By RECENTLY, I had a conversation with my sister who teaches in a fast-growing private school close to where we live.
The discussion was about one of the pupils in the school who is ‘poor’ academically; I teach Phonics in the school too, so I know the pupil.
My sister told me that the pupil would be repeating the current class and I felt that was a good decision.
However, in the course of our discussion, we concluded that the parents of the pupil may insist that their child must be promoted to the next class, his/her academic ability and performance notwithstanding.
We knew the school owner may have to give in to their demands if the parents threaten to withdraw their child from the school.
There are many schools who are eager to admit such pupils and place them in the classes their parents desire.
I know many private schools no longer ask pupils to repeat classes. From experience, when a child is asked to repeat a class based on low academic performance, the parents would withdraw the child and register him/her in another school.
This attitude is an indication of the fallen standard of education in Nigeria. Everyone is ready to compromise in order to achieve their selfish goal, at the detriment of the learner.
The parents do not want to pay any extra fee and the school owners, on their part, do not want to lose any child. Losing a pupil will automatically result in a reduction in the profit of the school owner.
Everyone wants to maximise their profit, nobody wants a reduction in their profit.
In a case where all stakeholders protect their interests, what happens to the young child whose life is involved?
Who will fight for the interest of the innocent child whose future depends on the decisions of these crucial stakeholders?
The education sector is in dire need of stakeholders who will genuinely stand for the interest of these innocent little ones!
Who shall we send?
What's your reaction?
