CICE Hiroshima University, Journal of International Cooperation in Education, Vol.15 No.2 (2012) pp.

195 ～ 205

Secondary Education in Nigeria:

A Synthesis of Basic Student-Specific Concerns from
Guidance and Counselling Perspective
Abdulrashid Garba
Bayero University, Kano

Abstract
The paper is an extrapolation of a tripartite classification of basic concerns in
secondary education in Nigeria. Experiences in school counselling practice guided
the discussion on the classification– the cause, the effect and the consequence -so
as to arrive at a comprehensive picture of the main concerns of secondary
education Nigeria. The discussion focuses more on an area which is often
accorded little or no attention that is the third leg of the classification - the
consequence. The consequence of the main causes of the problems in secondary
education in Nigeria is largely student–specific with a far-reaching implication to
the future and general well-being of the society. The student-specific concerns are
presented and discussed from guidance and counselling perspective. A case is
finally made for additional official attention to student concerns in order to be able
to achieve the set objectives of secondary education.

Introduction

The problems in the educational sector in Nigeria have their roots in what may be
described as a complicated mix of economic, political, and social situations. A civil war in
the late 1960s and about three decades of political instability all have their tolls in the
deteriorating conditions of education. Poorly conceived programmes and/or poor
implementation of well-planned programmes coupled with worldwide drop in oil prices in
the 1980s are the major culprits in the crippling economic conditions, (Ajaja 2010). In
spite of these facts many attempts have been made to use education for the amelioration of
the economic conditions and to address political instability for the benefit of citizens and
the nation, which is to make education more relevant to the needs and aspirations of the
individual and the society. For example, in 1973 there was this famous seminar under the
chairmanship of Chief S. O. Adebo which deliberated on all aspects education with a view
to evolving a national policy on education. There were also about three different revisions
of the national policy on education which evolved as a result of the 1973 seminar, in 1981,
1989 and 2004.
In 2006 a 10-year education development plan was worked. In 2009 again a
roadmap for educational development was also conceptualized and launched. In spite of

－195－
 Abdulrashid Garba
these and many other similar attempts as exemplified in changes and reforms from 1977
to date, Nigeria's educational system is still bedeviled by a myriad of problems. The
causes of such problems are multifaceted but, accusing fingers are mostly pointing at the
worsening funding profile. Others see the problems as basically in the enrollment derive,
high rate of dropout and underachievement. These are really part of the main problems
bedeviling secondary education in Nigeria. But also they are problems to do mostly with
the government, the system and the society. Most often than not we tend to pay little or no
attention to the other side of the problem, which is viewing the problem from students’
angle. Problems with secondary education in Nigeria are multifaceted as mentioned
earlier and therefore, deserve a holistic approach. That is a complete system review rather
than any analysis or dissection of constituent parts. Any approach to the problem of
education in Nigeria may not be holistic without paying specific attention to students-
specific concerns.
It is in this view that the paper uses analytical synthesis in the assessment of the
tripartite classification of the major concerns in the educational sector. Synthesis in this
regard was believed to have the potentials of adding value to the issue under discussion by
analyzing views and research reports and making a case for stakeholders and principal
actors in education in a variety of ways. The paper discusses and synthesizes a
wellarticulated tripartite classification of typical problems of education in Nigeria,
through the lenses of school guidance and counselling practices. The sole purpose is to
provide practicing school counsellors with information and research reports about
studentspecific concerns that they can use to improve their helping processes. The focus is
therefore mainly on use of research reports for counselling purposes, rather than for sole
administrative purpose. The paper therefore focuses more on aspects of student-specific
concerns. It is hopefully a basis for the development of effective system-wide reform in
order to enhance student learning and to improve student attainment.
To accomplish this, the paper begins with a brief background on secondary
education in Nigeria from 1977 to date. A tripartite classification of typical concerns of
secondary education in Nigeria were presented and discussed. The paper recognizes that
attention seems to be generally more on the first and second leg of the tripartite
classification with little or no attention to the third leg. The paper acknowledges the
assertion that attention to the first and the second legs of the tripartite classification will
provide an automatic solution to the concerns of the third leg but also casts doubts to its
wholesomeness. More so, the paper has made a case for a special and/or equal attention to
the third leg of the classification.

