Education is a product of civilisation which involves the process of learning and impacting knowledge through an institutional structure. It has been one of the most practiced norms among the populace of the world due to its capacity in creating enlightened citizens. 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.
Despite the significance of education it is quite disheartening when I think of how it has been neglected by the government. Most Nigerian schools are known across the globe for their ability to impact knowledge but it is also known that most Nigerian schools lack resources to offer students standard education. Some bodies in Nigeria have strived over the years to develop the education sector but recently it seems their struggles has nothing to do with the students but to enrich themselves.
Looking back at the way it used to be, I was not privileged to experience the value of being a student during the days when education was highly encouraged by the government. 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. This was was in form of incentives that was received by the students from the government.
There was different kind of scholarship provided for the students to enjoy, the kind of scholarship that has nothing to do with political propaganda or tribalism. Every student who is willing to acquire formal education is entitled to the scholarship, those were the days when education was totally free. As a result of the funds provided it was easier for students in higher institution to survive. 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 come from different states to employ young graduates. There was nothing like job hunting for students because it was jobs that was hunting students. This was not the first time I heard about how the government supported the student in those days using both extrinsic and intrinsic rewards but what do we have now?
It is no doubt that in every class there are students that performs extraordinarily and demands to be encouraged for their show of intelligence. Encouragement could come in all kind of ways which could be extrinsic or intrinsic. Extrinsic rewards is more about tangible objects and materials, this involves rewarding an individual with money or other forms of materialistic rewards for performing a task but Intrinsic rewards is more psychological oriented, this has to do with motivation or making someone feel a sense of pleasure or satisfaction as a reward for performing a task. Looking at the difference between this two types of rewards it makes you wonder which one is more beneficial to students in rewarding academic excellence and brilliance.
I'm not totally against giving out monetary rewards to students for their outstanding academic performance which I consider to be an extrinsic reward but I'm more of a long term thinker. Imagine rewarding a student a sum of $50-100 for his/her brilliancy definitely he or she will feel happy about receiving such a reward, to an extent it might motivates such an individual to do better in his/her academic endeavours but then how far can such amount of money help such an individual in ensuring the continuity of his/her academic career. We are all aware of the fact that the financial stability of parents differs, imagine such a child given that amount of money and he/she hails from a family struggling with their finances.
Truth be told, they will surely make use of the money to do one or two things for themselves but then in no time the money will be spent. What if there is another way to ensure the benefits of rewarding academic brilliancy last forever. I mean it might still monetary but not instant reward. That is where Intrinsic reward comes in, instead of giving such a child a sum of money that would be exhausted over a period of time why not offer such a child scholarship, a means to ensure such a child continues the pursuit of his/her academic endeavours or probably for students in higher institution graduating with first class, such students could be offered scholarship to further their education and also a job that befits their skill set in so doing they will be able to give back to the society, wouldn't this make them more happier than just given them a token.
In conclusion.
Monetary rewards also have its advantages but the benefits is short lived compared to other forms of reward like scholarships and jobs that are more beneficial to the students in the long run. Instead of just giving little fishes to the students as a reward for academic brilliancy, why not reward them with something that will put them on a path to fish for themselves.
This write-up was inspired by weekly featured content titled "Cash reward for academic brilliance" in hive learners community.
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