This is the view of daily trust editor on the proliferation of firstclass degree. do you agree with it? do you have a counter-claim on it? share your views to know the way forward.

A total of 178 out of the 5,472 students
graduating from the University of Lagos
(UNILAG) during the institution’s convocation
ceremony holding this week are graduating with
First Class degrees. Vice Chancellor of Unilag
Prof. Rahman Bello disclosed this at a pre-
convocation press briefing in Lagos. The
convocation ceremonies are scheduled to
commence tomorrow, March 1. A total of 10,907
graduating students will receive degrees,
diplomas and certificates at this year’s
convocation. While 5,472 of the figure will be
awarded first degrees, 5435 graduating students
will receive postgraduate degrees.
The high number of first class degrees with
which students are graduating from Nigerian
universities in recent years is raising serious
concerns about the credibility of our universities’
examination processes. Besides Unilag, other
universities have also awarded excessive
numbers of first class degrees in recent times.
They include Covenant University in Ogun state
which awarded 140 graduating students with first
class degrees; Babcock University also in Ogun
state which awarded first class degrees to 52
students out of 1,059 graduating students;
Adeleke University in Ede which awarded first
class degrees to 10 per cent of its 125 pioneer
graduating students; and Afe Babalola University,
Ado-Ekiti which awarded first class degrees to
65 graduating students.
When the proliferation of first class degrees was
first noticed at our private universities, the trend
was believed to be a ‘recompense’ for the huge
tuition fees charged by such institutions.
However, the trend has become more disturbing
now that public and first generation universities
have joined the bandwagon of the first class
degree rain. For instance, Ahmadu Bello
University, Zaria at its 38th convocation
ceremony which held recently awarded 89
graduating students with first class degrees.
Before now, first class degree from a university
was a rare honour bestowed upon very deserving
graduating students whose intellectual capacities
are beyond reproach. There were fewer students
(whose total number rarely exceeded one digit)
graduating with first class degrees at a time
when universities in Nigeria had well-equipped
libraries and laboratories, adequate number of
high quality lecturers who were committed to
teaching and research, comfortable classroom
and hostel accommodations, and stable
academic calendar. In the past, many
universities had convocation ceremonies that
were without one first class degree graduate.
In those glorious days, a brilliant student who
never missed his lectures and who presented his
facts in tests and examinations in a particular
course still ended up with a ‘C’ grade, equivalent
to Second Class Lower Division. A student
earned a ‘B’ grade which is equivalent to Second
Class Upper Division if he or she, in addition to
what a ‘C’ grade student did, further read
textbooks for more facts of knowledge. An ‘A’
was an exception student who impressed and
dazzled the examiner with his grasp of the
subject matter.
It is thus amazing to find more students
graduating in the first class division now that
most Nigerian universities suffer from poorly
equipped libraries and laboratories, poorly
educated lecturers and very unstable academic
calendars frequently disrupted by long periods of
strike action by the Academic Staff Union of
Universities (ASUU) and the Senior Staff
Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).
The main reason advanced by ASUU for many of
its strikes was dearth of teaching and learning
facilities in the universities. Employers of labour
have equally complained of the relatively poor
quality of graduates from Nigerian universities
these days. It is therefore amazing that a rain of
first class degrees should accompany this
situation.
To give credibility to the degrees awarded by
Nigerian universities, there is need for the
institutions to strengthen examinations and
results processing procedures. Like the
examination questions, results for every course
should be duly subjected to internal and external
moderations by competent hands. Departmental
and faculty examination boards as well as
Senate members in universities should sincerely
be seen to uphold the trust bestowed upon them
by the ethical principles of their profession. We
call on the National Universities Commission
(NUC), which is the regulatory agency, to ensure
that first class degrees awarded by universities
do not contradict the realities of the human and
material resources that obtain in the institutions.

www.dailytrust.com.ng/news/editorial/rain-of-first-class-degrees/135749.html

.

Its really very disturbing, very soon firstclass will lose its value.

That's an old article.

This is my issue with most Nigerians- having a fvcked up mentality. Why should we restrict and limit the success of students who worked hard from graduating with a First Class because we want to "protect" its prestige?

