By
“School na scam” is a threading slogan among the young demographic populace in Nigeria. The notion which the slogan connotes is that formal education is not by any means a way to attain high stand in the society. In other words, school education is a wasteful, unyielding and time – waster. Whether this assertion is rationally justifiable by their palpable justifications which are considered reasonable, it is still imperative to make balance of the argument. And, of course, to re-examine the general perspective of “school” as place to learn.
We know in the history of our country, Nigeria, education was the best legacy parents could proudly afford their children at any cost. Aside that it was lucrative at the end as graduates were promptly employed and paid high salary and given many luxurious benefits; formal education was very inexpensive with high quality. As it was told, classrooms were enough and commodious. Basic school infrastructures which were to facilitate academic progress were fully provided and well functioning in both federal and state government owned schools. Even, to ease the burden of those incapacitated to send their offsprings, despite the low or no price school charges, scholarships were made available for interested and best candidates. This was also undoubtedly a strategy to motivate students for academic excellence. Indeed, “school life is the best” was the popular quote during this best time of our history. By implication of this accessable and quality education, our country experienced rapid growth in terms of economy, human development, political Independence just to mention a few. Unfortunately, reversal is the case in our current dispensation. All of the aforementioned credits of country were facts in history; they are no more of truth today. Our enthusiasm for education is rapidly diminishing due to a lot of reasons which are not limited to government and leadership failure, parents negligence and social influences.
First, our once admirable schools have become dilapidated environment not conducive for wall geckos, lizards or any other animal specie. The few manageable functioning classrooms are usually populated with pupils hanging on the windows or sitting on the floor due to lack of enough chairs and desks. Above all, the higher prices which are charged in public and especially private schools with no iota confidence of employment opportunities is an engine oil smooth – running the slogan. These are omens of leadership and structural failure. To make matters worse, our education curriculum does not practically makes students self – reasoning and innovators. This is because much of what they are being taught are not put into practical even when they are still in schools. And to this, it is due to lack of necessary equipment and infrastructures which the government fails to provide. Also, the little or no funds and attention given to aid implementation of academic research and record for the use of the society is also a stone in the wheel of academic scholarship. Until government takes absolute responsible to do the needful to salvage our education sector from shambles, there would not be confidence of secured future through school education.
Moving on, gone are days when parents take absolute responsible in teaching and imbibing social- cultural norms in their children order to live moderate life. Most parents nowadays give little attention in bringing up their children. They however shifted their parental responsibilities to the hands of the school teachers of their wards. And during the period of off school service, the children are left with all kinds of social ills and abnormalities which they can learn from their peers in school or in their neighbourhoods. Consequently, within a space of time, these young children become the products of the society by forming gang and become chasing materialistic items as their parents do. Even, when they financially support the family perpetually with no apparent work they do, they are well – commended and eulogised. Moral education and formal education are no more prioritised within the family. Moreover, many a parent prefers their children to go into vocational training to school. Perhaps, this is not totally wrong. However, the best is , if they want their children have alternative vocational training, school should not be neglected. Until parents stand as role models for their children as they give attentive care and also let them see hope and encourage them for formal education, standard social norms may diminish while mediocrity and social vices thrive.
Another factor which has let “school na scam” gained widespread among the young Nigerians is social influences. Our present dispensation undoubtedly values money more than intellectual. While the society rewards those with little or no academic achievement momentary stardom and quick riches, but the educationists are being ignored and not recognised. What moral do we expect of a society where people with academic minds are being ridiculed for pursuing dreams that is of no more relevant to success? Upon that, my fear is that possibly high number of illitrates who can read but value not reading or schooling in general among our high- increasing population.
In conclusion, while I may agree that school may be ” scam”, it is important to evaluate what school should be. Evidently, schools are not only places to acquire new knowledge or learn new things, they are but also venues to discover oneself’s potentials and where to put the raw potentials into practical through exploration. The onus is on a pupil or student to explore his/ her school setting to showcase his talent or ability to the world. While I also agree that education is not only a ladder to success, I will always implore young individuals to still go to school. The basis of education is to make oneself independent and self – discovery to provide solutions to our societal problems which can bring development to the society in general. As artisans with quality education, it is unarguably that the field one chooses to thrive, exposure to education will always give a edge and will make one stands out among one’s counterparts who possessed not formal education.
Adeleye I. Damilare
An undergraduate.
Department of English, Lagos State University.
