•The fact, figures in WEAC rating
By Gabriel Dike
Government-owned secondary schools in Nigeria have continued to trail behind their private counterparts in public examinations, such as the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO).
The recent nation-wide ranking of the performances of students in over 12, 000 secondary schools, who took part in May/June 2015 West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE), lent credence to the appalling situation in public schools across the country. Out of the 150 secondary schools ranked as ‘exclusive top 150 schools,’ only about six public schools made the list. The list was dominated by private and missionary-owned secondary schools.
Reactions have been trailing the list since it was released by WAEC. Parents, old students’ associations and some key stakeholders, who have spoken on the development, have all decried the situation and called for government’s urgent attention to arrest further slide in performance of public schools in WAEC and NECO examinations.
A breakdown of the May/June, 2015 WASSCE ranking of the exclusive top 150 schools, as released by WAEC, showed that the first 10 secondary schools that made the exclusive list were private and missionary schools. Private schools occupied first to sixth positions, while the remaining four positions were left for the missionary schools to complete the top 10 schools. The ranking also showed that out of the top 10, South East states produced four schools; Edo State, South-South, produced three schools; two went to FCT Abuja, leaving the remaining one for Lagos State, South West Nigeria. The best school from Lagos, Lagoon Secondary School, Lekki, took the 10th position, in the top 10 category.
However, Loyola Jesuit College, Wuse, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, which presented 77 candidates for the May/June 2015 WASSCE, was adjudged the best secondary school in Nigeria, according the WAEC ranking. The school, which had 15.19 as its average aggregate point, took the first position out of over 12, 000 schools that presented candidates for the exams. Marist Brothers Juniorate, Uturu in Abia State, came second with 121 candidates. It also had 17.43 as its average aggregate, leaving Presentation National High School, Benin City, Edo State, with an average aggregate of 17.73 to clinch the third position.
Prominent schools in Lagos State, such as Kings’ College, Lagos; Queens’ College, Yaba; CMS Grammar School, Bariga; Methodist Boys’ High School, Lagos; Igbobi College, Yaba; Jubril Martins High School, Iponri; St. Gregory’s College, Obalende, and Baptist Academy, Obanikoro, as well as other prominent public schools in Abuja, Rivers, Ondo, Oyo, Imo, Kaduna, Kano, Anambra, Enugu and Kwara, among others, failed to make the exclusive list of 150 top schools in the May/June 2015 WASSCE based on their students’ performance.
The fourth position went to Lumen Christi International High School, Uromi, Edo State. Igbinedion Secondary School, Benin City, also in Edo State, clinched the fifth position, while Grundtvig International Secondary School, Oba, Anambra State, took the sixth position. Mea Mater Elizabeth High School, Agbani, Enugu State, came seventh on the list, while Britach Secondary School, Umuahia, Abia State, took the eighth position. Ninth position went to Christ The King College, Gwagwalada, FCT, Abuja, while Lagoon Secondary School, Lekki, Lagos State, finally clinched the 10th position.
Even Federal Government Colleges lost their bites in the ranking. Out of 104 Federal Government Colleges spread across the country, only two – Federal Government Academy, Suleja, Niger State and Federal Government Girls’ College, Benin City, Edo State – made the exclusive top list. The Federal Government Academy, Suleja, which is also referred to as the Gifted School, was ranked 12th while its Edo counterpart, Federal Government Girls’ College, Benin City, got the 26th position.
Just as Federal Government Colleges were missing in the crowd, University Secondary Schools were equally nowhere to be found. Only the University Preparatory Secondary School, Benin-City, Edo State, made the exclusive top list, by clinching the 90th position.
According to WAEC, three states of Abia, Edo and Lagos produced more private-owned secondary schools than other states in the graded schools.
In a separate ranking for schools in Lagos State, prominent secondary schools were equally beaten clear and square by unknown private schools, which led the pack.
Top on the list of ranked Lagos schools, dominated by private schools is the Lagoon Secondary School, Lekki, which came 10th on the national ranking list. It was followed by Sagab College, Ikorodu, which also ranked 23rd on the national list. Wellspring College, which was 28th on the national list, came third in Lagos State, while Home Science Association Secondary School, Alakuko, clinched the 29th position on the national list occupied, but got the fourth position in Lagos. The fifth position in Lagos went to Starfield Private College, Fagba-Iju, which clinched 40th position on the national list.
Also, St. Francis Catholic Secondary School, Idimu, which was 68th on the national list, took the sixth position in Lagos. Evaton Comprehensive College, Abule-Egba, occupied the seventh position in Lagos but clinched the 78th position on the national list. Ifako International Secondary School, Ifako-Ijaiye, took the eighth position in Lagos, but got the 92nd position in the country. Lagos State Model Senior Secondary School, Igbonia, took the ninth position in the state and 94th on the national list, while Chrisland College, Idimu, which was 95th on the national list, clinched the 10th position in Lagos. Vivian Fowler Memorial College for girls, Ikeja, emerged the 11th in the state but 100th in the country.
The big public schools that made a poor outing in the Lagos State ranking include University of Lagos International School, Akoka, placed 18th; Federal Government College, Ijanikin, 22nd; Reagan Memorial Baptist Girls’ Secondary School, Yaba, 23rd; Maryland Comprehensive Secondary School, Ikeja, 37th; Igbobi College, Yaba, 40th; CMS Grammar School, Bariga, 42nd; Methodist Girls’ High School, Yaba, 44th and St Gregory’s College, Lagos, 50th.