Secondary Education in Nigeria: A Review

It was the recommendations from the 1977 seminar that culminated into what is
today known as the national policy on education. The national policy on education
(usually referred to as NPE) has provided for some broad aims of secondary education, as
contained in section 4 subsection 18 of the policy (2004). They include:

－196－
 Secondary Education in Nigeria: A Synthesis of Basic Student-Specific Concerns from Guidance and Counselling Perspective
a. Provide an increasing number of primary school pupils with no opportunity for
education of a higher quality, irrespective of sex or social, religious, and ethnic
background;
b. Diversify its curriculum to cater for difference in talents, opportunities and roles
possessed by or open to students after their secondary school course;
c. Equip students to live effectively in our modern age of science and technology;
d. Develop and project Nigerian culture, art and language as well as the world's
cultural heritage;
e. Raise a generation of people who can think for themselves, respect the views and
feelings of others, respect the dignity of labour, and appreciate those values
specified under our broad national aims, and live as good citizens;
f. Faster Nigerian unity with an emphasis on the common lies that unite use in our
diversity;
g. Inspire its students with a desire for achievement and self-improvement both at
school and in late life.

Secondary education is of six-year duration and given in two stages, junior and
senior levels of three years each. Secondary education completes the provision of basic
education that began at the primary level, and aims at laying the foundations for lifelong
learning and human development, by offering more subject- or skill-oriented instruction.
The introduction of universal basic education (UBE) in 1989 as a follow up to the
1977 universal free primary education (UPE) was also an important educational milestone
which became a major focus of government in line with its drive to reform the sector. In
2006 government has also worked out a 10-year education development plan as part of the
drive to reform the education sector. In 2009 a roadmap for the revitalization of the
education sector was conceptualized and introduced. The roadmap was introduced mainly
because of the sorry state in which the education sector found itself. The quality of
education had declined so much that many of the graduates produced by the nation’s
tertiary institutions were simply unemployable. Teachers’ morale was also at an alltime
low. The sector remains grossly under-funded and basic school necessities like
laboratories and well-equipped libraries were simply not there. The roadmap had four
components: Access and Equity, Quality Assurance, Technical and Vocational Education
and Training and Funding. The document outlines improvement and turn-around
strategies for each of the sub sectors of education namely basic, post-basic and tertiary.
The roadmap seemed really divorced from the general problems of underdevelopment in
the society. The major problems identified with the sector: funding, access and quality
were more of a typical characteristic of underdevelopment.
Early in 2012 a four-year strategic plan for the education sector was unveiled by the
Minister of Education, Professor Ruqayyatu Ahmad Rufa’i which would hopefully
transform it by 2015. The main goal of the Strategic Plan is that by 2015, there would be
significant changes in the state of the educational institutions as well as the quality of the
products. The Plan identified and classified the challenges and concerns in the education
system into some focal areas as follows: access and equity; standard and quality
assurance; strengthening institutional management of education; teacher education and

－197－
 Abdulrashid Garba
development; technical and vocational education and training; funding partnerships;
resource mobilization and utilization. The Plan had also evolved some turnaround
strategies for meaningful achievement of the focal areas. Timelines as well as those
responsible for their implementation were also clearly identified.
These are but just some examples of the major attempts to revitalize education in
Nigeria. The likely questions now lie mainly in whether or not these excellent reform
strategies have done the magic or at least, are still working and yielding the desired results
or they remain like all others before them, the usual window dressing strategies and mere
plans on paper.

