Lagos- Many parents on Saturday in Lagos have advocated for collaboration of parents, teachers and children to improve academic standards in the country.
A cross session of them made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeri (NAN) at the 2015 National Common Entrance Examination into Junior Secondary School (JSS1) of Federal Government Unity Colleges in Lagos.
Mrs Lucy Ugochi, a parent, said teachers must not always be blamed for poor performance of their students
“A teacher cannot go beyond his or her capacity on a child, it should be collaboration between the parents, teacher and the children to achieve a good result,’’ she said.
[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
She noted some student perform so badly because they were placed in school below the required school age.
“These days, you see some parents insisting that their children will be in certain class when they are not up to the age to be there,’’ she observed.
Another parent, Mrs Eugenia Duru, said most of the private schools contributed to the poor performance of the children by falsifying their performance.
“Private schools are not helping matters, they make sure no child fails; yet, they cannot pass national exams except they are assisted.
“They are more interested in the money they make from the school,’’ she said.
Mr Jude Onyema, another parent, said that the government schools remained the best, but advocated for improved welfare for their teachers.
Commenting on the entrance examination, Mr Ayo Jayeola, a banker, said that quota system in the unity entrance examination should be discouraged.
He said that there was the need to give every student level playing ground to participate in the exam.
“This idea of quota system in federal schools is not helping the supposed academic less privileged states.
“ I believe that when every state is placed on same grade, it would challenge them,’’ she said.
Also, Mr Muyiwa Shomoye said that Unity Schools should be open for all to enable some parents who could not afford private schools to enrol their children.
“I allowed my children to attend private school at primary level but sends them to federal schools for secondary education.
“The federal school cannot be compared to any other school in terms of sincere academic performance as against the make believe excellence in some private schools.
“My first daughter passed through unity school common entrance, sailed through and she is doing well in one of the schools,’’ he said.
NAN reports that the 2015 National Common Entrance Examinations into JSS1 took place on Saturday in various centres across the states in Nigeria.(NAN)