#ReformIELTS Policy: Movement against Exploitation

The renewed call for an urgent policy reform on the International English Language Testing System, IELTS, a work, study and migration prerequisite for Nigerians in search of opportunities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United States of America and United Kingdom is at its boiling point, generating hot debates online and more signatories to the petition directed at the UK Home Office. Yinka Olatunbosun reports

The on-going outrage against the conditions for the operation of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) in Nigeria is perhaps long overdue. English, being the official language in Nigeria, is the language of business communication and study from elementary to tertiary level.

According to the National Universities Commission (NUC), there are 49 federal universities, 54 state universities and 99 private universities in Nigeria. All of these teach in the English language. But if a Nigerian graduate is planning to relocate or study for a postgraduate qualification in the aforementioned countries, he has to take the IELTS.

Most schools or countries of interest seek scores not less than 6.0. If you are brilliant enough to earn more than that at your first attempt, your beautiful result is only valid for two years.

Many Nigerians find it puzzling that the driver’s license expires in five years; an international passport expires in five or ten years but IELTS expires in only two years. While a driver’s physical or mental state can change within a few years, it beats one’s imagination that a person’s tested proficiency in a language can possibly wane at all.

Like everything else in the past two years, the cost of writing IELTS in Nigeria has been reviewed upwards. The test which cost N75,000 in 2020 has been increased by 19.3 per cent. For some years, many prospective candidates have sought after schools that do not make IELTS a prerequisite for admitting holders of undergraduate courses taught in English for their programmes.

It was discovered that many Anglophone countries in Africa have the majority of its population living below $5.50 per day. According to the World Bank, Nigeria has the highest poverty rate in Africa with 92 per cent of its population living below $5.50 per day.

On Twitter, the agitation got louder last week as soon as a Port-Harcourt based development journalist and founder, Policy Shapers, Ebenezer Wikina called for a collective action to reform the policy that governs IELTS in Nigeria and perhaps other Anglophone countries in Africa.

“Nigeria is not a French-speaking country but if a Nigerian writes DELF for N16,00, the result is valid for life. But despite being an English-speaking country, I have to write IELTS for N89,500 and my result expires in two years. Do the math! This practice has gone on for over 40 years and we would love for you to lend your voice to this campaign,’’ he tweeted.

Policy Shapers, the advocacy group behind the call for the reform of IELTS practice in Nigeria is pushing a three-point campaign. The first demand is that Nigeria should be placed on the UNVI exemption list.

“Following Nigeria’s high score in the EF English Proficiency Index over the years, our inclusion in the UK Home Office’s list of majority English speakers will mean Nigerians no longer have to prove their English proficiency anymore,’’ Policy Shapers stated.

Secondly, the group urged the UK to cancel the two-year expiry clause for the IELTS results on the premise that the knowledge of the English language does not expire.

In the event that the two aforementioned demands cannot be met immediately, the group is asking for a 30 per cent reduction and increased validity period, not less than five years.

Expectedly, Wikina’s tweet generated instant reactions and comments online. Many argued against the perishable nature of the proficiency test results.

“If 12,000 Nigerians sit for the IELTS in a year, that is 1,08billion naira. A degree certificate is valid for a lifetime, why not IELTS? The English language exam is more of a money-making than a proficiency test,’’ Ojoolu Ibiloye argued.

Still, others worry about the impact of the cost on Nigerians whose minimum wage is N30,000 or less.

“IELTS is pure extortion. Nigeria, with English as its lingua Franca should not be mandated to write IELTS before working or schooling in the UK. It makes no sense at all. I took up a job in the UK and I didn’t have communication issues even without IELTS,’’ General Okwulu Okalisia argued in a tweet.

Weighing in on the matter, the Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo agreed that there should be a policy change and Nigeria should be recognized as an English speaking country.

