STUDENTS’ POOR PERFORMANCE IN THE 2014 MAY/JUNE WAEC

The parlance used in the labour market is that a labourer is worthy of his wage/salary , and this can be borrowed into the academia to show that the student who labours by burning late night candles, will have his/her results different from those who have their beds as best friends.

The height that great men reached did not come by sudden flight, but they, while their mates slept, toiled through the night.

The results of our candidates in the West African Examination Council, WAEC, have not been encouraging in the last five years.

With this year’s appalling results, only a few students would be able to secure admission into the nation’s institutions of higher learning, since every candidate is expected to have at least 5credit passes including Mathematics and English Language in WASSCE or NECO.

The released May/June 2014 WAEC Results show massive failure in Mathematics and English Language.

According to Charles Eguridu, the Head of National Office, WAEC, out of 1,692,435 candidates sat for the examination, 982,472 candidates, representing 58.05% were able to obtain 5 credits and above, while 529,425 candidates representing 31.28% obtained 5 credits and above including Mathematics and English Language.

The results for this year were very poor, following students’ performance in 2012 and 2013 in which 38.81% and 36.57% respectively representing those who had 5 credits and above including Mathematics and English Language.

145,795 candidates representing 8.61% had their results withheld following examination malpractices.

In 2011, 1, 540,250 candidates sat for the examination in which 789,288 candidates representing 51.71% had 5 credits and above, but 472, 906 candidates representing 30. 70% got 5 credits including Mathematics and English Language. 81,573 candidates representing 5.29% had their results withheld for examination malpractices.

The 2010 WAEC Examination results were such that only 677,007 candidates representing 42% out of 1,351,557 candidates that sat for the examination obtained 5 credits and above, of which 534,841 candidates representing 39.57% obtained 6 credits and above.

 According to the former HNO, Dr. Uyi Uwadiae, 337,071 candidates representing 24.94% obtained credits in Mathematics, English Language and at least three other subjects.

77,168 candidates had their results withheld due to examination malpractice.

Without mincing words, this year’s WAEC results are very disgraceful as not only the students are to blame, but also, parents teachers and the government.

Most people in the teaching profession are in there by chance, not because they have passion for it, but simply to make ends meet. The qualified teachers are poorly remunerated and as such they look out for other sources of income at the expense of their students.

Parents leave their children/wards at the mercy of the teachers, and would hardly find out the performance of their children at school. They are ready to provide the financial resources to aid the performance of their children even when they their academic capabilities are very low.

School proprietors/proprietresses should stand in defiance of parents who want answers supplied to their children/wards. They should debunk the notion that schools with good results will always have high patronage, and allow their students to write the examination by themselves.

The Vice-chancellor of Caleb University, Prof Ayodeji Olukoju complained of the decline in our reading culture and poor attitude of teachers to work.

Our students love to be on social media platforms 24/7 and can tell you about celebrities around the world, but have little knowledge in Mathematics, Science, Arts and Commercial subjects. The use of mobile phones should be completely banned in our schools. From the results released, about 70% of candidates failed this year’s examination. This is a national disgrace and we must all rise to revamp the educational sector.

Table of Values

Year % pass in 5 subjects and above 2010 24.94 2011 30.70 2012 38.81 2013 36.57 2014 31.28

 

SAFE SCHOOL INITIATIVE: Safeguarding Our Children

Children going to school

According to Merriam Webster Dictionary, a school is an organization that provides instruction. Simply put it: it is a place for the teaching of children.

The Safe School Initiative was launched at the World Economic Forum on Africa in Nigeria, by Nigerian business leaders working with the United Nations Special Envoy for Global Education, Mr. Gordon Brown.

The initiative came up as a result of the growing number of attacks on schools, and the abduction of over 200 girls in a government school, in Chibok, Borno state, north-east, Nigeria.

In the course of the Forum (which was held in May) President Goodluck Jonathan in a closed door meeting with Mr. Gordon Brown, pledged the sum of $10 million to the Safe School Initiative Fund created by the latter.

Earlier, Mr. Gordon Brown, alongside a coalition of Nigerian business leaders, launched the sum of $10 million to the Initiative, as part of the campaign towards the safe release of the abducted Chibok school girls, and promoting safety in schools, thus, providing the right environment for learning.

According to Mr. Brown, “we want to assure every girl that goes to school, and every teacher that teaches that their schools will be safer as a result of this action. And we want to support the Nigerian government in all their efforts.”

Parents of the abducted Chibok girls wait patiently for the safe release of their children. As parents, we must put all measures in place to forestall kidnapping at schools.

• ·   Children should know their full name and home address as well as the mobile number of at least one of       the parents.
• ·    Apart from the parents, children should have a trusted person to call in case of any emergency.
• ·   Children’s names should not be visibly imprinted on their clothing, so that they would not be at risk     to potential abductors.
• ·   Children should learn to spot dangerous action. for instance, if someone in a car drives close to you     and tries to get you come to the car or possibly give you a lift, know it is a dangerous action.

·        Most importantly, parents should build a cordial relationship with their children so that they can confide in them regarding anybody pestering them in schools(may be an unknown person through phone calls)

Kid going to school

Teachers must be safety conscious, as safety is everybody’s business, and they are accountable for whatever happens to the children under their stewardship. Possibly, school administrators should employ teachers with experience in safety techniques.                                                                                                                   

As schools begin a new academic session, parents, teachers, school administrators, security personnel should brace themselves for any of such occurrence.

LET’S SAFEGUARD OUR CHILDREN.

BOKO HARAM:  This Trend Must Stop.

Nigeria is a great country, blessed with natural and human resources to be among the best twenty economies of the world by the year 2020, but with the spate of events occurring in recent times, the sun, which is supposed to smile at us, now weeps for the future of our children.

The northern region of Nigeria is gradually becoming a war-torn area, following the recent attacks and bombings in the region.

Chibok community members

The Nigeria I knew yesteryears, is not the same today. It has never happened in the history of our great nation that more than two hundred girls would be abducted for 110 days now, who were supposed to have been planning their future in the right direction, towards contributing meaningfully to the development of the society and the world at large.

Contrarily, the Nigerian child is used to perpetrate evils in our dear country. Terrorists use female suicide bombers to carry out their dastardly acts, because women generally would raise fewer suspicions.

In most security operations involving stop and search, male security operatives are not in any way allowed to search females. This was why General Buhari’s bomber (a young man in his early 20s) could disguise himself as a woman, having a brassiere affixed to his chest.

A 20 year old suicide bomber disguised as a woman
inset- when he was stripped.

Back in my school days in Kaduna, female students who wore ‘hijabs’ were highly revered and modest in their dressing, of which, a young woman was always advised to wear it when going out.

Some days ago, a suicide bomber blew herself up in the midst of students in Kano State Polytechnic, who were checking their names for the compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

A 10year old girl was arrested with explosives strapped to her chest, also in a bid to blow up herself. This is an appalling situation and we must tackle it immediately.

Going away from the anachronistic way when women’s education ended in the kitchen, parents, teachers, caregivers and religious leaders must take the responsibility of educating the girl child because they are easily deceived to accommodate any indoctrination.

Based on this, the Federal government is poised to providing qualitative education to all young Nigerians who desire to improve themselves.

Female security operatives should work hand in hand with their male counterpart to checking other female in critical situations so as to forestall subsequent bomb attacks.

The military and other security agencies should not relent in their efforts to countering acts of terrorism.

The fight against terrorism requires concerted efforts, and we must join hands to fighting it so as to restore the dignity of our nation.

This ugly trend must STOP!