Professor Aderemi Abass Adelabu is the eldest son of the late strongman of Ibadan politics, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu. The educationist and Mathematic guru believes that Mathematics and Sciences are not for lazy people. In this interview with MODUPE GEORGE, he shares his academic journey, passion for
Mathematics and Sciences and proffers solution to eradicating mass failure in Mathematics in Nigeria. Excerpts:
Can you let us into your academic journey?
I attended Children House School Ibara, Abeokuta, from 1960-66 and then proceeded to Ibadan Grammar School from 1967-71 that was where I made my West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE). I later travelled to the United States, where I gained admission into Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indiana, to study chemistry and Mathematics as my first degree. After bagging my bachelor’s degree in 1976, I proceeded for my first Master’s degree in education psychology in 1977 and then in 1978 I bagged my second Master’s degree in Biochemistry all at the same university. Afterwards I worked as a toxicology specialist based on my chemistry background and I taught on a part-time basis in a free university. I was employed by the Federal Government of Nigeria in 1979. We had the interview in Chicago, meanwhile, I was studying for my PhD at the time, so I couldn’t come back home to take up the job on time, until after I finished my PhD. When I returned to Nigeria I was posted to Kwara State, to start teaching at the University of Ilorin.
You had your tertiary education up to PhD abroad, if you have to consider the education standard over there to what obtains here what do you have to say?
We have a long way to go, as far as Nigeria’s education system is concerned. Let’s start from the 6-3-3-4 model. If you look at the history of 6-3-3-4, it’s borrowed from the United States and when you talk of 6-3-3-4, it was only being run by one county (local government) out of 50 local governments in the Indiana State, where I schooled. Indiana State has 50 local governments and out of these 50, it is only Richmond Indiana that’s running 6-3-3-4. Each county has its own educational system; it is not general. So, we have others running 7-3-4, 9-3-2, 9-3-4, among others. You see, the children and grandchildren of the people who rushed us into this 6-3-3-4 system of schooling are no more in this country that is where we have the first dilemma. Aside from this, when you talk about 6-3-3-4, continuous assessment should be used for promotion; with 80 percent of the total marks coming from the continuous assessment and 20 percent mark from the examination. This will go a long way in minimising cheating during examinations. I delivered one paper in 1984 at University of Jos on continuous assessment, and I mentioned then that in the next 10 years, Nigeria might have to change from the 6-3-3-4 system to any of these systems -7-5-4, 9-3-4, 5-7-4, 4-4-4. In the long run, we might reverse to 9-3-4. What 9-3-4 means is that learners from primary one to JSS 3 should be in the same school. The junior and senior schools are not supposed to be joined together; the senior school should be separated from the junior school. So, that’s where the government has messed up the educational system. If you look at the education system, the figure of learners in most of our public schools is horrible and there is no way the teachers can have interactions with them. Most of the teachers just go to the classroom to teach, they hardly give the students assignments and even if they do, how will they mark the assignments? I usually say that this is what is responsible for turning over half-baked products in higher institutions leading us to having graduates unable to defend their qualifications, whereas if things had been done properly, the situation would have been better.
Let’s talk about your teaching career.
After I finished my NYSC at the University of Ilorin, my late father wanted me to work with the Federal Government since I was employed directly from the US. Though the university was ready to pay off all the money that I spent coming back to Nigeria. So, I was posted to the Federal College of Education Kontagora, Niger State in 1982, where I was made to manage three positions at the institution. I was the Dean, School of Science, acting registrar, and head, Department of Chemistry. After a year, I was posted to the Federal College of Education, Obudu, Cross River State, where I served as a pioneer staff member from 1983 to 1992, still in the same triplet capacities, Registrar, Dean and HOD. It’s from there I requested for my transfer to the Federal Ministry Education because by then I was a chief lecturer, which is the bar at the college of education level.
Getting to the Federal Ministry of Education I was appointed as the desk officer in charge of the federal universities. Even as a desk officer I still applied for a teaching job at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi. Every last Friday of each month I went there to lecture. It was in the process that I became a Professor. At the Federal Ministry of Education I was in charge of federal universities for 10 years and I later transferred to be in charge of Technology and Science, before I retired as a director.
At what point did you teach Mathematics?
While I was in active service, like I said earlier, I taught Mathematics and Chemistry at ATBU. Likewise in 1992, the students of the Federal School of Art and Science, Ogoja, Cross River State, which was the school with the overall best A Level results in Nigeria are my products. More so, I have been to over 45 foreign countries taking students across the board for Mathematical competitions and science exhibitions.
Recently some stakeholders in the education sector commenced advocacy for Nigeria to adopt indigenous language in teaching learners in schools. What is your take on this?
Nothing is new really; it’s just one of the stories of the past. May the soul of Professor Aliu Babatunde Fafunwa rest in peace. This was part of the agenda when Fafunwa was the Minister of Education. Some of the mathematical materials that we used then had already been changed to indigenous languages, such as Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. For instance, triangle, rectangle and the rest are already being labeled in mother tongues. However, the problem of our country is that we don’t implement; we always have good proposals, but we fail when it comes to implementation. With due respect to some politicians; once they cannot get any gain from a project, no matter how laudable, they will ensure it does work. In most northern parts of Nigeria, learners are taught in the Hausa language. I see a lot of this when I go for supervision, but the question is, are they going to write the examination in Hausa language?
