The word ‘Strike’ is a term every Nigerian students in the federal and state tertiary institutions are acquainted to. Advocacy for change and objectivity against the status quo within an organization culminated the genesis of such demonstration.
A system that is supposed to help nurture, inculcate and imbibe within it capacity the knowledge needed for it inhabitants under its tutelage, the required knowledge for the socioeconomic system has her academic activity paralyzed or moving at a zigzag pace.
Mapoly strike; which I termed a "recurring recess" is now a bane to the academic productivity of her students. In a situation where students are made to go for weeks and/or months without lectures, such will optimally lead to a decline in the student interest for academic pursuit when they eventually resume properly after the long ‘uncalled recess’. Ultimately, there will be poor academic productivity by most students.
There are myriad of ways ‘strike’ can affect the psychology of students: a student who has spent about one third of an academic session on Part time jobs to occupy him/herself during the strike, the stipends gotten as a result may influence the desire of such students interest in academics. Hence, the zeal to further may drastically decline.
This is disheartening as the students psyche are mostly affected. Thus, killing the desire, enthusiasm and motivation of students in the institution.
These effect of "strike" on the learning ability of students can also not be overemphasized because a student whose learning routine has been impeded by strike will find difficulty in Understanding comprehensively his course of study. The bottom line is, there will be high possibility of producing half-baked graduates or quacks of their discipline.
Also, this ‘recurring recess’ has a grave effect on the learning process as it leads to prolong academic session making the students overstay their actual years in the institution. I.e. a student will spend four(4) years for a two(2) years course duration.
In view of all this, the educational system needs an up haul and most importantly a better way to re-bolster the academic performance of students in the institution. The management of Mapoly should initiate dialogues with the state government in a course to arrive at a peaceful conclusions for normalcy to be restored in the great citadel of learning now and in the future…
Okpara C. Victor writes from HND2 Pharmaceutical Technology, MAPOLY