“Sorting” sinks Nigeria’s education system

James, a graduate of English language from one of the universities in the South-East geopolitical zon

e. He was one of the big boys in campus that bribed lecturers to make one of the best results in the school. When he was called for an interview for a job, his potential employer expressed disappointment at his performance because he could not write simple and correct tenses.

  Nonye Osuala, student of the tertiary institutions in Imo State, “sorted” a lecturer with a huge sum of money. Afterwards, she was ordered to pay for a lodging accomodation in one of the hotels within the neighbourhood, so that they can spend the night together. She did as was ordered, but after everything, he did not upgrade her result and she remained in school for a couple of years, writing the carryover of that same course.

  Chinasa Ejiogu, a student of a university in Anambra State found herself alone in the examination hall after others signed attendance to the exam and subsequently went away. She sat wondering what the hell was going on when some of her course mates walked up to her and asked what her what she was doing in the examination hall, when she refused to honourably take her leave and do what others are doing, in an examination she prepared heavily for. She was not only cajoled by her course mates, but failed the exam woefully when others who did not write the exam at all passed very well.

  The framework of our Ivory towers is threatened not only by secret cult activities, but also by “sorting.” An average student in our tertiary institutions is farmilair wih the slang “sorting,” which simply means paying for a better grade. That was the orginal meaning of sorting. At least students sit for examinations, put in their best and leave the rest for money to buy. It operates in such a way that if you made 'C' in a course, and you are not too comfortable with that grade, you can upgrade it by paying to get a 'B'.

  But lately, the trend has changed, students now sat at home, they don't even sit for the examination, let alone making a low grade. They now sit at home and make the grade they want. The amount for each grade varies, if you want an 'A' you pay higher.

   At this point, one is forced to ask the type of lecturers we have. Are they there to impact knowledge or for their selfish gains? A graduate serving in Modakeke, Osun State, could not identify alphabets, yet she graduated from a tertiary institution. Where is our educational system heading to? Is education really a system designed for sorting or is it a system designed for learning?

  Many of the reforms and innovations that are proposed appear to slot education into Nigeria's educational system. The lecturers will rather teach students “sorting” outline instead of course outline, in doing this, one shouldn't need a mirror to see what the students will turn out in future.

  The inputs of most graduate that passed through Nigeria educational system are not in line with what they graduated with. For instance, there was a case where a first class graduate of accountancy, employed, could not prepare a balance sheet, profit and loss account of a company.

  Moreover, some youth corps members are not able to impact knowledge of their discipline to secondary school students during their primary assignment. Some feel embarrassed, intimidated and shy to go out in public to teach their students.

  There was a graduate from a university in Ebonyi State, who was invited for an interview, the interviewer expressed dismay as the so-called graduate could not defend himself in most of the areas he was interviewed.

  The stories above are, infact few examples of gross decay in our educational system, and by the year 2020, Nigeria will be filled with uneducated graduates.

  A survey conducted revealed that we have 10 out of every 12 lecturers that dabble into this skullduggery act. The bestiality of lecturers is better imagined than told.

  But, who is corrupting who? Is it the “giver” or the “taker”. Let us look at it from both angles, the “giver” is giving because if he or she doesn't, he or she may end up staying in school for decades, and the “taker” takes because it has become a tradition and culture, without that, he or she may not be able to buy expensive cars and belong to the bourgeois, despite the huge remuneration.