My take is let each state be given freedom to run their own system of education based on the level of manpower at their disposal. These are some of the reasons why foreign countries are performing better than us. We shouldn’t be comparing the secondary schools in Ido Local Government with those in Oluyole, the reason is that a geography graduate might be the one teaching Mathematics in Ido Local Government, whereas in Oluyole there are numerous Mathematics teachers, so the result is incomparable. In the US, each state goes for what will be of benefit to their own, but here, we capitalise too much on the Federal. On the other hand, learners can be taught in indigenous language provided it will start from the basic level and we continue to follow it up to the tertiary level. My fear is, even if we should start now by the time the idea flies for another 4 years, when a new government comes in it will and demands that it should be scrapped.
There has been recurrent mass failure of Mathematics in WASSCE and other external examinations in Nigeria, considering your prowess in the subject, what’s responsible and how can it be addressed?
When you talk of failure, it is not only in Mathematics, it is generally in all science subjects. The percentage between Mathematics, physics, and chemistry is just about 0.2 percent. The reason for mass failure of Mathematics and science subjects, generally in secondary schools today can be attributed to three triangular factors- the government, teachers and parents.
The government often employs people based on politics. When we start putting politics into employment processes, we are looking for problems. When ‘godfatherism’ is the yardstick for deploying science and Mathematics teachers to schools, while the right persons with appropriate qualifications are neglected, what do you expect? How can you employ someone who specialises in Accounting Education or Mass Communication to teach Mathematics? Some people get into the teaching job for the sake of money, not because they want to impart knowledge. Favouritism should not be condoned when employing teachers. Statements such as he/she is the governor’s or chairman’s candidate should not come into play at all; what happens when the governor or chairman is no longer in power?
Aside from the fact that there are not enough teachers to teach Mathematics in schools today, most of the teachers who teach the subject fail to update their knowledge on new trends on how to handle the subject in this time and age. Most of them do not subject themselves to constant training; neither do they attend workshops, seminars or conferences to acquire new skills. If you have a school that has no Mathematics teacher you should expect poor results. It should get to a stage that the teachers will say even if government cannot sponsor me to a workshop, I will sponsor myself. I’m a member of the Mathematical Teacher Association of Nigeria, a fellow of the Science Teacher association of Nigeria; I’ve consistently been sponsoring myself to conferences and workshops up till date. How many of the Mathematics teachers are ready to do that today? The complaints are, how much is the government is paying me? Should I be paying from the little money that is not even enough to feed my family? Most of these teachers are still using archaic notebooks, formulas and obsolete methods to teach till date, so there’s no way the students can improve.
Also, some parents demoralised their children based on their personal experience based on their own personal experiences. Some of them will say, “Mathematics is too difficult, you can’t understand it.” On the other hand, some of these children are too lazy to go the extra mile in knowing more.
What is the solution?
The government should provide special allowances for teachers who teach Mathematics and science subjects in secondary schools to attract more competent hands, especially for those who teach them in rural areas; equip Mathematics laboratories in school with up-to-date tools or instructional materials as well as engage in adequate monitoring.
Another key angle to look at is minimising the numbers of students in the classrooms and then back to the teachers, the school gives assignments regularly to the students.
We hardly have good numbers of Mathematics teachers in the rural areas, majority of them are in the urban areas, so those who are in the rural areas should be compensated more. When those who are in the urban areas are paid N20,000, those in the rural areas should be paid N30,000. You will see that more people will be willing to move there. Also, the government should ensure the organisation of seminars, conferences and workshops not only for Mathematicians, but also for those in sciences and other subjects generally.
What prompted your love for mathematics?
It all began in 1967, when I was in Form 1, one of our Maths teachers gave us an assignment. It took me three and a half hours to solve the problem, I didn’t even know if I got the answer correctly. So, when I got to school the next day he asked if any of us could come out to solve the problem on the chalkboard, I took the chalk, worked out the solution on board and I got the answer correctly. The teacher was impressed and he gave me one pound as a reward, that was good money then. It was later I got to know the teacher himself didn’t know how to solve the problem and that he was only depending on the answer at the back of the textbook to grade us.
The experience was what spurred my interest in Mathematics. More so, Mathematics is not like literature, which you can just read to pass, you can’t read Mathematics, you must practice and work it out systematically and you can solve one problem for seven hours. It is not meant for those who are lazy.
You are the first son of a political kingpin in Nigeria and most especially the Oyo State politics; one would expect you to toe the line of your father?
Those who were not brought up in a political home had no idea of what politics is all about. I was brought up in a political house; I came, I saw and I conquered. If you want to enjoy freedom and have peace of mind in life you won’t dare to join Nigerian politics, though you may join foreign politics. When I was in the United States I was both the president of Nigeria Student Union, African Student Union as well as the president of international students. I’m not interested in Nigerian politics because it is a bitter politics; there’s no friend and there is no enemy in Nigerian politics.
Right from my youth I’ve watched the movement of my late father, who was a strong politician for over 50years. If you as a child cannot deduce anything from what had happened within that 50 years, then something must be wrong with you.
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