10 Major Problems of Nigerian Education System & Solutions

Major Problems of Nigerian Education System, The process of supporting learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, attitudes, beliefs, and habits, is described as education by Wikipedia. It is the act or process of accumulating broad information, honing one’s analytical and decision-making skills, and generally putting oneself or others intellectually in a mature life-stage.

The education sector deserves a lot of attention because it creates space for the nation’s development, according to conclusions fully supported by Pro-Papers, an education writing company in the USA. Unfortunately, due to little attention, education in Nigeria is of poor quality and standard.

The Ministry of Education is in charge of Nigerian education system because Nigeria is a federation. The Ministry of Education is responsible for overseeing the federal education system. This also applies to the administration of government universities and schools. At the state level, the Ministry has regional jurisdiction over state public schools and tertiary institutions.

15 Education-Related Issues in Nigeria and Potential Solutions

We’ll make an effort to emphasize the main reasons for the bad status and quality of education in our nation, as well as any solutions.

1. Inadequate Funding

Inadequate funding by the federal, state, and municipal governments is the first, and conceivably one of the biggest issues affecting education in Nigeria. Nigeria’s allocation to the education sector in 2017 was once more substantially below than the United Nations’ recommended 26 percent of the national budget.

The international group suggested the budgetary standard so that countries might effectively meet the expanding demand for education. However, President Muhammadu Buhari only allotted 7.04% of the 8.6 trillion dollar 2018 budget for education in the plan he presented to the National Assembly. Major Problems of Nigerian Education System

N605.8 billion in total has been allotted to the sector, of which N435.1 billion will go toward ongoing expenses, N61.73 billion will go toward capital improvements, and N109.06 billion will go into the Universal Basic Education Commission.

2. Bad Government

The majority of the country’s sectors have been devastated by bad leadership and management, including the education sector. The government has a lax approach to important issues in education, particularly its quality.

Governments at all levels are more focused on problems that are less crucial than education, which is harming the industry.

3. Corruption

One of the country’s biggest issues is corruption, and the educational sector is not an exception. There have been reports of admission seekers paying money to get into universities, lecturers receiving bribes from students in exchange for good grades, university administrators demanding money from students to compile and submit their exam results to the National Youth Service Corps (which is required), and so forth.

Additionally, money allocated for wages, maintenance, and other educational expenses is misused and diverted for personal use. All levels of the sector—universities, private and public secondary schools—are affected by this.

4. A lack of accountability and control

Who exactly governs the educational sector is a challenge that not only Nigeria but most other countries are dealing with. The fact that neither the federal government, nor the state, nor the local government entirely manage primary education poses a significant obstacle to the establishment of effective education at the fundamental level.

No level of government wants to actually assume any responsibility, thus tasks that need to be completed are being tossed around.

4. Education Politicization

Governments at all levels, particularly at the state level, strive to administer various institutions even when they are least qualified to do so. This is related to the politicization of the sector and the desire to compete with others. The previously existing ones’ general quality fell as a result, and the budget that was allocated was insufficient to meet all of their needs.

Additionally, in an effort to increase their own revenue, state governments approve private schools even though they are aware that the facilities are inadequate for teaching.

6. Inadequate Infrastructure

Due to governments’ utter disregard, schools and other vocational institutions have collapsed in the past. Our tertiary institutions are deteriorating, and the graduates from these institutions lack the necessary training to compete with those of other nations. Major Problems of Nigerian Education System

Most notably for scientific practical lessons, many institutions lack the fundamental tools for effective learning, and those that claim to have them are still using outdated models. As a result, the students simply study the theoretical processes rather than applying them in practice. Additionally, the necessary books, periodicals, and publications are not available in school libraries.

7. Indiscipline

Examine the ways in which this manifests itself: corruption, the threat of hidden cults, etc. The study found that this country has various testing facilities where parents pay to qualify their children to pass the SSCE, WAEC, NECO, and JAMB.

Students no longer care about academic success since discipline problems are so pervasive in the industry that we learn about cult deaths virtually every day in the news. Major Problems of Nigerian Education System

Students no longer care about academic success since discipline problems are so pervasive in the industry that we learn about cult deaths virtually every day in the news.

8. Poor guidance and parenting

It is the responsibility of parents to meet their children’s basic needs so that they can face life’s challenges, but many parents fail to do so. Whatever the means, all they care about is seeing their children succeed.

Due to the lack of proper instruction for their wards, they encourage them to cheat during exams and will even go so far as to pay for “special centers” for their wards.

