asodike exploring students funding education

Journal of Education in Developing Areas (JEDA) Vol. 19, No. 1.

Exploring Students’ Contributions to Funding Education in Nigeria

By

Asodike, Juliana D (Ph.D) [email protected]

+234-8036662621 Department of Educational Management

Faculty of Education University of Port Harcourt

Abstract

Funding education in all countries and in all situations can be viewed as being borne

by four principal parties – the government or taxpayers, parents, students and/or

individuals or institutional donors. This paper is however an attempt to highlight

some of the glaring (direct) and other latent (indirect) students contribution to funding

education in Nigeria. The paper includes expressions of students, undergraduates

and post graduates students of some secondary and tertiary institutions in Rivers

State on their contributions to funding education.

Keywords: Education, Funding, Secondary, Tertiary, Students contribution,

Nigeria

March , 2011 JOURNAL OF EDUCATION IN DEVELOPING AREAS (JEDA) VOL.19 (1).

w w w . j e d a - u n i p o r t . c o m

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Introduction

There are numerous issues bothering the educational system in Nigeria, but the

most obvious and persistent has been that of funding. Education consumes a

significant amount of resources in almost all countries of the world. It takes a

greater portion of the budgetary allocations yearly. While some countries spend

more than UNESCO’s recommendation of 26% of a country’s fiscal budget for

education, some do not. For instance, the United States of America spent more

than 32% of her budget, while Ghana spent above 30%, but Nigeria spent between

5% and 8% (Omegoh, 2006 in Ayo & Adebiyi, 2008).

Appreciating the predicaments of the state of infrastructure, teacher/pupil

ratio and delay in payment of teachers’ salaries, and other numerous problems

bedevilling the education sector in Rivers State, the State Governor Rt. Hon.

Chubuike Rotimi Ameachi, spoke plainly in September 2008, when he declared

state of emergency in the educational sector of the State’s economy. This was

aimed at strengthening the State’s educational sector. The State government has

since then taken over the payment of primary school teachers salaries. Taken the

burden of N868 millions from the local governments per month (Post Primary

School Board Bulletin, 2009) in addition to that of secondary schools it had been

responsible. He went further to declare welfare packages for teachers, which

include monetary incentives to those serving in rural and semi-rural areas in

addition to other educational reforms/incentives.

The demand for education in the present era has been on the increase both

from individual students and from their families, for the occupational and social

status it is presumed to convey. In addition to the public benefits, it is presumed to

bring to the social, cultural, and economic well-being of countries. However,

expenditure by government is only a part of the total funds available for

educational activities. The education industry also derives its finance from parents,

students, individual, and private sector of the economy.

The costs of education include all real resources, which are used up in the

process of providing education and training in the institutions providing such

services. This means in addition to monetary expenditure, there are free inputs

worthy of costing to completely capture the overall cost. Usually, such free inputs

include the educational infrastructure not rented and students’ time. Students’

time constitute cost to the economy because if they were not privileged to gain



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admission, they would have been involved in income yielding ventures elsewhere.

This paper attempts to highlight the contributions made by students to funding

education in public secondary and tertiary institutions in the country.

Students Contribution to Funding at the Secondary School Level

Direct/Glaring Contribution

With the launching of Universal Basic Education (UBE) (1999) and passing into law

of the UBE Act (2004), the Federal Government of Nigeria declared and established

free compulsory nine-year basic education in the country. The law by implication,

in addition to other pronouncements totally abolishes payment of all levies at the

primary and junior secondary schools in the country.

Secondary education is the form of education, which children receive after

primary and before the tertiary stage. A very important formative period is of six-

year duration, given in two stages; junior secondary school stage, (now part of UBE

programme) and a senior secondary school stage (Federal Republic of Nigeria,

National Policy on Education, 2004).

Secondary education in Rivers State is free, as noted by some principals of

these institutions. However, students note that they make some monetary

contribution through multitude of fees as occasionally demanded by heads of their

schools. The minor ones include fees for registration, sports, identity cards, badges

and extra-mural classes with major ones being West Africa School Certificate

(WASC) and National Examination Council (NECO) examinations fees. The minor

fees vary in amount paid from one school to another. Students are responsible for

their uniforms, transportation, and books. The relative burden of the cost of these

arrays of expenses on students differs. It is common practice for students to be

sent home for non-payment of these fees despite government bans against the

practice. How free then is free education in Nigeria?

