By: Tunde Ojerinola 

For years, tutorials on campus have been integral to academic success of students at the University of Ibadan. At the different constituencies and  organizations, including halls of residence, faculties,  departments and fellowships, tutorials are often organized to help students, especially the freshmen, shape their understanding of courses that may seem to be challenging.

However, in recent times, there has been a notable decline in the academic performance of students who often attend tutorials, especially those in their first academic year, raising concerns about the efficacy or effectiveness of these tutorials.

Speaking to Indy Press, two tutorial platforms at University of Ibadan, PHV Academy of Success and Toppers Tutorial, disclosed the challenges faced by their respective tutorials and how they exert efforts towards ensuring students get the best of the tutoring services they render.

A prominent tutorial center on the University of Ibadan campus, PHV Academy of Success focuses majorly on teaching core science subjects, including Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics. Its CEO, Mr. Odunowo Usman, told IndyPress that his tutorial  center specializes in taking these subjects as they appear to be more complex and difficult for many students at the University.

When asked about the factors responsible for mass failure among some Uites despite regular tutorial attendance, Mr. Usman explained, “The problem starts from WAEC. The level of malpractice in WAEC is just too much that students are not ready to learn by themselves. It is only after WAEC most students try to be serious just because JAMB reduced the level of malpractice”

He  also pointed what he described as passive learning among students, noting that attending tutorials is often mistaken for the comprehension of the courses offered. He added, ”Many students attend tutorials but do not engage. No questions, no practice, no review. They confuse attendance with understanding.”

On the other hand, Toppers Tutorial takes a broader approach, covering major courses that are typically taken by  the fresh students. According to its CEO, Mr.Shoneye Damilare, better known as Dr. Marco, Toppers is committed to ensuring that students lay a strong academic foundation from their first year.

Mr. Shoneye  Damilare (Dr.Marco) attributed the students’ failure in their assessment to poor coordination of tutorials organized by some fellowships, departments and faculties. According to him, these tutorials are organized with political aims, such as winning student elections.

“I noticed that some fellowships, halls, faculties and departments organise tutorials, but some of them are for political purposes.Some of them aim at  gaining more members. So, the purpose will be defeated even before the start of the coaching.  Students that cannot afford to come to Toppers will go to those tutorials but there is no monitoring, no regulations,” he said.  He furthered provided a compelling data to illustrate the impact of his tutorial platform on students’ academic performance.

Marco believes that the late release of test scores leads to inadequate preparation of students for  their examinations.

“If they had known their test scores, they would have prepared better for their examinations. I think that’s why students are failing in UI. They should release the test scores of students, so that they can know how to prepare for exams,” he added.

he further explained that he had raised the concern with the University of Ibadan Students’ Union President, Covenant Odedele, decrying the neglect of the concern by the Union leadership. Despite the prevalent failure among the students, Dr. Marcon believes that tutorials continue to serve as vital catalysts for academic success.

Speaking to IndyPress, Hazeem, a 100-level Computer Science student who scored 98 in MTH 102, said his outstanding performance was influenced by  PHV tutorial.

“Honestly, the tutorial platform played a key role in my performance in MTH 102. Scoring the highest wasn’t just about reading alone, it was about understanding and that’s exactly what the tutorials provided. I’ll definitely say attending tutorials has a strong impact on my academic performance.”

Ooreoluwa, a Mathematics student who scored 96/100 in his course, shared how PHV taught her the art of attempting questions effectively.“The tutorial has affected me positively by exposing me to various questions, tricks and so on which fueled my confidence for any examination,” he said.

At Toppers Tutorial, students also testified to what they described as their remarkable improvements. Kemiki Greatness, from the Department of Physiology, shared his experience.

“I joined Toppers Tutorial late last session. I felt intimidated because their students were just too good which made my friends and I feel intimidated. So I decided to join them early for this 2024/2025 session and it has really helped me because I’ve always had issue with physics right from secondary school but now, with the grace of God and with the help of Dr Marco and other excellent tutors at Toppers Tutorial, I have improved greatly,” he explained.

Abdulquddus, a student of Medicine and Surgery, spoke about how his readiness for learning aligns with the vision of the tutorial.

“ The tutorial has had a positive impact on my academic performance. Toppers Tutorial opens its students’ eyes to things, but only those who really want to be helped actually understand how much Toppers is doing.”

Dr. Marco further highlighted that academic excellence at Toppers goes beyond academics, stressing that it involves coaching students in life skills. “For us at Toppers, actually, the tutorial is not about the course. It’s also about coaching. We coach our students on life skills, how to be hardworking, how to be disciplined,” he added.

Dealing With Challenges

While the impact of tutorials cannot be overstated, they are not without challenges.

Odunowo, the CEO of PHV, pointed out the competitive nature of the tutorial space on campus. “ Other tutorial platforms on campus are trying to compete with us because they see us as a threat. But, at PHV Academy of Success, we compete with ourselves,” Mr. Odunowo told IndyPress.

For Toppers Tutorial, logistical challenges pose a critical challenge “So, the challenge that we have actually is that UI doesn’t give us a space for the conduct of our tutorial classes.We have to make use of Abadina College, which is very far from the  student hostels. Imagine trekking from Obafemi Awolowo Hall to Abadina, it is very far. It is very hard for us to gain access to somewhere that is very close to the students,” he explained.

Despite the notable decline in academic performance among some students, tutorials on campus remain vital to their academic performance. Platforms like PHV Academy of Success and Toppers Tutorial not only shape learning experience, but also instill confidence, discipline, and a culture of hard work in their respective students.

As these tutorial centers continue to address challenges and innovate their services, they remain significant factors responsible for the students’ academic performance and underperformance.