The Tripartite Classification

Classifications presented as conceptualized and presented by Jisse (2002), Kawu

(2007) and Balogun (2010) have actually summarized and classified what they considered
as the discerning problems of secondary education in Nigeria. The similarities between
the three classifications are overwhelming and by far outweigh the differences. The
summary of the classifications which is referred to in this paper as tripartite has the cause,
the effect and the consequence. The cause has mainly, funding, inconsistent policies and
lack of community participation as examples of the major culprits; the effects has mainly,
law enrollment, shortage of quality staff, dearth of quality teachers and dilapidated
infrastructure as examples of the major culprits; the consequence has mainly, dropout,
underachievement (in especially SSCE) and deterioration of students’ behaviour as
examples.
First Leg: the Cause: The first leg of the tripartite classification has, among others,
the following major concerns: funding, inconsistent policies and lack community
participation in the educational sector. Funding has consistently been the major concern in
the education sector in Nigeria. The budget has yet to meet the 26 percent recommended
by United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), as the
amount voted for education fails to adequately address the funding of this vital sector. For
the 2013 fiscal year Nigeria has appropriated only a paltry 8.43 percent of the budget to
education which is by far less than the UNESCO recommended 26 percent. The surprising
thing is that majority of other African countries economically less endowed than Nigeria
are using these guidelines for their education systems. On the average, Nigeria spends less
than nine percent of its annual budget on education when smaller, economically less
endowed African nations like Botswana spend 19.0%; Swaziland, 24.6%; Lesotho, 17.0%;
South Africa, 25.8%; Cote d’Ivoire, 30.0%; Burkina Faso, 16.8%; Ghana, 31%; Kenya,
23.0%; Uganda, 27.0%; Tunisia, 17.0%; and Morocco, 17.7%. The consequence of poor
funding of education are so devastating and crippling, most of which will be discussed
later.
Inconsistent policies and lack of continuity are the dual concerns which follow low
funding in succession. Many at times the policies are structurally sound only that they are
most often than not ill-conceived. Policies change with the change of national leadership
or even at the change of leadership at the ministerial level. Community involvement in the
development of education refers to switching from the usual practice of schools´ relations

－198－
 Secondary Education in Nigeria: A Synthesis of Basic Student-Specific Concerns from Guidance and Counselling Perspective
with parents in the running of schools to the full involvement of parents and the
community by the school in the development of schools. One specific reason for the
involvement of the parents and the community by the schools is the fact that what happens
before and after the school day is as important as what happens during the school day.
Second Leg: the Effect: The second leg of the tripartite classification has, among
others, the following major concerns: law enrollment, shortage of quality staff, dearth of
quality teachers and dilapidated infrastructure as the major culprits. As a result of the
major causes of the problems of poor funding, inconsistent policies and lack community
participation in the sector secondary education in Nigeria has become a shadow of itself
with far-reaching negative effects on the system. The resultant effects are manifested in
law enrollment, shortage of quality staff, dearth of quality teachers and dilapidated
infrastructure. Similarly, these effects have certain negative consequences that constitute
the third leg of the tripartite classification.
School enrollment at secondary school level, according to World Bank report
published in 2012, female (% gross) in Nigeria was last reported at 41.21 in 2010; while
that of male (% gross) was put at 46.78. The general secondary school (% gross)
enrollment was similarly reported at 44.05. Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total
enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially
corresponds to the level of education shown. Net enrollment ratio is the ratio of children
of official school age based on the International Standard Classification of Education 1997
who are enrolled in school to the population of the corresponding official school age. This
page includes a historical data chart, news and forecasts for School enrollment; secondary;
female (% net) in Nigeria
Quality of the teaching staff in secondary schools has equally deteriorated over the
years. Holders of the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) are still the bulk of the
teaching staff in secondary schools even though the recommendation is graduate holders.
Some of the graduate teachers are not qualified (teaching without education and some are
HND graduates). The proportion of the teaching force that is trained especially in science
and technology is inadequate. Lack of qualified teachers has been reported as partly
responsible for the dismal performance of candidates in public examinations especially in
Mathematics and English Language. Added to this disadvantage teachers and students
have to walk long distances to get to school due to non-availability of staff and students
buses. All these have negative effects on the teachers to teach and students to learn and
consequently on quality of outputs.
Dearth of infrastructure, inadequate classrooms and offices, inadequate laboratories
for practical are commonplace. Many secondary schools lack the infrastructure that would
provide safe, efficient and effective schools. Many schools lack access to water, proper
sanitation and electricity and are in dare need of renovation. Poor condition of the schools
has some negative contributions to the performance of students in school-based
examinations prepared by teachers and also in the centrally set papers. Schools are still
largely dilapidated and are unsuitable for as conducive learning environment. Students do
well when they study in a conducive learning environment. It is a conducive teaching
environment that makes teachers to perform at their optimum. Despite the general state of
total disrepair in which most of the country’s schools are in, teachers are still the lowest