It's only in Nigeria people judge a school/department standard by the difficulty to make a first class, which if you ask me is absolutely preposterous. With the opportunities that comes with having one(scholarships, ease of access when applying for jobs, further studies etc) students are becoming more aware of the fact that a good degree is worth it.

Using myself as a case study, when I entered into the Uni, all I aimed at was a 2.1(although I still had thoughts of graduating with a First Class) it was not until I read this thread that my mentality changed forever https://www.nairaland.com/1896298/why-must-finish-least-2.1 and http://www.jarushub.com
that I discovered one can make/have a first class.

Moreover, I knew that I was a smart and intelligent lad(being humble here). So if others can do it, why not me? This sentence made me think deep about myself [/b]What I'm saying in essence is that most of us are powerful beyond measures but we do not realize how powerful we could be[b]
Ever since then, I worked on myself psychological and mentally too. Today the story has changed and all I need do is maintain it till graduation. Even one of my course mate who questioned if the school will give one such degree (in life you're not dashed good things, you work for it) is working hard to enter into a 2.1 before our penultimate year.
What does it tell you?

Students are becoming more acquainted and aware of the ginormous benefits and are working their a$$ to get it. The world is competitive and those firms we all admire to work in take only the very best, which is why students alike should do their very best and dream big. Unfortunately most Nigerian students have little dreams some sef na nightmare.

Cajetanspeaks:
Its really very disturbing, very soon firstclass will lose its value.

Another victim of our fvcked up mentality. We have more 2.1 holders, has that made it lose its value? When Harvard University convocates students, majority come out with a First Class; are you implying that Harvard isn't a good school because she graduates a lot of first class students? Or your school is better than Harvard because it's "difficult" to make one? Which is one of the reasons I appreciate and thank schools like OAU, UI and most importantly Unilag for telling Nigerians and its students alike that you can make it and hopefully be the next Ayodele.
Not the ones we have across the Niger
https://www.nairaland.com/2937052/unn-produces-85-first-classhttp://www.nairaland.com/2702788/uniuyo-produces-11-first-classhttp://www.nairaland.com/2372868/uniport-graduates-41-first-class
None has ever reached 100!!!
Compare to
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/198964-unilag-produces-178-first-class-graduates-20142015-session.htmlhttp://.com/unilag-produces-125-first-class-degrees-out-of-10600-graduating-students-share-this/
http://pulse.ng/student/oau-40th-convocation-127-first-class-graduates-get-scholarships-jobs-id3337157.html
Kudos to the Southwest.

In my opinion, a school that graduates a lot of first class students is the best as it goes to show that the lecturers lectured well and students responded in like fashion. Kapish.

Gerrard59:
That's an old article.

This is my issue with most Nigerians- having a fvcked up mentality. Why should we restrict and limit the success of students who worked hard from graduating with a First Class because we want to "protect" its prestige?

It's only in Nigeria people judge a school/department standard by the difficulty to make a first class, which if you ask me is absolutely preposterous. With the opportunities that comes with having one(scholarships, ease of access when applying for jobs, further studies etc) students are becoming more aware of the fact that a good degree is worth it.

Using myself as a case study, when I entered into the Uni, all I aimed at was a 2.1(although I still had thoughts of graduating with a First Class) it was not until I read this thread that my mentality changed forever https://www.nairaland.com/1896298/why-must-finish-least-2.1 and http://www.jarushub.com
that I discovered one can make/have a first class.

Moreover, I knew that I was a smart and intelligent lad(being humble here). So if others can do it, why not me? This sentence made me think deep about myself [/b]What I'm saying in essence is that most of us are powerful beyond measures but we do not realize how powerful we could be[b]
Ever since then, I worked on myself psychological and mentally too. Today the story has changed and all I need do is maintain it till graduation. Even one of my course mate who questioned if the school will give one such degree (in life you're not dashed good things, you work for it) is working hard to enter into a 2.1 before our penultimate year.
What does it tell you?

Students are becoming more acquainted and aware of the ginormous benefits and are working their a$$ to get it. The world is competitive and those firms we all admire to work in take only the very best, which is why students alike should do their very best and dream big. Unfortunately most Nigerian students have little dreams some sef na nightmare.



