Education in Nigeria
“Article 26 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to education.” (United Nations). That states that despite gender, sexuality, age, race, etc., everyone is entitled to the choice of primary education. Although the standards for education in each country may be different in some aspects, the aspirations of education are universal. Regardless of where education is granted, there are overall national goals or education. Those goals are to expand early childhood education and care, provide free primary education for all, promote learning and life skills, increase adult literacy, achieve gender parity and improve the quality of education as a whole. Based on the United Nations goals for education, Nigeria is striving to meet those goals with constant growth.
Nigeria operates on a 9-3-4 system:
In Nigeria, there are multiple levels of education such as pre-primary primary, junior secondary which spans off to technical school or senior secondary. Senior secondary then branches off to polytechnic colleges or universities. A lot of countries, including Nigeria in the past, did not have such a broad education system. Education use to be few and far in-between when it came to the equal opportunities and the levels of education. Changes in Nigerian education started progressing in 2010 when government regulations required for every public school to have a pre-primary program. One of the goals of the UN is to expand early childhood care and education. Nigeria does now offer what is called a pre-primary program aimed at ages 3 to 5 years old. This program was put in place to guide children in the right educational direction prior to entering primary education programs. The enrollment rate for is still fairly low at about 21 million children which is only about 21 percent of the children in the age group in the country (UNICEF 2010).
Once a child hits the age of six, they are given the opportunity to begin primary schooling. Another goal of the United Nations was to provide free primary education and that is exactly what Nigeria has in place. Primary education is education based around the age range of 6 to 12 years old and grades 1-6. Primary education is equivalent to what the United States calls elementary education. As stated about primary education in Nigeria, it is geared around “permanent literacy, laying a sound basis for scientific, critical and reflective thinking, and also in equipping children with the core life skills to function effectively in society” (Onyukwu 2011). As stated previously, the educational system in Nigeria is still progressing to this day. Past results say, “In 2009, the gross enrollment ratio at the primary level was 89 percent (95 percent male and 84 percent female) according to UNESCO statistics. The net enrollment rate (as a percentage of children in the 6-12 age group) was a much lower 61 percent (male children 64 percent, female children 58 percent) in 2007 (UIS) suggesting that many students outside of the primary age group are attending primary school”. That is a fairly high percent for primary enrollment and based on the statistic, it is still not equal on the male to female ratio which was to be expected based on economic and domestic history of the country.
After primary education, students are eligible to begin secondary education. Secondary education in Nigeria is the equivalent of Junior High or Middle School in the United States. “Until 2006 entry to junior secondary education was based on the Common Entrance Examination, but entry is now automatic” ( Onyukwu 2011). As statics that have shown, the rate of transition for primary to secondary education is only at 44% as of 2008. That number did increase being that secondary became automatic rather than being tested into. The goal of Nigeria is to have that transition statistic to continue to grow by providing students with a higher level of educational knowledge in primary schools and also providing them with influential reasons to continue on with their education.
The next level of Nigerian education is an optional program. It either consists of another level of secondary, senior secondary or technical school. In order to be admitted to one of these programs, students must first pass the junior secondary certificate exam, also known as the JSCE. They must pass in six subjects or more to become certified at the credit level. Senior secondary school in Nigeria is equivalent to High School in the US. Onyukwu states, “The common core curriculum at the senior secondary level consists of: English, one Nigerian language, mathematics, one science subject, one social science subject, and agricultural science or a vocational subject. In addition students must take three elective subjects, one of which may be dropped in the third year” ( Onyukwu 2011). Once the courses are completed, students must take what is called the SSCE, Senior Secondary Certificate Examination. This exam would be equivalent to the SAT or ACT exam given to students after their 12 grade school year in the US. This exam is used for placement into Universities. There are 9 possible scores to get in each subject field of the exam.
Grading System
A1 75%-100% 5 EXCELLENT
B2 70%-74% 4 VERY GOOD
B3 65%-69% 3 GOOD
C4 60%-64% 2.75 CREDIT
C5 55%-59% 2.50 CREDIT
C6 50%-54% 2.00 CREDIT
D7 45%-49% 1.50 PASS
E8 40%-44% 1.00 PASS
F9 0%-39% <1.00 FAIL
The grades needed to be received are set at different standards based on what the student is aiming to study in the university or tertiary school. For example, if a student is studying medicine or computer science, the necessary grade needed to be accepted is higher than the grade needed for someone going to school for education. That standard seems to be universal with other countries as well; including the US.
Just like universities and vocational schools in other countries, a field of study is selected and students concentrate on that field versus many different fields. Students also have to become certified in whatever field they studied once they pass all required courses by their institution of higher learning. Students must pass their certification before beginning licensed work in their field. Depending on the field of study, diplomas are given after one, two or three years.
Here is a copy of the grading scale for universities and the grading scale for the certification.
NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY GRADING SYSTEM
5 grade system
1st class 4.50-5.00
2nd class upper division 3.50-4.49
2nd class lower division 2.40-3.49
3rd class 1.50-2.39
Pass 1.00-1.49
WES GRADING SCALE
Scale 1 Scale 2 US Grade Equivalents
A/AB 70-100 A
B/BC 60-69 B+
C/CD 50-59 B
D 45-49 C
E 40-44** C
F 0-39 F
The details of the educational system all sound very proficient except for other facts in the Nigerian educational system is flawed. The idea and the metrics are all set out for possible success but some of the tools are not available. A bit problem starting from the pre-primary educational levels would be academic certification of the teachers for the classroom. As stated by the UNICEF, “the caregivers of these centres are generally unqualified: about 85 per cent do not possess basic qualifications and more than half have no formal education. Another major issue in Nigeria’s early childhood care and development is the poor state of the infrastructure, equipment, facilities and learning resources” (UNICEF). That means students are not being educated by officials with the proper educational training and skills. That could and has caused education developmental issues.
As it has been made clear in research of Nigeria, the country is growing exponentially and the need for resource laborers is at an all-time high. With the extensive need for workers, that leaves little time for education once a child reaches a certain age. “With children under 15 years of age accounting for about 45 percent of the country’s population, the burden on education and other sectors has become overwhelming” (Onyukwu 2011). Though the country is growing economically, education seems to be last on the list as far as growth, which causes the slow increase in academic growth. There are too few schools, not enough teachers per number of student, etc., which leads to high drop-out rates or students not enrolled in school at all. As I mention previously, the ratio between boy and girls in school is noticeably different due to the labor demands of women such as early marriages and child bearing. The growth in women’s rights in Nigeria are changing but very slowing. Women now get the choice to have an education; however older traditional domestic schemes still embedded surpass the need for education amongst women. Women are still highly expected to stay out of political, government, labor forces and also the educational system. The educational flaws in Nigerian are constantly being addressed and will hopefully continue to grow. As stated, “This situation is being addressed by current efforts of the Nigerian Government with the implementation of the Basic Education scheme. The compulsory, free Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act was passed into law in 2004 and represents the Government’s strategy to fight illiteracy and extend basic education opportunities to all children in the country” (Onyukwu 2011).
“Article 26 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to education.” (United Nations). That states that despite gender, sexuality, age, race, etc., everyone is entitled to the choice of primary education. Although the standards for education in each country may be different in some aspects, the aspirations of education are universal. Regardless of where education is granted, there are overall national goals or education. Those goals are to expand early childhood education and care, provide free primary education for all, promote learning and life skills, increase adult literacy, achieve gender parity and improve the quality of education as a whole. Based on the United Nations goals for education, Nigeria is striving to meet those goals with constant growth.
Nigeria operates on a 9-3-4 system:
- Primary School — 6 years
- Junior Secondary School — 3 years
- Senior Secondary School — 3 years
- University First Degree — 4 years
In Nigeria, there are multiple levels of education such as pre-primary primary, junior secondary which spans off to technical school or senior secondary. Senior secondary then branches off to polytechnic colleges or universities. A lot of countries, including Nigeria in the past, did not have such a broad education system. Education use to be few and far in-between when it came to the equal opportunities and the levels of education. Changes in Nigerian education started progressing in 2010 when government regulations required for every public school to have a pre-primary program. One of the goals of the UN is to expand early childhood care and education. Nigeria does now offer what is called a pre-primary program aimed at ages 3 to 5 years old. This program was put in place to guide children in the right educational direction prior to entering primary education programs. The enrollment rate for is still fairly low at about 21 million children which is only about 21 percent of the children in the age group in the country (UNICEF 2010).
Once a child hits the age of six, they are given the opportunity to begin primary schooling. Another goal of the United Nations was to provide free primary education and that is exactly what Nigeria has in place. Primary education is education based around the age range of 6 to 12 years old and grades 1-6. Primary education is equivalent to what the United States calls elementary education. As stated about primary education in Nigeria, it is geared around “permanent literacy, laying a sound basis for scientific, critical and reflective thinking, and also in equipping children with the core life skills to function effectively in society” (Onyukwu 2011). As stated previously, the educational system in Nigeria is still progressing to this day. Past results say, “In 2009, the gross enrollment ratio at the primary level was 89 percent (95 percent male and 84 percent female) according to UNESCO statistics. The net enrollment rate (as a percentage of children in the 6-12 age group) was a much lower 61 percent (male children 64 percent, female children 58 percent) in 2007 (UIS) suggesting that many students outside of the primary age group are attending primary school”. That is a fairly high percent for primary enrollment and based on the statistic, it is still not equal on the male to female ratio which was to be expected based on economic and domestic history of the country.
