Mrs. Rebecca Jovita was shell-shocked when at the end of the academic session, her son in Nursery One at a private school in the Alagbole-Akute area of Ifo Local Government, Ogun State, could not write alphabets A to Z.
Her nightmare was compounded by the fact that she paid N40, 000 per session as school fees, which is the highest rate to be charged by any school in the area. Left with no option, she had to withdraw the child from the academically poor school and enroll him in another, which incidentally charges lesser fees. She was also forced to withdraw her two girls from the same school.
Jovita’s plight captures the attitude of many parents these days, who change their children’s schools too frequently, with the target of making them acquire quality education at a tender age.
In some instances, many parents have found it challenging to find a befitting school for their children because of poor academic performance, insecure environment and overcrowded classrooms, which have been the problems militating against standard education in many schools.
Jovita, mother of three, told our correspondent that she expects to see changes in her children’s academic performance as from next term.
She said, “The teachers in the previous school (one of the best schools within Alagbole-Akute) are not serious. So I moved them to another school, still within Ogun State. We were just spending money but we didn’t see the results of the money. But, forget about the name and building, I can’t advise anyone to take her child to that school.
“The school fee in the former school was about N40, 000 per term for Nursery One, yet, my child could not write letters A to Z.”
Another parent, a staff of Wema Bank, Ibadan, Oyo State, Mr. Femi Ojo, said he changed his son’s school twice while in secondary school.
He said, “The reason I changed
his school the first time was because the classes were overcrowded and I thought the needed attention at his age was not there.
“His second movement was from Ibadan to Lagos State with the purpose of exposing him to a better learning environment. Although, I had to pay more fees in order to get the desired result.”
On a different note, the Managing Director, Laura Kitchen Indoor and Outdoor Catering Services, Victoria Island, Lagos, Mrs. Busayo Oyetunji, lamented the insecure environment of her son’s school. She said, “The environment was not safe enough because cultists regularly fought around the area.
She said, “More so, I did not realise initially that my son’s performance was declining until I changed him to another school; he was unable to write properly by himself in Nursery One and at the age of three.
“They were too many in the class; for instance, the pupils were 25 in number in Nursery One. Actually, they had two teachers but they didn’t focus on them or give them much attention.”
Similarly, an accountant at Frigoglass Industries Nigeria Limited, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Mr. Gabriel Adeusi, noted that he changed his child’s school because of the previous school’s poor academic standard.
“He was not performing up to my expectation,” he explained.
PROS, CONS OF CHANGING SCHOOLS – EXPERTS
Experts are, however, of the opinion that frequent changes in children’s learning environment can have damaging effects on their academic growth if not properly handled.
A Family Life Consultant and Child psychologist, Mr. Matthew Adedoyin, analysed the aftermath effect of such changes, saying,
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