Criticism – Self – Criticism Session

Criticism – Self – Criticism Session
The last period of each course I have handled at undergraduate level is for criticism-self-criticism. If you refer to my teaching programmes of the last five years, and in all levels the last topic normally reads “critical comments on classroom experience and views on the subject-matter of the course, the method of imparting knowledge and the relevance of the topics and knowledge acquired”.

This is a session of criticism-self-criticism. First, I place all my observations on the table about my students individually, seminar by seminar and collectively as members of the whole class. These bring out their weaknesses, strengths, efforts, wonders including the best seminar and individuals who made more contributions in class discussions. How they will improve over their weaknesses are normally spelt out. On the other hand the students evaluate me as their teacher. They are always concerned with my method of teaching, use of internet and e-mail for teaching learning and research, other components of the teaching e.g. the poetry aspect as well as what they like and don’t like, and advice to me on other things to do. For example, after I have introduced internet for learning and research, inspite of lack of facilities they are the ones who pressed me to also go e-mail for teaching and learning.

A collapsed Educational/University System needs a multifaceted approach to be revitalised. Putting all the manifestations of the collapse together, the worst rot is on quality or standard of education received by students. Therefore, the point of recovery of the system can best be seen in quality of teaching. A quality teaching is indeed a “teaching by research” (which prepares our young boys and girls for the challenges of personal and National Development a head) because as Elliott, J (1988) observed teaching and research are not separate activities. Where they are separated there is no teaching. And when research is only for a different motive, still there is no teaching.

Experiments of innovation and revitalisation of the University System in African countries show that lecturers are individually and collectively encouraged and empowered to create their own ways of meeting the challenges of reforming the system of teaching, learning and research.

Among so many things I am doing, some of which are in this collection is a ‘criticism-self-criticism’ session. My idea here is very simple. Of course democracy, especially among the middle classes in Nigeria, has become the catchword of neo-liberal revolution in the country. Whereas the underlying principles of neo-liberal democracy has great limits and its practice is far from even liberal democracy, yet it is conceivable that the notion of democracy can be applied in searching of solutions to problems of teaching, learning and research.

On the issue of democracy as a revitalising force of the University system, we have to distinguish from “building consensus” strategy in the World Bank Agenda of reform and revitalisation of the African Universities. Williams Saint, the consultant and spokesman of the World Bank on University reform, visioned democracy in running a University as just get the consent of the major interest groups on vital individuals in the system. In case of in a classroom only listen to the opinion of the more brilliant students.

In the context of my classroom democracy it is a popular democracy in the sense that each member, individually or collectively must present their classroom experience following the principles of criticism-self-criticism. This is notwithstanding that the entire University Education System, though on a contested terrain, is directed to reproduce neo-liberal capitalism.

As a guide in the session of critical observation, we agree that:
1. Student is and will never be forced to response in a certain way. In other words he/she has the right to express himself or herself in a chosen way prefers.
2. All opinions are treated valid
3. In order to document the opinions and views they are expected to submit them in writing.
4. Students are discouraged and advised not to make praises of their teacher.

In reflecting further, it is always very fruitful session. I used to learn a lot from the observations and they too. Nevertheless some students take the democracy to mean they can say anything. For example, the 2005/2006 students of POL 3314 all were saying that the work is too much. They did not want weekly assignments and they did not want any homework. My response on this kind of opinion is that this is not acceptable as they cannot tell me that they do not want work. Secondly, I had advised them that in whatever task they found themselves whether in the school or in other efforts, should not complain of too much work because only people who lack capacity and ability in what they are doing complain that there is too much work. Great people never ever utter to anybody that they have too much work.

I insist on this and never made compromise. This does not mean being undemocratic as one student in 2004/2005 class of Military and Politics observed that my class is like “Janguza Barrack”. We debated this with the students and in the end the boy came to believe that the issue of democracy and education is not that students should be allowed the choice of not work, no matter how difficult it is. At last, all of them agreed that as young boys and girls going through university education, must be made to work hard to prepare them for personal and national development.

The outcome as a whole is an experiential learning which is opposite of imposed knowledge and hierarchical relationships between the teachers and the students. This produces a lot of collaboration and interaction between students (POL 4301 students of 2005/2006 excelled on this) as well as between students and the teachers. This is encouraged by introducing a classroom period for eating and chatting which began with POL 4301 students 2006/2007 session. Subsequently my students become important partners in teaching and learning.

M.M. Yusif
July 2007