Shekarau blames exams’ failure on poor motivation of teachers

THE Minister of Education, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, has blamed the poor performance of students in public examinations, including the West African Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) on poor motivation of teachers.

The minister, who disclosed this at a meeting with the committee of chairmen of the governing councils of federal polytechnics in Abuja, stated that apart from providing facilities, learning and teaching environment, teachers who are executors of educational policies should be well motivated before they could give their best.

His words: “No nation can grow higher than the quality of its educational system and no educational system can grow higher than the quality of its teachers. This is an indisputable fact. This invariably means that no nation can grow and no nation can develop as long as the teachers are neglected.

“I keep saying, whether you call them teachers, lecturers or instructors, it is the same and one of the things we want you to join us in advocating all over is the restoration of the dignity of the teaching job. I am sure even those of you who are professional teachers will agree that this is very important. It is the only miracle that we need to do to save the seemingly decline quality on our educational system. Many factors are also responsible for this. People only make noise when results are released.

“I’m sure there is hardly anyone of you here who have not commented by the roadside after reading about the WAEC results where headlines were made that over 70 per cent of our students cannot gain admission because they are falling short of the requirement.

“There will always be failures, but if the failures are in the larger number, then there is need to worry. If you are talking about five per cent to 10 per cent failure, and 80 per cent passing, then you can celebrate, but when the reverse is the case,.... I will want each of us to ask ourselves what are really the causes?

Speaking further, he gave assurance that concrete efforts are being made to address the various demands of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics and its Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union counterpart, which had led to protracted industrial action by the unions.

Shekarau disclosed that the Presidential Committees on Needs Assessment to public polytechnics and colleges of education had concluded their assignment and submitted their report to the Federal Government.

According to him, the report had already gone to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, for onward delivery to President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said that President Jonathan, after looking at the report, would present it to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and National Council of State for their inputs and endorsement, adding that government would not fail in implementing the report when it is finally approved.

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