Despite the 6-3-3-4 education system, not many pupils stay up to Primary Six in private schools. Educationists warn about the dangers of this practice, reports KOFOWOROLA BELO-OSAGIE.
Under the 6-3-3-4 education system, children are expected to spend six years in primary school, three in junior secondary school (JSS), three in senior secondary school (SSS), and in the university or other tertiary institution. With the signing of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Law in 2004, the first nine years of basic education (six years of primary and three of JSS are free and compulsory in public schools.
Public primary schools’ pupils spend the stipulated six years, but many of their private schools counterparts hardly do so.
Despite Lagos State Commissioner for Education Mrs Olayinka Oladunjoye’s warning to private schools to comply with the laid down system, the practice is for pupils to enter secondary schools from primary five. The result is that many young pupils enter secondary school and even university ill-prepared.
At the 2014 graduation of Scholastic Hall School in Opebi, Ikeja, Lagos, on July 3, the five Grade (Primary) Five pupils that left for secondary school missed out of the exciting ritual that pupils, parents, teachers and workers look forward to at the yearly event. While the graduating nursery pupils wear white, carry miniature lights singing, This little light of mine, and enjoy other perks, the Grade Five pupils are only presented dressed in their uniforms.
Their teacher, Mrs Lauretta Imoh, appealed to parents to let them spend the stipulated time in primary school.
“Parents are not ready to listen to us to allow their children to continue to Primary Six. I hope that it will be different for the Grade Four pupils coming into Grade Five. I appeal to you to allow them stay on. It makes a difference,” she said.
The school head, Mrs Pamela Umebuani, explained to parents that the Grade Five pupils could not be celebrated because they have not stayed for the required time.
“In Nigeria, the education system is graded as 6-3-3-4. These children have passed examinations, yes, but Primary Six is putting the icing on the cake. They get more value out of education and learn more. We are sad they cannot graduate because they are going too soon. They are just walking away. They deserve to be celebrated.
“This is my appeal: please leave your children for us. You will never regret it. What they are now, the would be even 100 per cent more if you leave them,” she said.
At Mind Builders School, Ikeja, the story is the same. Last year, the school also made an appeal to parents to allow their wards complete Primary Six. This year, the number of pupils that stayed on increased.
The Education Director, Mrs Bolajoko Falore, said this may be because of the appeal and the incentives the school introduced to encourage pupils to stay up to Primary Six. They get to participate in the graduation programme during which they are presented with the First School Leaving Certificates and awards.
Most importantly, she said the pupils that stay up to Primary Six go through a special programme called the Finishing School, during which they learn vital life skills.
“The children that graduated today, you can see their maturity. These children are grounded. Primary Six is not so much about academics but getting them more mature. The Finishing School prepares them to be able to face secondary school life. They learn good manners, etiquette, self awareness, personal grooming, communication skills and how to make friends,” she said.
Why parents do it
Many of the educationists and parents that spoke on the issue, said parents send their children to secondary school early because of the bandwagon effect, bragging rights, and economic reasons.
Mr William Pope, Principal, Nobel House College, Abeokuta, said parents bring under-aged children to secondary school because they think their wards are geniuses and should go through school fast.
“Every Nigerian believes that their children are very bright, clever and very talented. I think that is good very wonderful but they also need to be realistic. They need to know the dangers of not putting a child through the right foundation. Then the parents need to realise that the people who wrote the curriculum know what they are doing. The curriculum is written for age-related development,” he said.
In his days, Mr Ezekiel Awe, the head teacher of Mind Builders School, said pupils entered secondary school at the age of 12 or more, or when their left hand could touch their right ear when passed over the head. However, he said these days, parents send their wards to secondary school early to be able to boast about it.
“The ideal age for leaving a primary school now adays is 10. But during our time we left at the age of twelve which really helped. But some parent believe that their children should leave primary school at the age of nine and eight when they are not yet fully mature, he said.
A parent, Mrs Kehinde Akinola, said some parents opt out of Primary Six if their wards are already 10 by the end of Primary Five. She added that expensive school fees also discourage parents from making their wards stay on to complete their primary education.
“If your child is that age 10-11, the child can leave at Grade Five. Another reason parents choose to take their children away is because of school fees. Things are really expensive and they would rather save the money for JSS1,” she said.
Mrs Adebukola Jida, another parent, said she would do it for the age factor as well. “I went through Primary Six but it really depends on the age of the child,” she said.