After primary education, students are eligible to begin secondary education. Secondary education in Nigeria is the equivalent of Junior High or Middle School in the United States. “Until 2006 entry to junior secondary education was based on the Common Entrance Examination, but entry is now automatic” ( Onyukwu 2011). As statics that have shown, the rate of transition for primary to secondary education is only at 44% as of 2008. That number did increase being that secondary became automatic rather than being tested into. The goal of Nigeria is to have that transition statistic to continue to grow by providing students with a higher level of educational knowledge in primary schools and also providing them with influential reasons to continue on with their education.
The next level of Nigerian education is an optional program. It either consists of another level of secondary, senior secondary or technical school. In order to be admitted to one of these programs, students must first pass the junior secondary certificate exam, also known as the JSCE. They must pass in six subjects or more to become certified at the credit level. Senior secondary school in Nigeria is equivalent to High School in the US. Onyukwu states, “The common core curriculum at the senior secondary level consists of: English, one Nigerian language, mathematics, one science subject, one social science subject, and agricultural science or a vocational subject. In addition students must take three elective subjects, one of which may be dropped in the third year” ( Onyukwu 2011). Once the courses are completed, students must take what is called the SSCE, Senior Secondary Certificate Examination. This exam would be equivalent to the SAT or ACT exam given to students after their 12 grade school year in the US. This exam is used for placement into Universities. There are 9 possible scores to get in each subject field of the exam.
Grading System
A1 75%-100% 5 EXCELLENT
B2 70%-74% 4 VERY GOOD
B3 65%-69% 3 GOOD
C4 60%-64% 2.75 CREDIT
C5 55%-59% 2.50 CREDIT
C6 50%-54% 2.00 CREDIT
D7 45%-49% 1.50 PASS
E8 40%-44% 1.00 PASS
F9 0%-39% <1.00 FAIL
The grades needed to be received are set at different standards based on what the student is aiming to study in the university or tertiary school. For example, if a student is studying medicine or computer science, the necessary grade needed to be accepted is higher than the grade needed for someone going to school for education. That standard seems to be universal with other countries as well; including the US.
Just like universities and vocational schools in other countries, a field of study is selected and students concentrate on that field versus many different fields. Students also have to become certified in whatever field they studied once they pass all required courses by their institution of higher learning. Students must pass their certification before beginning licensed work in their field. Depending on the field of study, diplomas are given after one, two or three years.
Here is a copy of the grading scale for universities and the grading scale for the certification.
NIGERIAN UNIVERSITY GRADING SYSTEM
5 grade system
1st class 4.50-5.00
2nd class upper division 3.50-4.49
2nd class lower division 2.40-3.49
3rd class 1.50-2.39
Pass 1.00-1.49
WES GRADING SCALE
Scale 1 Scale 2 US Grade Equivalents
A/AB 70-100 A
B/BC 60-69 B+
C/CD 50-59 B
D 45-49 C
E 40-44** C
F 0-39 F
The details of the educational system all sound very proficient except for other facts in the Nigerian educational system is flawed. The idea and the metrics are all set out for possible success but some of the tools are not available. A bit problem starting from the pre-primary educational levels would be academic certification of the teachers for the classroom. As stated by the UNICEF, “the caregivers of these centres are generally unqualified: about 85 per cent do not possess basic qualifications and more than half have no formal education. Another major issue in Nigeria’s early childhood care and development is the poor state of the infrastructure, equipment, facilities and learning resources” (UNICEF). That means students are not being educated by officials with the proper educational training and skills. That could and has caused education developmental issues.
As it has been made clear in research of Nigeria, the country is growing exponentially and the need for resource laborers is at an all-time high. With the extensive need for workers, that leaves little time for education once a child reaches a certain age. “With children under 15 years of age accounting for about 45 percent of the country’s population, the burden on education and other sectors has become overwhelming” (Onyukwu 2011). Though the country is growing economically, education seems to be last on the list as far as growth, which causes the slow increase in academic growth. There are too few schools, not enough teachers per number of student, etc., which leads to high drop-out rates or students not enrolled in school at all. As I mention previously, the ratio between boy and girls in school is noticeably different due to the labor demands of women such as early marriages and child bearing. The growth in women’s rights in Nigeria are changing but very slowing. Women now get the choice to have an education; however older traditional domestic schemes still embedded surpass the need for education amongst women. Women are still highly expected to stay out of political, government, labor forces and also the educational system. The educational flaws in Nigerian are constantly being addressed and will hopefully continue to grow. As stated, “This situation is being addressed by current efforts of the Nigerian Government with the implementation of the Basic Education scheme. The compulsory, free Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act was passed into law in 2004 and represents the Government’s strategy to fight illiteracy and extend basic education opportunities to all children in the country” (Onyukwu 2011).
![Picture](/uploads/2/6/1/2/26128123/5238045.gif?367)
This image shows a systematic graphical version of the educational flow in Nigeria. The key shows how many years is in each educational stage.
UNICEF. (n.d.). Nigeria education. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/nigeria/children_1937.html
UNICEF. (n.d.). Nigeria education. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/nigeria/children_1937.html