Another victim of our fvcked up mentality. We have more 2.1 holders, has that made it lose its value? When Harvard University convocates students, majority come out with a First Class; are you going to imply that Harvard isn't a good school because she graduates a lot of first class students? Or your school is better than Harvard because it's "difficult" to make one? Which is one of the reasons I appreciate and thank schools like OAU, UI and most importantly Unilag for telling Nigerians and its students alike that you can make it and hopefully be the next Ayodele.
Not the ones we have across the Niger
https://www.nairaland.com/2937052/unn-produces-85-first-classhttp://www.nairaland.com/2702788/uniuyo-produces-11-first-classhttp://www.nairaland.com/2372868/uniport-graduates-41-first-class
None has ever reached 100!!!
Compare to
http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/more-news/198964-unilag-produces-178-first-class-graduates-20142015-session.htmlhttp://.com/unilag-produces-125-first-class-degrees-out-of-10600-graduating-students-share-this/
http://pulse.ng/student/oau-40th-convocation-127-first-class-graduates-get-scholarships-jobs-id3337157.html
Kudos to the Southwest.

In my opinion, a school that graduates a lot of first class students is the best as it goes to show that the lecturers lectured well and students responded in like fashion. Kapish.

You are obviously a kid or probably an undergrad, I wouldn't join issues with you, the editor of daily trust and myself are on the same page.

Cajetanspeaks:
You are obviously a kid or probably an undergrad, I wouldn't join issues with you, the editor of daily trust and myself are on the same page.

At the end of the day, you didn't say anything nor criticise my comment constructively. You're a Nigerian with the Nigerian mentality, so I'm not astonished by your comment.

Gerrard59:


At the end of the day, you didn't say anything nor criticise my comment constructively. You're a Nigerian with the Nigerian mentality, so I'm not astonished by your comment.

Why should i criticize your comment when you wrote nonsense from the beginning to the end, where do i start from? besides what do you know about mentalities? Have you travelled out of nigeria before? And who told you american or uk universities award too many firstclass degrees?

Cajetanspeaks:
Why should i criticize your comment when you wrote nonsense from the beginning to the end, where do i start from? besides what do you know about mentalities? Have you travelled out of nigeria before? And who told you american or uk universities award too many firstclass degrees?

What nonsense did I write?
That students shouldn't be awarded their deserved grades, because it would make the degree worthless?
Yes, the Nigerian mentality has clouded the reasoning of most Nigerians who think that students shouldn't be awarded their scores because it's some sort of "exclusive"/no one can get it.

Moreover, I can deduce from your comment that you have an animosity towards as you term it," dashing" of First Class degree to students.
Then I ask, is the anything wrong with students graduating with a First Class?

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/nus-law-school-to-give-out-more-first-class-honours-to-reflect-rising-quality-of-students

That's Singapore's number one University(1st in Asia and 12th in the world according to the QS rankings) changing its mentality towards the awarding of First Class degree to its Law students. Yet we have Nigerians who believe their "top" schools should hoard the prize even when the students deserves it.

Cajetanspeaks:
Its really very disturbing, [/b]very soon firstclass will lose its value[b].

Tell that to the likes of Cambridge, Oxford, LSE, Imperial College etc.

"He made clear the increase was still marginal when compared with peer institutions Oxford, Cambridge, King's College, and London School of Economics - [/b]all of which were giving far more first class honours[b].

The gap is even more glaring for the upper second class honours degree.

He noted that in some law schools in England, "basically everyone gets upper second, and we only give it to the next 50 per cent""

That's from the article. And to your comment about me traveling(which I have), the Internet is available, with which, everyone is a pilot.

although not in all cases,but students have wised up knowing how competitive the job market is.most students are guilty of cram pour.we need to stop over hupe of paper certs.

You clearly did not take into consideration the fact that the world has become globalized. Unlike before, students have unlimited access to books and other study materials. The internet is rich with information. Asides access to study materials on the internet, there are several tutorial videos on YouTube, countless PDF files with different perspectives on the same subject, you can order textbooks online or offline from any part of the world, etcetera. Students even teach their lecturers these days and you're complaining the number of first class graduates have increased. Times have changed, please shed this mindset.

My time in school though i went to a private university, but first class isn't common at all... Its not like many people graduating with ist class highest one in the school or two....