My Perspective

THE CRAZY SCHOOL SYSTEM!

Dedicated to essiechoi

As much as I dislike the school system,i'm still stuck in it and it's so annoying,I really wish I can change something about it,and I think that has to start from people's mindset.

  By this time last year,I didn't think anything was wrong with the school system. This is how I found out ;
I was fed up with so much assignments one Sunday afternoon which was the 15th of November 2020, precisely, I was working on my computer assignment on data conversion,the sun was shining brightly towards my room,that I left there and moved to the passage, where reflection of the sun couldn't reach. I was feeling a bit tired,so l took a break,I grabbed my phone and scrolled through YouTube and saw a video titled; "what is school for by prince EA". Being a stressed out student whose life revolved around school I was filled with mixed feelings. I thought to myself;" school is the best,who will dare question its purpose ". It's helps your future and gives you a better life. Why would anybody ask "what is school for",it just didn't make any sense to me at that time. So I clicked on the video out of curiosity to see how this man would explain himself and the question he asked and he did!. I was shocked on how well someone could analyze and prove to me that schooling(going to school) and Education (being truly educated) are two completely different things. Most schools have neglected education and focused on PASSING instead, they've focused on only  JUDGING STUDENTS BY THEIR GRADES. Teachers discouraging students that their future won't be bright if they don't pass a particular test/exam!

In spite of the fact that everyone has different learning methods, brains and gifts, schools have adopted only one way,which is a teacher standing at the front of the class and teaching every student the same way,when we aren't even exact replica of each other,every student is unique and different but still we are constantly compared to students with high logical intelligence. Science clearly states there are nine types of intelligence, but school still focuses on only one and calls those who don't have it "dull,dumb or slow learners". That's why students who don't have straight A's or distinction excel in many other things they venture into,they have so many other types of intelligences that school never focused on (How painful!).

Most people would say school is preparing you for the future, which is actually true but is what we are being taught enough to deal with circumstances we might face in the future. Instead of teaching social and communication skills, how to deal with emotional, financial problems, discover your passion, purpose and other important things that would actually be useful in the future students are made to study,study and study (sometimes irrelevant) information just to throw them back into tests,exams. I feel school is trying to put many facts and information into students instead of trying to bring out the gift that God has put inside of them.

If only schools could focus more on other types of intelligence and identify the gift in every child, every student will be the best at what they do,we would be truly learning,not just READING ONLY TO PASS EXAMS AND TESTS. That's why students read thoroughly during tests and exams,because they want to pass,they don't want to be called "dullards or fools" and they also don't want to disappoint their parents. That's not a bad reason,but are they truly learning? Some students don't even care about long term understanding, they just want to read and regurgitate everything on the exam paper,so much pressure and importance has been put on tests,exams,that learning has now been put out of the equation.

  In a way,it's this system that has promoted examination malpractices, because students just want to pass by any means possible as they know they will be judged based on their grades and if they are not caught and end up passing,they're compared to students who did their bests without cheating but failed,since the teacher might not know who cheated,crammed or understood,they just think those who failed are the lazy and not serious ones and compare them to those who passed, even if they don't know the means by which they passed.

  Most question students ask is;"will this come out on the test"(so that they can decide whether they will study it or not,if it isn't on the test,then it's not really needed). Some students take notes in class,and you think;WOW!,this student wants to learn more,but that's not the case,the real reason some students take notes during an explanation by the teacher is to study them later for the test/exam,so that he or she can PASS!,even teachers do it too,some will tell you that you shouldn't bother studying a topic since it won't come out in the exam. That's a clear evidence that,learning has been abandoned and passing tests,exams has been made the main priority.

  Amidst of this broken school system, the least parents can do for their children is to let them study and do what they really love and have interest in but that isn't the case,they (especially Nigerian parents) are stuck to conventional careers (medicine, engineering and law)
Imagine a student whose parents forced him to go to science department and a student who genuinely loves science department. Who would truly be learning and who would read mainly just to pass exams. Of course the student with interest will surely do better than the one who was forced into it.
The student who was forced will constantly be compared to students who came on their own accord(who are obviously getting higher grades),teachers would say"can't you be like your classmate,he doesn't have two heads!".

  Judging students by their grades is still the greatest mistake teachers and schools in general always make. I think teachers think students don't really have personal lives or things bothering them,maybe they think our lives are just simply;
-Come to school early in the morning.
-Spend several hours in school
-Go back home;eat,rest, do some chores and assist your parents around the house .
-Spend some time with your family and the remaining time is supposed to be dedicated to assignments, studying and reading of school books.

  So students who don't pass are lazy and wastes most of the time they have on unimportant,irrelevant things,since students don't really have any responsibilities or problems,our parents have taken care of everything. I think some teachers especially those in expensive schools think students have no problems at all,maybe they think since their parents can pay such huge amount of money, students should have no worries at all,all their needs have been taken care of,so they should just focus on their studies.
But they've gotten it all wrong! because "the rich also cries",just because parents can afford expensive school fees,doesn't mean students don't go through other things,after all money can't buy happiness. Some parents apply for loans and some just provide the material things for their children, but don't give them the emotional care,love and support they really need. Students have personal lives apart from coming to school!

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For those who haven't seen it:

I think he isn't really asking "what's school for",but highlighting the fact that the school system is broken, it has turned school into a nightmare, making the purpose of school questionable.

I wish he could really sue it for real;

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Disclaimer; This is from my point of view,and I have done a lot of research and confirmed it from many studies conducted,even the world's greatest people don't agree with this school system (Albert Einstein, Elon musk,Bill gates).

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