However, Mrs Elizabeth Osuno, former Head of School, Bridge House College, Ikoyi, attributed it to ignorance.
“It is actually ignorance. They think they are doing something good for their kids. They will even tell you, ‘Oh she is brilliant; she even went from Primary Five.’ What psychologists say is true. An 18-year old in the same class with a 14-year old, will definitely perform better than the 14 years old. So that age advantage is very important so parent should stop rushing them,” he said.
Inherent dangers
Getting pupils into secondary school before they are 10 or 11 may make parents fill happy, but educationists complain that many of such children are unable to cope with the rigours of secondary education.
When she went to Grace High School, Gbagada, to complain that her son never settled down to do his assignments Mrs Ademola Bello (not real names) said the principal told her the child came in too early.
“When I complained to the principal that my son never did his homework, he said, what do I expect from a 10-year old in JSS2? He is too young,” she said.
Mrs Funmilayo Awoniyi, Principal of Mictec High School, Ogudu, Lagos, recounted an experience with an under-aged pupil that was once admitted in her school, who gave away all her books as an example of what happens when children are pushed forward too early.
“One thing is that a child must be mentally mature before crossing to secondary school; if not, the child will not be able to cope. A girl of seven or eight once joined us in JSS1. We gave her about 30 exercise books for the term. You know the books serve various purposes – for notes, continuous assessments and the like. But she started giving out all her books. When we asked her, she said they were so many so she gave them out,” she said.
Mrs Awoniyi said she counselled another parent to allow her ward repeat a class so she could be older.
“There was a particular child of nine years in JSS2. She did not fail but I counseled the mother to allow her repeat JSS2 because of her age. She did and the girl is doing better now,” she said.
Mrs Scholar Onyekwere said transiting too early can make otherwise brilliant pupils to depreciate academically.
“The key thing I tell parents is why make an A student a C student? When a child has the mentality of being a C student, he doesn’t do well. We need to weigh the maturity of the child,” she said.
For children sent to the boarding house when they are not ready, Mr Awe said, they fare even worse as the schools have to do more to monitor them.
“Maturity in terms of academics is different from in terms of psychology. In terms of making friends, interpersonal relationship, it is better for a child to leave primary school when he or she is fully matured academically, physically, and psychologically so that when they get to secondary school, you don’t need to be running after them. Some of them will be going to boarding house. (If they are mature), you don’t need to run after them before they wash their cloths, pant, or polish their shoes,” he said.
Mr Pope said because they are younger, the children sometimes are out of place.
“I will just plead with parents, please don’t make your children leave the primary school faster. Sometime this year, I stood along a soccer field and watched the boys play soccer. I did not recognise the children because I was new at the school. But I could point at which boys in the soccer team that were underage. You can just see them they don’t match with them and you can see them from a mile away, they look lost you know they should not be there and my heart really went out to those boys,” he said.
A parent (names withheld) said he would not allow any of his children go to school too early because of what he went through. Having a teacher as a mother made him go through school fast. However, the negative effect was that he was used by older boys to commit atrocities.
“I did a lot of bad things because I was too young to understand. The older boys in my class would tell me to still my father’s car keys, money and all sorts. They used me to do all kinds of bad things that I would not have done if I were older,” he said.
Way out
To end the practice of not completing primary school or sending to secondary school early, Mr Pope said the government has to enforce the rules and punish parents.
“If the state actually goes around implementing punitive measures against the students and the parents who do not comply, it is never going to happen,” he said.
He added secondary schools are sometimes forced to take younger children because if they do not, others would take them.
“It is sad that the secondary schools are almost being manipulated to take children that are too young. I think it is very bad for the children. I think that one needs to realise that thorough foundation is important for that child. You might skip a year and initially the child might do very well. But somewhere along the line, it will catch up with that child. If not in school, in the university; if not in the university, in the work place. But some way, it catches up; by not setting the right foundation,” he said.
Mrs Falore said schools that accept underage children should desist from doing so.
“Some private schools are not helping matters. I will not give a testimonial or certificate to a Primary Five child. But others will do it to please parents. But I tell them they are spoiling the standard. Some schools even give double promotion from Primary Four to Primary Six, which is not right,” she said.
Mrs Osuno said for children who complete secondary school before 16, undergoing a two-year A-Level programme would help them mature and prepare them appropriately for university education.
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