－199－
 Abdulrashid Garba
ranked profession that enjoyed good salary structure. Teachers are among the lowest paid
professionals, in Nigeria.
Third Leg: the Consequence: The third leg of the tripartite classification has,
among others, the following major concerns: high dropout rates, underachievement (in
especially SSCE) and deterioration of students’ behaviour. There is not one single cause of
drop out, it is often a consequence of many events, and therefore has more than one
proximate cause. Many writers are of the opinion that poverty and cultural practices are
the major causes of dropout. Poverty and cultural practices were implicated as the major
culprits in the escalation of dropout rates, not only because they affect the inability of
households to pay school fees and other costs associated with education but also because
parents would prefer to use their wards as helps in their domestic or occupational
endeavors. This argument is rather implausible and old fashioned. The old practice of
shifting blames to poverty and cultural practices and religion as the main retarding forces
of education has since been debunked by a number scholars. Dropout, underachievement
and deterioration of students’ behaviour are the direct consequences of underfunding,
inconsistent policies and lack community participation in the education.
The 2011 Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE) results as released by
West African Examinations Council (WAEC) had over 600,000 who failed English
Language, out of the total 1,460,003. The 2012 results had about similar number 600,000
(37%) out of about 1,540,250 candidates who wrote the examination, who obtained credit
in Mathematics, while over 800,000, representing about 54%, obtained credit in English
Language. Although the 2012 results appeared to be better than the previous year, it was
still a poor performance.

The ‘Classification’ from Guidance and Counselling Perspective

The third leg of the tripartite classification, which is the direct consequence of
among other things, underfunding, inconsistent policies and lack community participation
in the educational sector, as presented and discussed under the first leg, is the focus of this
paper. In many attempts to ameliorate the worsening conditions of education in Nigeria
and the sub- Saharan Africa generally, little or no attention is usually accorded the student
factor, (Green 2009). Deterioration of students’ behaviour and reported gross indiscipline
in secondary schools are continually posing threats to the hopes the society reposes in its
youth as future leaders. There are a number of behavior related cases reported by
stakeholders or by the students themselves which require official and professional
attention in order to adequately address the deterioration in secondary education. It is not
true that improving funding alone can address the decay in the system. Student related
concerns are profession-specific concerns that require professional intervention strategies.
First of all, we need to begin with a brief elucidation of these concerns. They are
presented in Tables 1, 2 and 3 below.

Table 1: Cases and Challenges Reported by Students in an Individual or Group

Sessions
Category Sample Cases

－200－
 Secondary Education in Nigeria: A Synthesis of Basic Student-Specific Concerns from Guidance and Counselling Perspective

Educational Coping strategies, comprehension, study skills, exam anxiety

Career aspirations, fear of (choice and) unemployment, what to do in future,
Vocational
desire to know about occupations
Financial constraints, imposition from parents, parents quarrels (and divorce),
Personal
being made fun of
Social Interpersonal r/ships, so much responsibility at home, wanting to belong
Other Teachers attitude in the class, to self , after school engagement
Source: Garba (2007)

Table 1 presents typical cases and challenges bedeviling studentship at secondary

school level. These challenges were reported by the students themselves as documented
by Garba (2007). The challenges, as usual were divided into five. The category of
educational challenges facing secondary students as reported by Garba (2007) included:
ineffective strategies in coping with academic demands; lack of clear understanding of
what is going on in class; lack of study strategies; and developing anxiety especially
during examinations. The category of vocational challenges facing students included: lack
of aspirations especially of career; fear of making the wrong choice of career and fear of
unemployment; lack of adequate knowledge of what to do in the future; and an increasing
desire to know more about occupations. The third category of personal concerns facing
students included: lack of money enough to cater for the demands of schooling; frequent
imposition of what to study in school; reported cases of parents fighting at home (which
sometimes lead to divorce); peers laughing at him/her and making fun of. The fourth
category of concerns that are social in nature included: the problems of keeping friends
and making new ones; increasing demands from home; and the desire to belong to a social
group. The last category included challenges that are not categorized such as: teacher’s
negative attitude towards students in and outside the class.
Table 2: Emerging Cases and Challenges
Category Emerging Cases
Exam malpractice, impersonation, mass failure in promotional exam, too many
Educational
school rules, teachers’ attitude to work

