Remedial classes have become a stabilizing industry for unemployed graduates

 By  Sola Olorunfemi

 If there is any industry in Nigeria that has enjoyed relative stability over the last two decades, it is no other than the tutorial classes in the education sector. Its growth has been rapid despite the downturn in the nation's economy, and the crises which has engulfed the education sector.

The mystery of its growth is based on the fact that many graduates, who have been in the labour market for some years, with no success of getting their dream jobs, are trooping into the teaching profession as their last resort. However, their testimonies of success have been marvelous. These unemployed graduates are teaching either on full-time or on part-time basis.

Newsworld recently carried out an investigation on these tutorial classes and discovered that the laws of demand and supply have been constantly in their favour all year round, irrespective of the oddity in the educational environment. For instance, Mr. Femi Ibikunle, who was a full-time private mathematics teacher at various centers in Lagos recounted his success story, especially on how he sustained his family from what he made from remedial classes successfully before he got a good job at the University of Lagos International School.  He said: “I made money throughout the season, through extra-mural classes and private home tutorials at high-brow areas of Ikoyi and Victoria Island. Also, when the school closes at the end of the session  there are always summer schools for WAEC, GCE, NECO and JAMB entrance examinations, hence, I make my money from coordinating these classes because; I have become a brand name in mathematics.” 

The extra-mural classes impose levies, which range from students registration, tuition fee, and processing fees for various preparatory examinations. Mr. Felix Ugochukwu of Government Secondary School, Aleita, Lugbe in the outskirts of Abuja, who teaches at other coaching centres on part-time basis told Newsworld that the fact that the kind of the customers that they deal with are diverse in all sectors, makes the job very attractive and lucrative for any unemployed graduates who has the flair and is worth his salt. His words: “parents and individuals are our potential clients. They even beg for favours for their children and wards, either to make up a deficient candidate or to use extra-mural to bridge the gap”, he remarked.

Newsworld confirmed that as a result of the multiple examinations for students seeking admissions, it has becomes an easy way to get students throughout the session. Rotimi Akinola, a graduate of the teaching education expressed satisfaction that without opportunities exploited by graduates through these exams, the labour market would have been worst for it.

“Internal and external candidates' quest for knowledge in different centres can be attributed to advertisement campaigns via radios, televisions, newspapers, posters and handbills such that they stimulate us to patronize the tutorial market,” said Rotimi. The fact that the parameters for success is effective service rendered to their products, makes the industry to be more competitive among the tutorial classes, which now select their quality team, who can lead students to success.

No wonder, authorities of most secondary and primary schools released their premises for such tutorial classes, of course, with the knowledge of the ministry of education. Tuition fees being charged by various tutorial classes vary. Newsworld learnt that this mainly depends on parameters such as whether it is private home, individual teaching or a collective class arrangement. Also, it depends whether it is a professional class or academic classes like ACCA, ICAN, IPM, CISN or Universities Matriculation Examination, UME. On the average, coordinators for   this tutorial normally divide their market. A fee charged for the middle class area at Garki village, is quite different from the Maitama charges. Individual student registration ranges between N1, 000 and N2, 000, while the monthly tuition fees may be between N1, 500 and N3000.

However, a privately organized home tutorials costs more. This may be between N5, 000 and N20,000 and may be charged per subject.

Newsworld visited some of these remedial centres in the Federal Capital Territory, it became an eye opener to discover categories of adults, who are either making up on their secondary school certificates or writing university entrance exams, while some are doing distance-learning programmes on part-time basis without leaving their jobs.

Therefore, the adult students engage a professional, who teaches on part- time or full time basis on courses such as ICAN, CIBN, NIM and others. Their salary is paid on hourly basis like the remedials for secondary schools.

Mr. Seyi Olaoye, one of such teachers said he has been undertaking management science lessons in the last ten years and he has been able to buy himself a good car, rent a comfortable accommodation and get other provisions, due to the goodies from his students' parents over the years.