“I agree entirely that Nigeria is an English speaking country and we should be beneficiaries of some concessions as opposed to being forced every two years to take the same test especially if you have passed it once before.

“I think this is something that we should really work on. This is a point that we can follow up. I will ask the Minister of Education and the Minister of Youths and Sports as regards what is going on about this,’’ he said.

While the English Proficiency test, IELTS costs N89,500 and the result expires in two years, the cost of the French proficiency test, DELF/DALF ranges from N16,000 to N22,000 and the result is valid for life.

Despite the criticisms against the IELTS policy for Nigerians, many Nigerians justify the proficiency test based on their personal experiences with some graduates of Nigerian universities.

“I know what I saw during NYSC. Fellow corps members that couldn’t spell or even write simple letters. We might be lucky to have a solid education but there are many fellow Nigerians out there who fail that exam for a number of reasons,’’ Kele the creator tweeted.

THISDAY also spoke with an author, former Deputy Editor, The Nation Newspapers and social commentator, Mr. Olayinka Oyagbile who shared his insight on what the current IELTS policy indicates and why a reform may be necessary.

“Well, I don’t see why Nigerians should be subjected to such exams since we are English-speaking. However, the fact that we are subjected to that also shows the level of confidence that they have in our education system.

” I think some of the things we are subjected to are also part of our self-inflicted problems. For instance, why should a graduate of English or any field in humanities find it hard to construct simple correct sentences? I’ve encountered native speakers who are poor in the language too,’’ he revealed.

Policy Shapers declared last weekend that the UK Home Office has responded to the petition written to them in October, 2021. The delay in response had led to the resurgence in the outcry against the IELTS policy. As at press time, over 60,000 persons have signed the petition to reform IELT policy.

The UK Home office through its Simplification of the Rules Task Force on January 26, 2022 replied to the inquiry sent to its office and the Home Secretary, Priti Patel in 2021.

According to the UK Home Office, Nigeria needs to prove that more than half of the population speak English as the first language.

“Apologies for the delay in replying to you, and thank you very much for your correspondence on this matter. To be included on the Majority English Speaking Country (MESC) list, we must have evidence that most people in the country (more than half) speak English as a first language.

“We rely on publicly available evidence such as official censuses to make this determination along with other academic sources. We may also consult the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office where additional evidence is required.

“Currently, based on the information available to us, Nigeria does not meet the requirement. This list is periodically reviewed and updated, and new countries are added if they are found to meet the requirements.

“We are currently expanding the ways in which applicants are able to prove their English language ability. For example, people applying for a Student visa can prove their English language ability including by– the education provider self-assessing the English ability of the student or having a degree taught or researched in English (confirmed by Ecctis if not taught in a MESC list country),’’ it stated.

Policy Shapers is dissatisfied with this response arguing that there are public documents that prove that Nigeria has what it takes to be designated as an English-speaking country.

“One of the most veritable public sources is the annual English Proficiency Index released by Education First. Nigeria was one of the 30 countries out of 112 that ranked ‘High’ or ‘Very High’ in English Proficiency in 2021.

“In August 2021, the UK Home Office had told the BBC that 51 per cent English language speakers is its criteria for the inclusion of countries in the MESC list but in its last message to us, the Home Office uses phrases like “most people in the country” and “more than half” which are very fluid and we plan to follow-up with them on this as well.

“Finally, we appreciate the fact that the Home Office says “The MESC list is periodically reviewed and updated, and new countries are added if they are found to meet the requirements.” but we wonder when the list was last reviewed and we are confident that the next review will see the inclusion of Nigeria and other Anglophone countries in Africa,’’ the group argues.

Policy Shapers has promised to follow up on the matter with the Nigerian government, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in Nigeria, as well as the Simplification of the Rules Taskforce from the Home Office.

Putting IELTS in the global spotlight like this has succeeded in drawing the attention of educational institutions in the affected countries to develop a less discriminatory framework for graduate admissions and other migration issues.

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