@article{MAKHILLPJSS20221917801,
    title = {Overschooling in Nigeria: Positive or Negative?},
    journal = {Pakistan Journal of Social Sciences},
    volume = {19},
    number = {1},
    pages = {1-5},
    year = {2022},
    issn = {1683-8831},
    doi = {pjssci.2022.1.5},
    url = {https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?issn=1683-8831&doi=pjssci.2022.1.5},
    author = {Kelechi,Olubusola and},
    keywords = {Over-schooling,negative and positive,Nigeria},
    abstract = {Nigeria has become a country where paper
qualifications, credentials and certificates have become the
order of the day. Nigerians no longer attend educational
institutions (lower basic education level schools-primary 1-3,
middle basic education level schools-primary 4-6, upper
basic education level schools-JSS 1-3, senior secondary
schools, colleges of education, polytechnics, monotechnics
and universities) for the sake of learning how to read and
write, to become knowledgeable and be updated with trends
and happenings in the society, but to acquire one credential
or certificate or the other. Thus the Nigerian institutions of
learning have become all-comers institutions. Individuals
that are not educable strive to acquire some qualifications
because of the values placed on qualifications by the
Nigerian government and the Nigerian people. The issue of
certificate craze in Nigeria has crippled the emphasis on
experience, knowledge and intellectual ability cum technical
knowhow. The uneducated elites use their finances and
connections to buy credentials in order to fit into the
Nigerian society of certificate owners. This has devalued the
quality of Nigerian graduates in such a way that even
individuals with credentials do not have the ability to defend
themselves and even the credentials they have acquired.
Every individual has become a culprit thus the concept of
‘certificate verification’ in Nigerian schools. Every Nigerian
irrespective of status, family background, economic
background, gender, age, marital status, tribe, ethnic
nationality religious affiliation and even gender orientation
have become victims of this situation. This is why the
concept of over-schooling has surfaced and in a way has
become a challenge to the Nigerian people and the Nigerian
government. The challenge is that no one can strongly opine
on the issue of whether over-schooling is negative or
positive. This paper wants to unravel the mystery behind
over-schooling and buttress whether or not over-schooling is
positive or negative.}
    }