Education: Making Nonsense of Undergraduate Degree Classifications in Nigeria

By

Abdulrahman Muhammad Dan-Asabe, Ph.D.

Ningbo, P. R. China

August 20, 2011

muhdan@yahoo.com

Universities all over the world use degree classification system as a grading scheme to distinguish between the academic performance and achievements of their undergraduate degree holders.  Each institution makes a clear distinction on whether a candidate is awarded a degree with or without honours. When a candidate is awarded a degree with honours, he or she can append (Hons) to his/her class of degree, as in BA (Hons) or BSc (Hons).  Any candidate that marginally fail the honour examination is awarded ordinary (or pass) degree - a degree without honours.   

The range of marking standards and associated classifications varies, albeit slightly, from one institution to another (and from one country to another).  However, within the United Kingdom - and probably in Nigeria that follows the British education system – the marking and classification are very much similar: First-Class Honours (First or 1st) (70% and above); Upper Scond-Class Honours (2:1, 2.i) (60 - 69%); Lower Second-Class Honours (2:2, 2.ii) (50 – 59%); Third-Class Honours (Third or 3rd) (40 – 49%); Ordinary degree (pass – based on some points) and; Fail (no degree awarded).  Obviously, First-Class Honours is the highest honours that can be achieved, with very few, about 10% of the candidates, achieving it in very high-quality education-minded nations.  (Note that some degrees, like medicine, are not classified.)

The importance of a University degree classification cannot be overemphasized. Firstly, it matters seriously if a candidate wants to go on to do further studies, especially if sponsorship/funding is sought from established institutions. Secondly, because of lack of any kind of work experience in the early stages of one’s career, a good degree classification (1st or 2:1) is needed to help swing things in one’s favour; especially where competition is fierce.  This is particularly true in Nigeria today where, like most parts of the world, the supply of graduates outstrip demand and self-employment opportunities are almost nonexistent.  In this situation (of supply being more than demand), employers/head hunters assessing a range of CVs from first-time applicants would be interested in three (3) key areas: the University attended, the subjects taken and, most importantly, the degree classification held. 

Of course, as with almost everything in life, sometimes job applicants are not asked the degree classification they have been awarded at their first-job interviews. All the prospective employers cared about is whether they have a degree. After one’s first full-time job and accumulated experiences, degree classification becomes increasingly less important over time; compared with one’s experience and achievements.

Unfortunately in today’s Nigeria undergraduate degree classifications do not really mean very much. For example, recently the Group Managing Director of NNPC, Mr Austen Oniwon, disclosed that 80 per cent of the graduates with First-Class and Upper Second-Class Honours who sat the recent NNPC recruitment examination not only failed but also scored less than 20 per cent (Tribune: Tuesday, August 16, 2011). This is really sad. How can 80 per cent of graduates judged to be the best from the higher education institutions (i.e. the ones with degree classification of 60% or higher) score less than 20% in aptitude tests?

The answer to the above question is simply, most of these so-called First-Class and Upper Second-Class graduates are awarded the degrees by some unscrupulous academics abound in many of the Nigerian Universities today.  Agreed, rogue academics have always existed, but they have been exceptions; they were few and far between. However, increasing numbers of individuals with questionable academic credentials and little or no commitment to teaching are getting into the nation’s ivory towers by taking advantage of the chaotic situation that pervades every aspect of the Nigerian society today.  

These unscrupulous academics are often not in their offices for students’ consultations, and they regularly combine and rush over missed lectures and have little or no time to properly supervise the graduating students’ dissertations. For students that can afford the price, coursework (from past work) can be bought from these unscrupulous academics and submitted with little modifications as original work. How can these academics be expected to check and ensure academic guidelines for referencing and plagiarism when they themselves are the perpetrators in the first place? 

To be sure, there is nothing wrong with students accessing past work (and examination papers); in fact this should be encouraged.  However, for academics to knowingly be involved in the process of conflict of interest is academically unethical.  And doing so denies students the vital research skills of searching, identifying and evaluating materials relevant to their topics and how to use the information gained in an academically acceptable way.  But all these are minor problems compared with allegations of rampant leaking/sales of exam questions, and substituting exam scripts that are written outside normal exam environment, sometimes under the guidance of unscrupulous subject teachers.  

I was shocked to learn in my recent visit to Nigeria that university lecturers now go to homes of affluent students to give ‘extra lessons’ for pay.  The specific case investigated here involves a postgraduate student.  Yes, extra lessons for PG candidate!  Extra lessons used to be for candidates preparing for their WAEC and NECO exams. Why won’t this PG candidate engage classmates (one-on-one or group discussions) or simply consult the lecture in office on specifics? How low are these unscrupulous academics prepared to go? Will this lecturer be able to grade the candidate’s work without bias?  

In the finally analysis, the degree classification of a student may not necessarily have been earned honestly. This probably explains why 80% of so-called First-Class and Upper Second-Class degree holders could not score 20% in aptitude tests.

Despite numerous challenges facing Nigerian universities - poor facilities and poor learning environment, if students work hard and are awarded what they deserve, significant improvement will be achieved. Employers/head hunters would be confident on the employability of university graduates based on their qualifications. 

The Federal Government needs to urgently step in to review the educational system with a view of making it more open, transparent and competitive to attract competent, decent and committed academics. Only then can these rogues parading themselves as academics will be shown the way out of the system.