Indirect/Latent Contribution

The indirect contributions, which students make towards funding education,

are the earning forgone. The foregone earning of a secondary school student is the

earning of a primary school leaver. The indirect contributions of students to

funding education are not limited to forfeiture of earnings but also include the

dividends accruable from other domestic and community activities, which they

would have been hitherto involved (Enaohwo, 1990). Such activities include, taking



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part in communal efforts in the provision of school facilities such as building,

sports, public conveniences, and many others. They do this by undertaking

physical labour themselves thereby saving the institution cost of hiring such labour

from outside.

Students from area where agriculture is the mainstay assist parents and

relatives in the farm. The proceeds when sold form major part of the family income

to pay school fees and provide other necessities while at school.

In vocational and crafts centres, students spend quality time to produce

money yielding arts, crafts, and confectionaries during practical lessons at school.

When products are sold, the proceeds are turned into the school’s coffers. Sales

from agricultural produce from school farms in the rural communities go to school

fund. In boarding schools, students defray some cost of feeding by eating parts of

the farm produce. A Principal in a rural school opined that since students carry out

all the labour in the school farm they are invariably contributing to funding

education in the country.

Some secondary institutions have well groomed students who take part in

cultural performance such as musical, dramatic, calisthenics, dance and arts

which they exhibits. Usually the public is invited and fund is raised for the school.

During sporting activities, especially in outside competitions, good students win

laurels for the school. At the end of the period, these laurels are redeemed with

cash, which goes into the school fund. Some of the students who distinguish

themselves can be officially instructed to officiate in outside events or still within

the school saving the money to hire officials from outside.

The above are some of the latent ways through which student’s contribute to

funding education. When properly accounted for, and perhaps quantified

monetarily, one could understand the magnitude of student’s contribution to

funding education at the secondary school level.

Student’s contribution to Funding Education at the Tertiary Level

The tertiary level of education under reference is post-secondary education given in

institutions such as the university, polytechnic, colleges of education and

professionally specialized institutions such as the schools of agriculture, forestry,

nursing, and others. The goal of tertiary education includes the development of

intellectual capability to understand and appreciate the environment and the



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acquisition of appropriate physical and intellectual skills necessary for the

development of both the individual and the society. It also promotes and

encourages scholarship and community service (FRN, 2004).

Ogunlade in DAWODU.COM (2007, p3) notes four sources of finance of

university education in Nigeria at the general level. This he identifies thus:

1. support from federal and state governments constituting more than 98 percent of the recurrent costs and 100 percent of capital costs,

2. students contributions towards living expenses on campuses constituting less than 1 percent of the total operating costs of institutions. While there is no evidence to suggest this percentages of students’ contribution is capped by the government.

3. private contributions by commercial organizations in the form of occasional grants for specific purposes, and

4. interest earning on short-term bank deposits and rents of university properties.

The above sources notwithstanding, tertiary institutions are glaringly

underfunded. This is evidenced by inadequate infrastructures, now characteristic

features of Nigeria universities.

Direct/Glaring Contribution

At this level of education, both undergraduates and post graduates students

of the University of Port Harcourt state that they also pay multitude of fees, ranging

from school fees, acceptance fees and students handbook for new students,

registration and certification, identity cards, late registration, examination, science

and laboratory fees for science students, transcript and medical centre registration

fees. Others include fees for accommodation, hostel management, students union,

departmental registration and library fees. The amount paid for these items may

differ from one institution to another. Students no matter the number or years

spent to make such repayments and the low interest rate charged repay student’s

loans. These are some of the direct contribution to funding education at the tertiary

level.

Indirect/Latent Contribution

Again, the foregone earning by an undergraduate is the amount earned by



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senior secondary certificate holder. Foregone earning represents part of the total

costs of education and contributes at least 60 percent of the total cost of education.

