Project Abstract

                   ABSTRACT 

The study explored the implication of the incessant industrial action by academic staff unions on the students’ academic performance ex-post-facto evidence from University of Lagos, Nigeria. With the objective of carrying out relative analysis of the students’ academic performances in the pre-strike semester to post strike semester capturing the academic performance by GPA. The study developed a theoretical framework and employed ex-post-facto research design. The research revealed that strike action disrupts academic calendar which bestowed on students psyche cost, disheartenment and unable to speedily regenerate themselves towards academic exercises at the resumption. Consequently, poor academic performance in the post-strike semester. The Study recommends amongst others that whatever the grievances, academic union and other bodies that operate in education sector should not resort to the strike as weapon of bargaining. Joint Consultation Committee should be set up and meet on periodic intervals to discuss impending matters that could generate dispute. KEYWORDS Academic Performance, Industrial Action, Academic Staff Union, Educational Objectives, Curriculum.

Project Overview

INTRODUCTION 

Could there be any meaningful transformation programme, structural adjustment programme and many point agenda in the absence of education imperative in a country? Education, the process that involves all round development of cognitive, psychomotor and affective ability of individuals in the society in order to promote the advancement of the individuals, society and the world at large should not be relegated to the background in whatever manner. The cacophony between the central authority and the staff unions should not be extended to the point of jeopardizing the success of our education system which will in turn have undesirable effects on the academic achievement of the students. Bearing in mind, no nation can develop beyond the capacity of her citizens. Staff industrial actions in Nigeria University, Polytechnic and College of Education systems have become the common phenomenon with the detrimental effects on the academic commitment and success of Nigeria students.

Despite the fact that tongue and mouth are inseparable, clash between the two is inevitable. As long as the academic staff union and employer (government) represented by politicians are at variance in belief and philosophy there is bound to be industrial dispute between the two. The action and counteraction of the academic staff union (ASUU, ASUP and COEASU) in recent years to recalcitrant attitude of the federal government towards the past agreement; conditions of service, salaries and allowances, adequate funding as prescribed by UNESCO, University autonomy, integration of polytechnic academic staff payroll had led to frequent industrial action by COEASU, ASUP and specifically ASUU. These unions have resulted to employment of strike as the last resort to balance the power between their staff and the government when the bargaining and consultation failed to yield desirable result. Implying that the only language understands by the government is strike action. 

The counteraction of the academic staff unions to actions and inaction of the government is not self centered but incited by the quest to resuscitate the acclaimed fall in Nigeria education standard. The specific evidence to this fact are the agitation by ASUU and ASUP between 2013 and 2014 which includes improvement and provision of educational infrastructure in our dilapidated tertiary instructions; fulfilling 26% budgetary allocation to education as prescribed by UNESCO so that Nigeria education system would be able to turn out the graduates that are capable of taking up the task of national development and be globally competitive like in the 70’s when Nigeria graduates were accorded high esteem at the global stage. Furthermore, it is incontrovertible that agitations of academic staff unions are to foster the adequate conditions of service which would go a long way in stimulating advantageous atmosphere for students to accomplish the prerequisite curriculum objectives. And, this would reduce to the barest minimum if not to zero level the half-baked graduates or functional illiterates that Nigeria tertiary institutions are turning out lately. Unfortunately, the strike action that is always embarked upon by the staff unions whenever there is industrial dispute between them and their employer (government) always put students at the detrimental conditions. The reasons for this are not farfetched; they end up having lesser period to prepare for academic exercises before summative evaluation hence possibility of poor academic performance. After the whole struggle, the academic staff salaries and allowances that were withhold during the industrial action would end up being paid Aside the bad reputation the strikes conferred on Nigeria education system; delayed and extension of duration of students in school in the face of age sensitive or discriminating Nigeria labour market which plummet the economic value of the graduates in Nigeria labour market. And, unjust compression of the syllabus and academic calendar which deprived students of adequate academic preparation and eventually have undesirable effects on the students achievement of educational objectives as laid down in the prescribed curriculum which paved way for the production of half baked graduates by Nigerian tertiary institutions is of great concern to the study at hand. In view of this, the specific objective of this investigative study is to determine the repercussion effect of 2013/14 staff union strike action on the academic performance of the students of University of Lagos, Akoka, Nigeria and to proffer the policy prescriptions that would mitigate this undesirable incident in Nigeria education system. 

Furthermore, the students’ circumstances associated with the strike action of academic staff union by being at the receiving end because their educational success had always been in jeopardy whenever there was strike action justified the investigative attention paid to this study in one hand. At the other hand, out of all the related existing studies, no one has its focus as University of Lagos, Nigeria, one of the great citadels of learning in Africa (Edinyang and Ubi,  2013; Ige Akindele, 2014; Osuorji and David 2014; Michael Baker, 2013; Olaniyi and Aina, 2014, Ayeni and Kolawole, 2014; Olupaimo, 2014; Olusegun Ajayi, 2013 etc). Moreover, to the best of researchers’ knowledge, the methodology of analysis of these existing related researches apart from few like Michael Baker, (2013) and Gabbrielle Wills (2014) that focused on primary school in Ontario, Canada and South African Primary Schools respectively were adjudged inappropriate because of subjectivity inherent in the responses in their various instruments hence such methodology suffered respondents’ bias. In an attempt to fill the gap inherent in the existing related studies, this study developed a model and employed Ex-Post-Facto research design. It proxies students academic performance by the students GPA and carried out relative analysis of the students academic performances in the pre-strike semester to post strike semester. The aforementioned justified the relentless efforts committed on this study by the researchers. The current section introduced the study, section two carried out review of the related concepts, theories, and empirical literature. Section three presents the methodology and the model of the research. The empirical analysis is given attention in the fourth section and section five finally concluded the study and make policy recommendations.