Umaru Ali Shinkafi Polytechnic in Sokoto, Nigeria, has introduced a third-semester programme in what appears to be a pioneering move in the higher education sector – and a change that some students have been calling for.READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The programme has been designed to provide a lifeline to students who have fallen behind in their studies because of courses they have not been able to complete on time.
This change will give them another opportunity to graduate with their peers without waiting for months or a full year to catch up.
University World News reported about calls for a third semester in Nigerian public institutions earlier in 2024.
According to students, they faced financial and mental health struggles because of their inability to finish their undergraduate studies in the allocated time.
The financial pressure has intensified due to the economic turmoil in the country.
According to a memo released by Umaru Ali Shinkafi Polytechnic in August, the new third-semester programme offers a supportive pathway for students with carry-over subjects (failed courses) while exempting those with disciplinary issues.
School coordinator Salihu Bala Tajiri, told University World News the reason for the initiative is to make life easy for students so they can graduate with their mates.
This would save them time and cost. “If a student failed a course, the student would pay for the course only and not for the whole session or year as is typically expected,” he explained.
A self-sponsored student of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, who asked not to be named, should have graduated two years ago.
He is still struggling to pay for the failed session but the tuition fees keep increasing. He has not completed his degree.
“I failed just one course in my final year. Had there been the grace of a third semester, I would have graduated by now,” he said.
The new third semester will now provide a brief extension for students.
This ‘grace period’ will allow them to retake failed courses and finish all assessments before the commencement of a new academic session, saving time, costs and stress.
Yusuf Sabiu, the secretary general of the Federated Organisation of the Sokoto State Students’ Association, said the introduction of a third semester in the school is a game-changer for the affected students.READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
Student leaders like Sanusi Abdullahi, the chair of the Students Union at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, believed it helped to halt the wasting of time for a student who had to travel to retake a failed course. “It is a great initiative. I would love UDUS to also adopt the system,” he said.
Similarly, Abubakar Salamat Yetunde, a microbiology diploma student at Umaru Ali Shinkafi Polytechnic, said that the institution was helping students who had to travel long distances to retake failed courses.
“As a student who came from a further part of the country, I am always scared of the road [accident and insecurity] whenever I am travelling, but, with this initiative, students would not be travelling because of a spillover [subjects not passed] again,” commented Yetunde.
While some argue that this system may be abused by students who do not take their studies seriously, others believe it is a necessary solution for those who have fallen behind due to unforeseen circumstances.
Dr Murtala Akanbi Yusuf, a lecturer of adult education and extension services at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto, said its advantages outweighs its disadvantages if it is properly managed.
“It helps solve some unnecessary costs and time on the part of the learners and the university, but if it is not properly managed, it will reduce the quality of education and increase the lecturers’ workload without adequate compensation,” Yusuf told University World News.
Idris Ibrahim Alao, a lecturer of Islamic Law at the College of Law, Fountain University, Osogbo, Nigeria, said that students might abuse the system as they may not take their studies seriously if they know they have another chance to retake a failed exam.READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
