16/08/2025
As someone who was born, raised, and schooled in Nigeria, I can’t help but reflect on our educational system. Sometimes I wonder: is this truly how the system is meant to be, or was it just my personal experience?
Why does education in Nigeria feel like it has so much control over an individual’s future? Why can’t students freely pursue their passions without unnecessary restrictions from the school system?
Take for example, students who are forced to choose courses they never wanted, simply because they failed a particular subject. Yes, I understand the importance of having a solid foundation in certain subjects before advancing into a field. But should failing one subject completely derail someone’s dream career?
This system often weakens students’ potential. Instead of learning for understanding, many of us end up studying just to pass exams. Imagine a child who has always dreamed of becoming a doctor. If that child struggles with Basic Science in secondary school, shouldn’t the solution be encouragement, guidance, and extra support, rather than forcing them into another department?
In the same way, a student who always dreamed of becoming a lawyer might be pushed into accounting simply because they perform better in mathematics. Should academic performance in one area dictate the rest of a child’s life?
Schools should exist to nurture dreams, not to kill them. They should inspire, not limit. They should guide, not impose.
Personally, I believe this is one of the biggest challenges we face in our educational system, a rigid structure that overlooks individuality, passion, and potential.
It’s time we started asking ourselves: is the goal of education to produce exam passers, or to truly empower future leaders?
