A conducive environment is a major factor in achieving greater learning results and the overall academic growth of students. Learner-friendly environments, experts say should be given special consideration when establishing an institution of learning. Educational institutions located in serene environments enhance the quality of teaching and process of assimilation, thereby making the process of teaching and learning enjoyable for both students and teachers.
What constitutes a conducive learning environment? An educationist, Mrs. Cordelia Tafa described conduciveness in relative terms, depending on the class size and number of students. “A well ventilated and well lit classroom, with good seating arrangement is advisable. Also, the space between seats should ease movement inside the class so that students do not stumble and fall. If the class is not well ventilated, pupils will be uncomfortable; likewise if there is insufficient light, seeing the board will be difficult. Even the type of seats and desks should be carefully chosen for utmost comfort,” she said.
But these factors are often neglected, giving rise to choked up classrooms and lecture halls, thereby subjecting students to untold discomfort in the process of learning. From the primary to the tertiary education level the scenario is the same, especially in public schools.
For instance, some primary school teachers in Bwari recently cried out against the number of pupils they had to contend with in a single classroom. For those teachers, catering for as many as 170 pupils in a class is not what they bargained for while taking up the teaching job. Laying their complaints at a recent capacity building session for teachers of Local Education Authority (LEA) primary schools by a non-governmental organisation, Youth Education Empowerment Initiative (YEEI), the teachers lamented that only a miracle could lead to any meaningful learning achievement in such a class.
The scenario is probably worse at the tertiary level. For instance, what students have to go through just to get a seat in a lecture hall is no longer news. Some of them have to leave their homes or hostels, as the case may be, as early as 6am, just to secure a seat for the day. And once such seat is secured, you dare not stand up unless you are ready to leave, because others who have been standing while receiving the lecture are on standby and would quickly take your place without apology.
Samson Ejike, who just finished his National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme recalls how he struggled daily through to the final year in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) to be able to attend lectures. “I just don’t know how we survived the daily struggle for the available seats in the ESUT Engineering department. You must prepare as early as possible if you hope to get a seat.”
The Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) is a neighbouring institution and the story is no different there. Edith Eze, a two hundred level student of Public Administration, painted a very pathetic picture of the conditions under which they receive lectures on a daily basis. “The situation is worse in our school. We stand throughout the day and the worst is that if you are not close enough, you cannot hear what the lecturer is saying and you will miss a lot of things. IMT does not care about this, because every year, instead of admitting according to available facilities, the number admitted doubles and the students are the worst for it,” she lamented. Gina, a final year student in the department of Mass Communication of the same institution thinks that her department is the worst case. According to her, it is only those in ND 1 and 2 who enjoy a big lecture theatre.
“We have limited space for HND students, because the class is small compared to the student population. Unless you are lucky to secure a seat in front your day will be ruined, because you will find yourself with unserious students who are obviously not interested in whatever the lecturer has to say. We now have students who attend morning and afternoon lectures separately, because the facilities are over-stretched.”
The executive secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Julius Okojie, recently accused university authorities of faulting its rules of carrying capacity. The carrying capacity of each institution could be described as the number of students that can be admitted into a department in comparison to the facilities available. But instead of adhering to the specified number given to the institutions, students are admitted with disregard to the available faculties. Quality learning cannot take place in such circumstances. Nigerian students study under the most despicable conditions and they are expected to compete with their peers internationally. As one analyst puts it, “It is unbelievable that in this age when others are making waves and breaking new grounds, my countrymen are still struggling to find comfortable classes and lecture rooms in which to study.”
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