Total lack of r/ship between courses and vocational interests, part-time jobs,
Vocational
not doing well in selected subjects

STDs, peer influence, emotional changes (breakdown), evil spirits and witches,
Personal
substances abuse

Social Gangsters, inter-communal youth clashes, inter-party youth clashes, rudeness

Other High rate of petty stealing in class
Source: Garba (2007)

－201－
 Abdulrashid Garba
Table 2 presents challenges that emerged over a period of five years (2001 to 2006).
These challenges were not reported by students or anybody but were documented form
what has been happening in the school system and as documented by Garba (2007). The
challenges, as usual were divided into five. The category of emerging educational
challenges included: reported cases of malpractice in especially centrally coordinated
examinations, demonstrated mainly in impersonation; mass failure in promotional and
SSCE examinations; authorities setting too many rules which makes students largely
confused; and increasing cases of teachers’ attitude to works. The category of emerging
vocational challenges included: observed total lack of relationship between courses
students offer and their vocational aspirations; students’ engagement in after school part-
time jobs; and students not doing well in some key subjects such as English and
Mathematics. The third category of emerging personal concerns included: sexually
transmitted diseases (STDs); influence of peers to commit crimes; emotional breakdown;
possession by evil spirits; and substance abuse. The fourth category of emerging social
concerns included: increasing involvement with gangsters; clashes between communities;
and also clashes between and within political parties. The last category included emerging
challenges that are not categorized such as: high rate of petty stealing especially at home
and in school.
Table 3: Case and Challenges Reported by Stakeholder
Stakeholders Sample Reports
Nigerian and Hausa films, romantic novels, video games, cell phone chatting,
Parents defiance, social IT media

Absenteeism, low performance, learning and conduct disorders, substance

Teachers abuse, destruction of school property, recurring violations of school rules,
exam malpractice

Agencies Drug abuse (NDLEA), stealing and burglary (Police), substance abuse
Community Hanging out with girls late night, disruptive behavior, substance abuse
Media Football hooliganism, substance abuse
Counsellors Shunning counselling
Source: Garba (2007)

Table 3 presents typical cases and challenges bedeviling studentship at secondary

school level as reported by the stakeholders and as documented by Garba (2007). These
challenges were divided into six. The first category presents challenges facing students as
perceived by parents, included: proliferation Nigerian movies (Nollywood) and Hausa
movies (Kannywood); proliferation of local romantic novels; proliferation of video games
which are often violent; chatting on cell phone especially at night; and the encroachment
of social media in the IT world. The second category presents challenges facing students
as perceived and reported by teachers which included: increasing absenteeism; increasing
low performance; reported cases of disorders mainly to do with learning; rudeness to and
abuse of teachers; substance abuse; deliberate destruction of school properties; deliberate

－202－
 Secondary Education in Nigeria: A Synthesis of Basic Student-Specific Concerns from Guidance and Counselling Perspective
violations of school rules and regulations; and examination malpractice. The third
category of emerging concerns facing students as reported by government agencies
included: increasing cases of substance abuse reported by the National Drug Laws
Enforcement Agency (NDLEA); petty stealing and burglary as reported by the Police. The
fourth category of concerns as reported by the various communities included: hanging out
with girls late night which is contrary to the norms; increasing cases of disruptive
behavior; and substance abuse. The fifth category included challenges reported by the
media which included; increasing cases of football hooliganism; and substance abuse. The
last category includes cases reported school counselors which is mainly the case of
students shunning away from counselling.
It may be noted that none of the following cases featured anywhere: fear of bullying;
failure in homework; school phobia; mutism; autism; attention deficit; and similar
concerns. This is simply because these types of problems are more prominent at primary
school level and their occurrence at secondary or other levels of education is abysmal. It
may also be noted that none of the following cases featured anywhere: fake results;
cultism; rapes; union rivalry; marriage and relationship issues; homosexuality;
schizophrenia; maladjustment; and other similar concerns. This is largely because they are
more prominent at tertiary levels and therefore their occurrence at secondary or other
levels of education is abysmal. Again, it may also be noted that none of the following
cases featured anywhere: suicide; eating disorders (bulimia and anorexia nervosa); sexual
dysfunction; sexual orientation; depression; bipolar disorder; and other similar concerns.
This is largely because they are more prominent outside school system and more
importantly most of them are seen to be alien to the culture.