We have also heard tales of parents accompanying their children to school to fight or bully teachers simply because their children had received a warning. Major Problems of Nigerian Education System

9. Insufficient teaching aids

Teaching aids are items or tools that teachers use to improve or liven up in-class instruction. There are many different teaching tools available, including audio, video, books, DVDs, projectors, computers, etc. However, access to these tools by the teachers is hard , which makes teaching challenging.

10. Unstable Subjects and Curriculum

An effective curriculum offers a measurable plan and structure for delivering high-quality education to teachers, students, and administrators. It serves as a road map for academic success for both teachers and students.

Since there is no consistent curriculum in the field due to shifting policy, most schools are forced to use the British curriculum.

11. Lack of Interest in Education Studies in Schools

Few people apply to faculties and colleges of education, in contrast to other academic fields that are fiercely competitive. Less than 5% of the more than 1,700,000 applications for university admissions in 2015 were for programs in education, according to research. These statistics show that job seekers no more have interest in a career as a teacher.

The education industry is directly impacted by the fact that the majority of newly graduated teachers are not professionals, have insufficient exposure to teaching practice, and frequently struggle to communicate in English.

12. Unreliable Employees

Due to the unstable state of teaching, most professionals are looking for alternatives. Some of them have other options and give more attention to these alternatives due to their inadequate earnings, which undoubtedly affects their effectiveness and dedication.

13. Inadequate care for teachers

Teachers’ wellbeing is poor in this sector; their payment is poor and have few fundamental benefits. We frequently hear about strikes because, in addition to receiving a low income, payment is late.

When teachers go on strike, students go home, which forces them to spend a lot of time studying. In certain situations, students will spend five to six years studying for a four-year course.

14. Exorbitant Cost of Education

Most homes in Nigeria are able to get by on the minimum wage of 18,000 naira. Due to the high cost of tuition, books, and other school-related expenses, it will be challenging for such homes to send their children to school. Due to the exorbitant cost of obtaining a university education, the majority of people cannot continue their education.

15. The Limited Supply and High Cost Of Books At All Educational Levels

It is difficult for students or teachers to purchase or use the appropriate textbooks since they are either hard to find or exorbitantly pricey.

The issues facing the education industry are numerous, and the ones above are just a few of them. So what the government do to address the issues the Nigerian education system is currently facing? The suggested remedies for the issues are:

Solutions to The Problems of Nigerian Education System

The majority of issues is mostly brought on by a lack of resources and improper or insufficient fiscal allocation. To address this issue, the government must allocate sufficient funds for the construction of high-quality training facilities, school renovations, and infrastructure improvements that will create an ideal atmosphere for teaching and learning.
Setting up of proper maintenance and monitoring of the funds, to prevent mismanagement and theft.
All levels of government must be able to provide a nation-wide system of education that is both competitive and of the highest caliber.
Exam regulation organizations must put forth a valiant effort to stop cheating on exams.
It is necessary to raise teacher compensation since doing so will encourage them to work more and more effectively.
The curriculum has to be up to date and altered. It must be less theoretical and more grounded in research, with an emphasis on extracurricular activities.
To ensure stability in the teaching profession, steps must be made. Teachers who are qualified and experienced ought to be hired.
To ensure that the information they are dispensing is of high quality, teachers and lecturers need to receive regular training.
Quality and current teaching resources should be available to teachers always . High-quality teaching aids will contribute to the improvement of the educational system.
Admission of students should be solely on merit.
Establishment of penalties should be for any type of illegal student money collection.

Frequently asked questions

What is the biggest problem facing our educational system today?

Social divide – The country does not provide equal access to education. Lack of resources – Significant gaps in classrooms, teachers, and other components necessary to support effective learning also constitute a significant problem.

Solutions for a Lack of Education

Better educational infrastructure.
Financial support for poor families.
Raise awareness on the importance of education.
More tolerance regarding education.
Minimum wages.
Increase in quality regarding social security.
Improvements in health insurance.

What are the five problem facing educational planning in Nigeria?

According to the article, problems with educational planning in Nigeria include: inadequate funding for educational planning. Also, inadequate educational planners, a lack of data and information. A lack of planning materials, political influence, political instability, and inadequate capacity development of educational planners.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is little hope for the Nigerian educational system right now. However, there is still hope, and this is dependent on how serious the administration is and how determined it is to make things work. The government should put all of its resources into restoring the educational system to its past glory.