in the Nigeria's education landscape. One would assume that the statistics of first class graduates churned out from our ivory towers over the years has direct positive impacts on the social economic, infrastructure, medicine and other areas but reverse is the case. Nigeria's situation has remained the same.
MUCH ADO ABOUT FIRST CLASS DEGREE
By Tolu Makinde
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A first class is a class of degree reserved for the “exceptionally brilliant students” of a University. Such individuals often finish with a cumulative grade point of 4.50 and above. This automatically positions them as worthy brides of willing companies who woo them with juicy and irresistible offers.
The picture of the numerous opportunities that are accrued to possessing a first class of degree is the obvious reason why a student will want to give all it requires to earn it. This includes; observing endless sleepless nights, punctuality at lectures, completing all assignments as and when due and scoring above 70% in all courses among other things.
In the last Six years, 16 Nigerian universities have produced no fewer than 3,499 students who graduated with first class with private Universities having a lion share of this figure. However, a lot of people have queried the essence and the process of the unprecedented harvest of first class graduates as recorded in the recent past by especially private Universities.
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Granted that as the case may be, the private Universities have more first class products because they want to “make names for themselves”, how do we explain the situation where some critics are demanding explanations for how students could still finish with first class degrees in public Universities where ASUU and similar pressure groups are claiming there is a dearth of teaching and learning facility? Maybe such individuals should be told or be reminded that education today is no longer what it used to be. For example teachers are no longer called teachers but facilitators. A serious student today need not wait for a teacher. One of the defenses for the increased rate of first class products is that there is now an increased access to information and communication technology.
We should not however confuse first class degree to first class education. Nigeria’s education obviously has the capacity to produce first class candidates. But does it imply that the Country has first class education?
Advanced countries of the world have been able to use education to provide solutions to virtually all their challenges through scientific research and commitments to policy implementations. Prisons have been shut (No more prisoners), motor vehicles are being powered electronically (without engine) as some are powered by solar energy with panels mounted literally on the highways, estates and skyscrapers are being built under water and life expectancy has been boosted to mention but a few.
It is shameful that Nigeria has a record of 3,499 first class graduates in the last six years alone and her economy, power, medical care and infrastructure among others are as comatose as they have always been known to be.
The observation from the foregoing is that, our first class graduates are useful only to themselves and maybe to their employers and not the society. Hence the question why, the ado about it? This should not be blamed on them though but rather on the policy makers who have for many years been paying lip service to quality education in the Country.
Instead of dissipating energies on the justification or otherwise of first class degrees, why not focus on creating and sustaining first class education that everyone can benefit from.
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