FORMER Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, NUC, Professor Peter Okebukola has frowned at the quality of science education in Nigeria describing it as way below the mark. He made this assessment in Asaba when winners of the 2014 NNPC/MPN/STAN science quiz winners emerged at the 55th annual Conference of the Science Teachers Association of Nigeria (STAN).
Delta State which hosted this year’s science quiz at Orchid Hotel, Asaba, emerged first in the primary category, as Imo State came first in the secondary category.
In the keenly contested quiz where students’ knowledge was tested in Life Sciences, Vocational Sciences, Physical Sciences and Mathematical Sciences, Delta State scored 118.25 points to beat Imo State which scored 111 to emerge second in the primary category.
Similarly, in the secondary category held among four states, Imo State came first scoring 112.7 points, beating Akwa Ibom State which scored 111 to emerge second in the national quiz competition. Other states which participated in the final include Ondo, Enugu, Akwa-Ibom, Osun and Benue.
Okebukola while speaking with journalists, said that compared to 2013 students’ performance, he could not see any significant improvement.
He said: “Last year, it was most exemplary, quite heart- warming, that our students could do so well because there were some questions that came out that many teachers could not answer within the time that the students were given. This year, I didn’t see that lustre, that shine.”
According to him, a few things could be responsible for that observation. He said it could be that the process leading to the winners at the state level before the national level was weak, adding that they probably didn’t use the best mechanism to get the best students to come for the finals.
“I know that there are many more students at the state level who are sharper than the ones we got. The process wasn’t as efficient as it was last year,” he added.
The UNESCO consultant who lamented the decadence in science education said that science education is not as impressive as it ought to be in Nigeria. He noted that if you look at public examinations in the sciences, students are not doing as well as expected. According to him, “at the university level, the quality of students that we are getting is not impressive in terms of their knowledge of Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry and Physics.”
On account of teachers having very low content knowledge, Okebukola said that many of the teachers in the school system today have very shallow content knowledge of the subject to be taught in the classrooms.
Okebukola pointed out poor funding, quality of labouratories, classrooms, workshops and teachers as some of the factors causing low performance in science education in Nigeria.
The Pro-Chancellor of Crawford University who harped on the need for quality science teachers stated that our schools are under-resourced for teaching quality science.
Okebukola who urged teachers to be better soaked in content knowledge said he was close to achieving that at the NUC before he left office. He explained: “If you are going to read education and teach a science subject like biology, go to Biology Department, learn all the courses in B.Sc. Biology, then go to education to layer on what has been learnt. You would know your education properly that way.”
On funding, he said: “Why should billions of naira be sitting at UBEC and TETFUND when the system needs money to function? Even if the funds are available and we don’t have the capacity to judiciously spend the money, it will take us nowhere. “Jonathan has done so much, more than others, to judiciously credit the system, but the money is languishing. Due process needs be followed and the universities find it difficult to follow due process and as such, delay in accessing the funds.
“The states are being asked to collect money but they need to tender a detailed breakdown of how the money would be spent, and that, they don’t want to do. The guidelines are there which they are not following, so we have that challenge.”
Also speaking at the occasion, the General Manager, Public and Government Affairs, Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), Mr Paul Arinze urged students to be hardworking, adding that success is a culmination of months of hard work.
He said: “By supporting education, especially science, Mathematics and technology education, we are making an investment in our future by establishing the next generation of science professionals and equipping them with a strong foundation for the future.”
According to him, in order for Nigeria to join the league of technologically advanced and economically prosperous nations, deploying creativity in technology is essential, and science education will play a crucial role in fulfilling this objective. He said that explained why MPN has sponsored the science competition for two decades.
Arinze who noted that concerted efforts and policy must be put in place to not only ensure that pupils are introduced to science subjects early, stated that greater encouragement should be instituted to identify and reward pupils showing exceptional abilities in science subjects.
He maintained that teaching aids and other infrastructural support must be provided to encourage students while science teachers must show greater commitment to their duties adding, “relevant authorities should also make science teachers’ capacity development a priority.’’
As this year marks the end of MPN sponsor of the competition, Arinze urged corporate players and well-meaning individuals, among others, to provide the needed support for the educational system in this regard.
His words: “We are pleased that our support over the years has helped this organization realize its principal objective of fostering co-operation among science teachers in Nigeria with a view to raising the standard of science education in the country.
‘’We believe as we did 20 years ago when we started, that the future of Nigeria depends on the economic development based on science and technology and therefore STAN is at the forefront of this. We still believe that and that is why we support not only stan but other programmes based on science and technology.’’
Speaking in same vein, STAN President, Dr Amos Shephat while addressing the issue of teachers and poor science performance in examintion said that there are science teachers but what they need is attention from government and employing organisations.
According to him, improved salaries, amenities are necessary to motivate teachers. Explaining the problem of science education in Nigeria, Shephat said that since many students are not interested in science, teachers have to first of all battle with making the students interested.
Science education
He said: ‘’Teachers are often over worked, in some cases they teach all the sciences as opposed to specialising and as such cannot give his or her best.
The President who disclosed that about 2,000 teachers attended the STAN conference said, ‘’More teachers are needed across the state. According to him, there are graduates that read education in sciences whom the government should absorb, noting that the problem of science education is a multidimensional problem that cuts across government, parents and teachers themselves. His words: “The problem of science education and performance in WAEC is not far from the method of presentation, the condition of the teachers, the environment –we have insecurity here and there, the teacher is not safe
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