ASUU strike has become a national pandemic in the Nigerian educational sector that occurs every year. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has embarked on 16 strikes between 1999 and 2022. The recent one lasted for 8 months.
The ASUU strike not only affects the educational system but strongly affects students and takes a toll on their mental health and academic performance. Imagine a country where all the tertiary institutions send their students packing on a compulsory holiday for 3-6 months. Isn't that concerning?
1. What would be the mental state of such a student when he or she returns to school?
2. How will he or she perform academically?
3. Won't he or she lose interest in school?
Have you ever wondered what causes the ASUU strikes?
Most times, ASUU may decide to go on strike because the government didn't fulfill their demands. These demands could be failure to pay the lecturers' salaries or non-renovation of universities. This however, results in a compulsory holiday for the students.
Most times, we only think of the ASUU staff who are fighting for their demands to be met by the government and forget the students whose lives have been put on hold. The students are at home, wasting their time either sleeping, watching TV, engaging in frivolities when they're supposed to be in the four walls of a classroom.
ASUU strike makes students:
Lose interest in the school system: Students often feel a disconnect between them and the school during the strike and even shortly after they resume. Most students no longer feel the pride of being in school and this may lead to low academic performance.
Spend more time than expected: Students who enrolled for a 4-year course will now be forced to stay in school for 6 years because of the ASUU strike. During the last 8 month strike in 2022, many parents withdrew their children and transferred them to a private university to continue their education because they were being delayed. Some students dropped out to pursue another career when they could no longer wait.
Waste their resources: ASUU strike results in waste of resources because the students tend to spend more money in terms of feeding, accommodation and other expenses. For instance, a final year student who is about to graduate is sent home during a strike and forced to pay for rent after resuming in another 4 months.
Exposed to social vices: Sooner or later, the students are exposed to unhealthy ways of living such as alcohol abuse, prostitution, fraud, drug abuse etc.
Mentally detached: Students become mentally exhausted and have no expectation or zeal to continue with school. Students become anxious and depressed because they feel they have been stuck at one point in their lives for a long time.
To curb the effects of the ASUU strike as a student, you must ensure to have a backup plan. Invest in yourself and have a high income skill you can utilize to make money while you're in school. Instead of sleeping during the ASUU strike, you can use your spare time to learn a skill. By the time you're back in school, you'd have a skill you can use to make money either on campus or at home.
The world is now a global village so you can learn these skills at the comfort of your home with only your phone or laptop and data.
Copywriting
Software development
Content Writing
Content Creation
Video Editing
Graphics Design
Digital Marketing
Social Media Management
Web Designing
Social Media Influencing