When I was in primary school, I was seen as a bright kid, and was very reserved too. So parents around my street knew, and would never mind their kids associating with me.

In fact, a parent had to withdraw his child from a particular school and brought him to my school. The first day this kid came to school, the teacher asked him;

"Do you understand English?"

He responded in Igbo language, "Enyebeghi m English" meaning, "I have not been given English".

The whole class erupted in laughter.

Because we lived on the same street, the parents of the boy asked me to please come around often to put him through some things. I will always go to his house after school and we will study together.

Well, not only did the guy pick up, he actually snatched 1st position from me in a particular term. As a child, I cried ehh.

But it didn't stop our friendship then, I only studied harder and collected my position back, until I left for Federal school in my JSSI.

Today, that guy is very rich. In fact he was already rich while I was working in a factory, and I'm so happy for him.

We see once in a while.

Whenever I see him, I remember the 'English' incident, and also affirm that no child is actually dumb, and no matter how your kid is doing in school, it doesn't definitely mean that they'll do badly in life.

Just do your bit ,and keep them in your prayers.

ES

NLFPMOD

EmekaStanley:
When I was in primary school, I was seen as a bright kid, and was very reserved too. So parents around my street knew, and would never mind their kids associating with me.

ES

According to ur story......the guy is not failure from primary school he even did better than you at some point....so why are u using him as an example of failure in school but made in real life.....??

advanceDNA:

According to ur story......the guy is not failure from primary school he even did better than you at some point....so why are u using him as an example of failure in school but made in real life.....??

That's all you picked?

When next you see Enyebeghi m English, greet him for us.

EmekaStanley:
That's all you picked?

Sigh...

advanceDNA:

According to ur story......the guy is not failure from primary school he even did better than you at some point....so why are u using him as an example of failure in school but made in real life.....??

But he looked like one at a point. Just to buttress the fact that, once a failure can be a huge success

atiku4President:
When next you see Enyebeghi m English, greet him for us.

atiku4President:


But he looked like one at a point. Just to buttress the fact that, once a failure can be a huge success

Don't mind that trouble finder

According to your story...

The child wasn't a failure academically.

Even though he was a slow starter. So I don't think your story buttresses your points. Your story just proves that some are slow learners and given the right environment and with patience many can do well academically.

However, I do understand the point you are trying to hit at. And it is valid.


I know many stories that validate your point.

Personally, I feel there are different types of knowledge that can help a person achieve success in real life. Academics is just one of them. Even though it is not a guarantee.

One can be book smart for example and not street smart. In my personal experience I believe to succeed in real life one has to have a balance of both.

There are other types of knowledge as well and parents should ensure to know and understand where the strengths and weaknesses of their children lies.

This will enable them guide and tilt these children in the right direction to achievement of "real life success"!

Professor Wole Soyinka describes literacy as the ability to read and write in ANY LANGUAGE. Education is formal and informal, manyof you think formal education is the only pathway to success in life.

You have a white construct of education, success and failure when you only see things from their lens. An average Hausa man can speak, write, read and listen to his language through the radio but you call him aboki because you do not understand the language of his education.

A Yoruba man is shouting "Oshodi-Mile 12" and directing you to enter, paying taxes and taking you from one place to the other but you call him razz because he does not speak the language used to enslave you.

The Igbo man is selling okrika but it is beneath you to bend down select while he is doing import and export, doing marketing and sales.

The educated person is looking down at the Aboki who polished his shoe he will wear to enter the bus that agbero will carry him to his destination in a cloth sold by the Igbo man. He is carrying the papers around with a tie in the heat, yet has no job. The people he is looking down at are feeding themselves and their families, they are doing something with their time. Educated person is analysing online, begging for data, unable to use his education to solve real life human problems. Who is defining success

brain54:
According to your story...

The child wasn't a failure academically.

Even though he was a slow starter. So I don't think your story buttresses your points. Your story just proves that some are slow learners and given the right environment and with patience many can do well academically.

However, I do understand the point you are trying to hit at. And it is valid.


I know many stories that validate your point.

Personally, I feel there are different types of knowledge that can help a person achieve success in real life. Academics is just one of them. Even though it is not a guarantee.

One can be book smart for example and not street smart. In my personal experience I believe to succeed in real life one has to have a balance of both.

There are other types of knowledge as well and parents should ensure to know and understand where the strengths and weaknesses of their children lies

This will enable them guide and tilt these children in the right direction to achievement of "real life success"!

You are right at the bold but not just parents, It's mostly in the hands of the school. That's what they are paid for

EmekaStanley:
When I was in primary school, I was seen as a bright kid, and was very reserved too. So parents around my street knew, and would never mind their kids associating with me.

In fact, a parent had to withdraw his child from a particular school and brought him to my school. The first day this kid came to school, the teacher asked him;

"Do you understand English?"

He responded in Igbo language, "Enyebeghi m English" meaning, "I have not been given English".

The whole class erupted in laughter.

Because we lived on the same street, the parents of the boy asked me to please come around often to put him through some things. I will always go to his house after school and we will study together.

Well, not only did the guy pick up, he actually snatched 1st position from me in a particular term. As a child, I cried ehh.

But it didn't stop our friendship then, I only studied harder and collected my position back, until I left for Federal school in my JSSI.

Today, that guy is very rich. In fact he was already rich while I was working in a factory, and I'm so happy for him.

We see once in a while.

Whenever I see him, I remember the 'English' incident, and also affirm that no child is actually dumb, and no matter how your kid is doing in school, it doesn't definitely mean that they'll do badly in life.

Just do your bit ,and keep them in your prayers.