Implications of the Guidance and Counselling Perspective

Of major concern here is that the majority of the population of Nigeria, West Africa
and even the entire Sub-Saharan Africa, fall within the youth category (age 15-35), a trend
which is projected to persist for some decades to come. Data from the National Population
Commission (NPC) of Nigeria (1997) show a high proportion of children in the
population. Those under 15 years of age constituted about 45 per cent of the total
population. The proportion of aged persons (60 years and above) in the population
constituted only 3.3 percent. The age structure of the population, according to the 1991
census, shows a very broad-based pyramid, reflecting the large proportion of children and
young persons. Those children and young persons are ideally expected to pass through the
education system. If the educational environment is crowded with the kind of problems
presented here then the dream of bright future is apparently threatened because the very
basic requirement for a meaningful life for the youth is grossly being compromised.
Whatever is thought of as a recipe for the amelioration of standards in secondary
education in Nigeria will likely head to the rocks so long these basic student-specific
concerns have not been adequately and meaningfully addressed. The question is how can
the student-specific concerns be addressed? In Nigeria the answer is simple. The current
national policy on education (FGN 1977, 1981 and 2004) has provided for the
introduction and/or implementation of guidance and counselling in schools. Guidance and

－203－
 Abdulrashid Garba
counselling as a support service is deemed by the national policy as a catalyst for
resolving student related concerns. Professional school guidance counselors are expected
by the national policy to provide a broad range of services in schools under the direction
of their professional ethics.
Students of especially secondary school age, who are mostly in the age range of pre-
and post- adolescence period, are today living in exciting and demanding times with an
increasingly diverse society, evolving technologies and expanding opportunities in a
competitive global economy. As they transition from childhood through adolescence and
to adulthood, secondary school students are faced with multifaceted challenges impacting
achievement and readiness for postsecondary success. It is only the proper
implementation of the provisions of the national policy that can adequately address
students’ concern and ensure success at this level of education.
Conclusion

In conclusion it should be emphasized that the school system plays a crucial role in
the socialization of students because the family alone cannot adequately fulfill the role of
training responsibilities of its ever growing adolescents. The socialization role of the
school is not limited to provision of skills and practical knowledge to teachers, parents
and counselors alone. It also involves instilling among students forms of positive
interpersonal relationship, commitment to self-development, dedication to social
integration and growth, selflessness, honesty and sincerity. It is therefore essential for
schools to develop and review school policy to address student-specific concern.

Reference

Ajaja, K. B. (2002). Problems of Evaluation in Nigeria's secondary school. Education Studies,

4(2), 70-79.
Balogun, O. O. (2010). Effects of Test Scores on Senior Secondary School Science Students.
Studies in Community Science, 1(1), 57-64.
Garba, A. (2007, Oct 27). Home and school factors responsible for dropout in the NorthWest,
Nigria. Education in Nigeria: A Review. Kano, North-West Zone, Nigeira: Northern
Publishing Company.
Green, S. B. (2009). Graduation rates in Nigeria's education system. Journal of Applied
Psychology, 2(4), 66-90.
Jisse, S. R. (2010). The dropout crisis in Nigeria's education. Education Studies, 56-70.
Kawu, A. A. (2007). An Assessment of secondary education in North-West Nigeria.
Community Education, 1(2), 36-49.
Nigeria, F. G. (1977). National Policy on education. lagos: Government Printers.
Nigeria, F. G. (1981). National Policy on education. lagos: Government Printers.
Nigeria, F. G. (2004). National Policy on education. lagos: Government Printers.
Nigeria, N. P. (1997). Numeric and Percentage distribution of 1991 census figures. abuja:
Govt. printers.

－204－