EFFECTS OF THE FREQUENT NIGERIA TEACHER’S STRIKE ON STUDENT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND LEARNING.

Strike is an organized work stoppage by a body of workers to

enforce compliance with demands made on an employer or a group of

employers. Strike actions by teachers at the various levels of education

in Nigeria have had serious effect on the academic performance of the

students. The various unions such as the Nigeria Union of Teachers

(NUT), Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Academic Staff

Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) etc. uses strike to demand fair wages,

University autonomy, funding of Nigeria schools etc. Almost all heads of

states and presidents of Nigeria between 1988 & 2013 have been

compelled by ASUU through strike to meet their demands.

University Education Worldwide is regarded as a citadel of

knowledge, the fountain of intellectualism, the most appropriate ground

for the incubation of leaders of tomorrow. However, over the last thirty

years in Nigeria, the university system has witnessed an unprecedented

industrial unrest and so many official assaults than other social

institutions. Statistics from the National University Commission (NUC,

2002) revealed that since 1992, ASUU has embarked on strike over 23

times to drive home its demands, the recent one in 2013 which lingered

for more than 6 months, polytechnics in Nigeria have been shut down for

close to 8 months now due to strike. There is hardly a full academic

session that strike actions will not result in loss of studies, delayed

graduation for students and economic waste for students, parents and

the country as a whole.

The effect of these prolonged strike actions on student academic

performance and learning cannot be overemphasized. Disruptions in

academic performance serve as a non-motivational factor to students. It

discourages them from learning. It is not surprising therefore that during

strike actions, most students are seen involved in diverse activities such

as sexual immorality, cyber scam, pool betting, unnecessary gossips,

watching of films and reading of comic materials for entertainment

purposes rather than reading their books. In the long run, they soon

forget about academics and are no longer prepared for class activities

which negatively affect their learning capabilities.

Odubela (2012) concluded that an effective learning or an

enhanced academic performance is achieved by successful covering of

the course outline timely and before exams. This is rarely achieved with

strike actions in place. In conclusion, disruption in academic

performance caused by the frequent teachers strike actions breads

disappointment, frustration, emotional and psychological trauma and

unpreparedness on the part of the students and lack of motivation which

dampens human development.