ES

thank you for saying this everyone has that particular level where they get brilliant in school, some in primary loose it during secondary school and start struggling, while some become better in secondary, I was topping classes right from my primary to secondary school. Finished but didn't even get a chance to further but I still have it in mind , now back to your topic I have seen some of my classmates doing better, some have even travelled outside the country, and some are currently serving.... I don't reach out to any of them because the last one I reached out to started telling me about the successful ones trying to make me feel bad but here I'm still struggling, I don't want to stop sometimes I'm asked to rest, but it's only me that knows even Nigeria has harden me let me save this comment here for now because in the next ten years I would come back to search for it then it would be my own story.

I like this story. If only every school would put in the patience to make stars of the slow students. But they often collect the fees and abandon the child. It's so sad when they focus on their star students and leave those struggling to rot.

Jozilinn:
thank you for saying this everyone has that particular level where they get brilliant in school, some in primary loose it during secondary school and start struggling, while some become better in secondary, I was topping classes right from my primary to secondary school. Finished but didn't even get a chance to further but I still have it in mind , now back to your topic I have seen some of my classmates doing better, some have even travelled outside the country, and some are currently serving.... I don't reach out to any of them because the last one I reached out to started telling me about the successful ones trying to make me feel bad but here I'm still struggling, I don't want to stop sometimes I'm asked to rest, but it's only me that knows even Nigeria has harden me let me save this comment here for now because in the next ten years I would come back to search for it then it would be my own story.

Don't lose hope, you'll shine

purples25:
I like this story. If only every school would put in the patience to make stars of the slow students. But they often collect the fees and abandon the child. It's so sad when they focus on their star students and leave those struggling to rot.

True. Sometimes teaching a child requires real patience and consistency.

brain54:
According to your story...

The child wasn't a failure academically.

Even though he was a slow starter. So I don't think your story buttresses your points. Your story just proves that some are slow learners and given the right environment and with patience many can do well academically.

However, I do understand the point you are trying to hit at. And it is valid.


I know many stories that validate your point.

Personally, I feel there are different types of knowledge that can help a person achieve success in real life. Academics is just one of them. Even though it is not a guarantee.

One can be book smart for example and not street smart. In my personal experience I believe to succeed in real life one has to have a balance of both.

There are other types of knowledge as well and parents should ensure to know and understand where the strengths and weaknesses of their children lies.

This will enable them guide and tilt these children in the right direction to achievement of "real life success"!

Thanks for your contribution

papyjaypaul:
Professor Wole Soyinka describes literacy as the ability to read and write in ANY LANGUAGE. Education is formal and informal, manyof you think formal education is the only pathway to success in life.

You have a white construct of education, success and failure when you only see things from their lens. An average Hausa man can speak, write, read and listen to his language through the radio but you call him aboki because you do not understand the language of his education.

A Yoruba man is shouting "Oshodi-Mile 12" and directing you to enter, paying taxes and taking you from one place to the other but you call him razz because he does not speak the language used to enslave you.

The Igbo man is selling okrika but it is beneath you to bend down select while he is doing import and export, doing marketing and sales.

The educated person is looking down at the Aboki who polished his shoe he will wear to enter the bus that agbero will carry him to his destination in a cloth sold by the Igbo man. He is carrying the papers around with a tie in the heat, yet has no job. The people he is looking down at are feeding themselves and their families, they are doing something with their time. Educated person is analysing online, begging for data, unable to use his education to solve real life human problems. Who is defining success

Too much poverty in Nigeria makes everyone define success by riches

EmekaStanley:
True. Sometimes teaching a child requires real patience and consistency.

Nigerian teachers are not paid enough to have patience with anybody they just want to teach and go home

blingxx:


Nigerian teachers are not paid enough to have patience with anybody they just want to teach and go home

Yes, then that means that they don't deserve the small pay they get if they won't do the job well. It's frustrating, but if you will just focus on the parents bringing money gifts and paying for extra lessons (their kids too), then what's the use of everyone, both the smart and the slow learning, coming to your school? I would have said that if a teacher feels the job isn't fulfilling enough to put his/her heart into ALL the students, then they should quit. But we both know that in Nigeria, some teachers are just there to survive. Hence traumatizing some innocent kids.

I just wish that some parents would 'wise up', and understand that without money and bribing, their slow learning children are all alone, even in a private school. Parents really just must invest in extra lessons and in furthering the other talents of their kids, and also closely mark the progress of their kids. It's not easy, but it's far less expensive than having a failed adult son or daughter for life. It's bad, just watching your kid rot because 'they are in school' leaving all concerns to the less interested, sometimes hungry teachers.

What about your secondary mates in last positions that year...Today most of them are flying high. This is life for you. One decision can make you or fail you.

blingxx:


Nigerian teachers are not paid enough to have patience with anybody they just want to teach and go home

Hmmm...this is also a viable angle

No time for cooked stories now....it is Nigeria, APC n d future of Nigeria

I don't really know how you guys define success and failure.

Cos someone who is academically sound might not be good in other sectors.

Let's just say we are good in our own little ways

Wealth is not a function of intelligence. There are so many stupid people with vast wealth. Have you seen Donald Trump or Governor Adeleke?

That’s life

Forget ritual/blood money. I became more humble when I knew that it is very possible for you to win in school class and others (win) in reality..

And again, I understood the true meaning of grace when I see numbskulls making money while the intelligent man suffers from lack!!

Or is it when you start seeing some of your old time (especially high school and old neighborhood) friends, who were intellectually empty back then, swimming in money now? Abeg e, pray for grace o because you can be qualified and still get denied or relegated to the back seat...