However, the big names in private schools that didn’t find their feet in the Lagos ranking include: Loral International Secondary School, Festac Town, 66th; Doregos Private Academy, Ikeja, 74th; Supreme Education Foundation High School, Magodo GRA, 83rd; Jextoban Secondary School, Ketu, 86th and Jubril Martins High School, Iponri, 90th.
Investigation revealed that in the past five years, students from private and missionary secondary schools nationwide have performed better than their counterparts in public schools in the examinations conducted by WAEC and NECO.
Education stakeholders are of the opinion that public schools, such as the Federal Government Colleges and others are living in their past glory. They agreed that the poor performance of students in public schools needed an urgent attention to address the trend, which was made worse by WAEC’s recent ranking, using students’ performance in the May/June 2015 WASSCE as a parameter.
Over the years, public schools nationwide have lost ground to private-owned schools because of the learning conditions, such as dilapidated facilities, lack of teaching aids, nonchalant attitude of teachers to work, poor teachers’ welfare, lack of monitoring/supervision of teachers, overcrowded classrooms and non-payment of teachers’ salaries, among several others factors.
Indeed, most state governments offer free education in public schools but because of the reasons stated above, most parents prefer to send their wards to private schools where they pay exorbitant fees just to give their children quality education in anticipation of good results in WAEC and NECO as well as in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
Between nine and six years ago, public schools led the pack. However, for about three years now, the performances of students in public schools have been a big source of concern. Indeed, the performance table has been turned against public schools, as private schools have taken over, putting up sterling performances in public exams.
A school proprietor, Chief Olusegun Derin, could not describe the situation where prominent public schools did not make the exclusive 150 top list any better than retorting: “How are the mighty fallen!’’
Derin, who is the Director of Education at the Top Foremost International School, Oshodi, said the ranking did not come to him and other stakeholders as a surprise because of the rot in public schools, occasioned by government neglect, leading to low morale of teachers, poor welfare package, lack of educational materials and non-payment of salaries as and when due, among others.
The educationist said unless government and stakeholders found solution to the poor performance of students in public schools, private owned schools would continue to make waves in WAEC and NECO examinations, even as he added that the mass failure in WASSCE and NECO exams was a national embarrassment.
Also commenting on the development, the former gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje, said: “It is obvious we are not serious about addressing public education. The decline started with admissions into public schools. In the past, the best brains went to these schools, but public schools started collapsing when admission was no longer on merit. Those who are not supposed to be there found their way through connection. Employment and posting of teachers were also not on merit, as those not fit found their way into the profession.’’
Agbaje disclosed that the Ministry of Education was consuming more money than the schools, thus several things were affected, including inspection and monitoring of teachers. He advocated that 80 per cent of the national and state education budgets should be allocated to schools while 20 per cent should be for administration.
An elated Agbaje, who disclosed that he was a product of private school and never travelled abroad for his education, said private schools would continue to dominate WAEC and NECO, if the trend was not checked by funding education adequately, offering admissions on merit and engaging qualified teachers.
Corroborating Agbaje’s position, an educationist and Principal of Wellspring College, Omole, Lagos, Mrs. Oluwayemisi Oloriade, revealed that private schools nationwide are now doing better than their public counterparts in WAEC exams because they are bridging the gaps noticed in the education sector. “Something was lacking and the private schools filled the gaps with the provision of quality service delivery to parents and their wards,’’ she said.
Mrs. Oloriade spoke against the backdrop of Wellspring College, which was ranked 28 nationwide and the third best in Lagos State.
Among the reasons she gave for the sterling performance of private schools in recent WAEC ranking include the provision of good facilities, comfortable learning environment, qualified/professional teachers and juicy welfare package to motivate staff, among others.
“Others are counselling/coaching clinic for students ahead of any public exam., supervision/monitoring of teachers and students and Parents/Teachers Association support for the schools and zero-tolerance for examination malpractice during public exam,” she added.
Revealing the secret of her school’s success, she said: “We presented 56 candidates in the May/June 2016 WASSCE. We don’t take external candidates. By the time we allow external candidates, they will corrupt our students. Our students can defend their results anywhere in the world and our alumni are doing well in Nigeria and abroad. Some of them made First Class in the university.”
She debunked insinuations that private schools performed better than their public counterparts in 2015 May/June WAEC exams because they encouraged examination malpractice during the exams. She also condemned action of parents who aided examination malpractice, warning that they are not laying good foundation for their wards.
A concerned parent, Mr. Lanre Tade, said the poor performance of students in public schools was a time bomb waiting to explode. He urged government and stakeholders to take drastic actions before the trend becomes a national embarrassment.
He blamed poor funding of the education sector by the federal and state governments as being responsible for the poor outing of public schools, adding that teachers do not get their salaries promptly and that many public schools lack the necessary teaching facilities.
When contacted, the President of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS), Lagos State, Alhaji Kamaldeen Akande, emphatically said the reason was clear to every Nigerian. He revealed that owners of private schools employed educationists and qualified teachers to handle the students. He also said that owners of private schools implemented the national curriculum, followed strictly government policies and directives on education and gave parents value for their money by ensuring that their wards got better education service delivery from their schools.
Akande added that private schools organised seminars for teachers and in some cases, invited WAEC examiners to give their teachers lectures on the current trend. “Moreover, private schools compete among themselves. Any private school that is not doing well will not be patronised. The private schools will continue to maintain high academic standard and do well in future public examinations,” he said.
Concerned Nigerians are of the view that President Muhammadu Buhari, state governors, education minister, state commissioners of education and stakeholders must address the rot in public schools.
“Many Nigerians have lost confidence in public schools. Government must tackle the situation through adequate funding, supervision and employment of qualified teachers,” they submitted.