The standard of education in each country depends on the rate of investment the governing body of the state has invested in academic endeavours to ensure development. As much has its benefit the citizens to have standard education, the academic sector has also been a source of revenue for the government and private organisations.
We all have different reasons for acquiring academic degrees, e.g knowledge, jobs opportunities, recognition e.t.c but only few of this reason are still being provided by the educational system in my country, I mean lot has gone wrong from the time education used to be a ticket for being successful.
Is school meant to be so competitive? it depends on the standard of education of a specific institution and the aim of the students. Let me use one of the institution I attended as a case study.
During my days in Moshood Abiola polytechnic as a mass communication student, in one of our classes a lecturer said "This present generation is the most unfortunate" the statement invoked negative reaction from the student, the lecturer himself must have noticed but what he said next justified his statement. He said, when he was still a student, in order to ensure education was adopted by the populace of Nigeria, the government put together funds to give to students in higher institution.
There were different kinds of scholarships provided for the students to enjoy, every student who was willing to acquire formal education was entitled to the scholarship, those were the days when education was totally free.
He said during those days students were like kings specifically those in higher institution. In order for everyone to enjoy this benefits most teenagers strive to be a student. Apart from this, he said during those days during their graduation ceremony different companies would come from different states to employ young graduates. There was nothing like job hunting for students because it was jobs that was hunting students. You see, if this was still the case, I would understand why schools are so competitive but it is not and yet the pressure remains the same.
Speaking of the competitive nature of an academic institution, Moshood Abiola polytechnic is tough skinned and I'm not referring to the texture and strength of its walls, it was a metaphor. In this context, what I was referring to is the structure of the institution that exist within.
If toughness was residing in a specific location, it would definitely be within the confines of this institution. From the admission processing to clearance, it is definitely survival of the fittest. If you are the type with health issues, I would advise you erase the thought of this school from your mind.
Bluntly speaking, if you are a fat person, this institution is the perfect remedy you have been searching for. Just a couple of strolls from the school market to admin block and back to your department, believe me you would feel your calories melting like compressed butter.
And if you turn out to be among the lucky ones like me, you would end up studying mass communication in this institution, a department that happens to be farthest from the admin block, believe me your calories levels will melt a lot faster in this department.
This is not the juicy part of this institution, the best part is their grading system. People from institutions across Nigeria have testified to how tough the grading system in this institution is and if you are lucky, you would end up in one of the department having it worst when it comes grading toughness. Just like you might you have guessed, it is the department of mass communication.
I don't know which school you are coming from but in this institution, your upper credit would fall around pass or lower credit. It is not easy to attain some specific GPA levels in this school most especially my department. For the past 10 years or more, my department has not produced any distinction student.
So if you manage to graduate from my school, specifically my department with Lower credit or PASS, without having any C.O, you shouldn't be heartbroken because you are definitely worth upper or distinction in most institution, University included. So many have tried to buy their way through, some might have succeeded but still, all they end up with is with PASS or very-very low lower credit.
This institution is built to groom people, boys into men, girls into women. I have heard of statements like C.O is not easy to have, well you haven't been to this institution. I have seen intelligent students acquire at least 3-5 C.O by the end of first semester.
This is not the kind of school you write an exam and you leave blank pages, you write and quote the source of your definition or explanation written in your exam Booklet till the patterns of your pen casing appears on your thumb.
It is one of the schools I can attest to the fact that if anyone should manage to graduate from this school, from my department. Even if the person is a quack student, he/she will be ten times better than 80% of quack graduate out there. This school takes the statement "We produce the best" seriously.
If there was any soft part of you, by the time you graduate from this institution, you would be as tough as a bull. It is survival of the fittest in every way and the significant reduction of students every semester is an evidence of this. Most people drop out themselves when the carry over acquired becomes too heavy to shoulder. You don't graduate from a school like this just by being brilliant, you will have to add fasting and prayer.
is it worth it? I guess it depends on the overall turn out of an individual. The school kind of prepares a student mind for the competitive and unjust nature of the labour market. The reality is, post-graduation struggles are a lot tougher than the kind of struggle a student experience while in school, this I can testify to.
This write-up was inspired by weekly featured content titled A simple education in hive learners community.
Cover image - 𝖣𝖾𝗌𝗂𝗀𝗇𝖾𝖽 𝗎𝗌𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖼𝖺𝗇𝗏𝖺
All picture taken are mine or else indicated otherwise