Students foregone earning represents one-half of the total cost of education

(Akangbou, 1985 and Psachropoulous, 1991). How then do students in tertiary

institutions indirectly contribute to funding education? While in school, both the

undergraduates and postgraduates students are involved in several academic and

non-academic ventures. Precious time is allocated to those activities, which

invariable contribute to funding education, such activities include:

Research writing - students put in a lot of time and resource into this aspect of

education, which is part of their graduation requirements. Some of these

research findings are used to solve problems or develop new ways of doing

things. Academic breakthroughs leading to the developments of new

technologies are results of student’s efforts. When marketed, the financial and

other non-monetary rewards go to the institutions. In this way student,

generate fund for the institutions.

Exhibition - Students in arts and Architecture department organize exhibitions

where good works are not only shown but also sold to the public. The

architecture department may get jobs from outside the institution and use

students to execute it. The monetary reward goes to the institutions account.

Committee report – At the tertiary institutions, some students are appointed

into certain committee where serious decisions on matters concerning the

welfare of the institutions, society, and national importance are taken. Reports

of such committee can be useful in improving the services in the educational

system and beyond. These contributions ensure that matters of interest are not

simply brushed aside.

Sport – Students take part in the annual sporting events for the universities

(Nigeria Universities Games Association). Laurels won by students are redeemed

financially at the end of the season. The money does not go to the individual

winners but to the institution.

Scholarship – Brilliant students are sometimes awarded scholarships. These

enable them to offset school bills. When this feat is achieved from personal

efforts, parents are financially assisted and relieved. By this, students are

contributing to funding their education.

National Youth Service Corps Scheme (NYSC) – This scheme was introduced in

1973 for graduates of universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.

Participation is compulsory for holders of degrees and Higher National Diploma

graduates from polytechnics and universities within and outside Nigeria who



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have not attained the age of thirty years. These graduates offer their services to

the community and the nation for a period of twelve months for a monthly

currents stipend of N9, 700 (expressed by a Corps member). Presently, majority

of them are engaged in teaching. The foregone earning of these graduates

during this period are parts of their contribution to funding education in the

country.

The growth of private, tuition-dependent higher education in Nigeria is a clear

signal that both parents and students perceive great private value in education and

therefore ought to be expected to contribute something towards its cost. These

contributions made are step in the direction of responsiveness and equity,

especially when higher education is still partaken by relatively few, who are

predominantly from upper middle or upper classes. Johnstone (2007, p 407)

justifies the need for students to contribute to education when he opined that

Where students contribute nothing in funding education, they may be tempted to remain in that status for a very long time, denying the society and the economy the advantage of their potential productivity and presumed enhanced usefulness, whether to themselves or to the State.

From the above, these underscore the fact that when students are

sacrificing other needs, it is at least presumed to be a much greater

incentive on the part of the students to study hard and to graduate on time.

Conclusion

The issue of the Federal government being the main source of funding for education

is not in doubt. Individuals see education as a means of breaking out of poverty

circle by acquiring qualifications that would insure their holders against

unemployment. While undertaking an educational programme, students forego

earning and allocate time to certain school activities. The income forfeited and

times spent are therefore taken as the student’s latent contribution to funding

education. The activities so carried out generate fund, which is used in the

educational system. The multitude of fees paid by students and these activities

enumerated so far need to be appreciated for one to imagine the level of students

contribution towards the funding of education at the secondary and tertiary levels.

Ultimately, some students make sacrifices such as reduced food consumption in

order to pay fees. It is of paramount importance that these events are appreciated



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as educational funding.

References

Akangbou, S.D. (1985). The economics of educational planning in Nigeria. New Delhi: Vikas Pub. House.

Ayo, C. & Adebiyi, A.A (2008). Towards a futuristic educational development in Nigeria In Essays in Education, 23, 17-35.

DAWODU.COM Financing Higher education in Nigeria Retrieved from http://www.dawodu.com/educ1.htm Enaohwo, J. O. (1990). Economics of education and the planning challenges. New

Delhi: Amol Pub. Federal Republic of Nigeria (2004). National policy on education. Lagos: NERDC Press. Johnstone, D.B. (2004). The economics and politics of cost sharing in higher

education: comparative perspectives In Economics of Education Review 23, 403-410.

Psacharospolous, G (1991). Earning foregone In Husen. T, & Postlewaite, T.N.

(Eds). The international encyclopaedia of education. Oxford: Pergamon Press. Rivers State (2009). Post Primary Schools Board Bulletin 1 (1) 1.

asodike exploring students funding education

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