₦airaland Forum

uken73: I was once such a student who was not doing well in my most early education years. In my Transition class I remember being locked up in class along with another student for not being able to come up with any English word that starts with the letter 'Y'. The other buy later repeated several classes and was known as the dumbest kid in school.

But to the shock of me and many others I got to be 12th in class in Primary 1 in the first term and 1st by 2nd and 3rd term. Primary 1 was the immediate class that followed Transition. Since then I'd been either 1st or 2nd. In JS1 I was 2nd in all 3 terms, but I began to be an average student and out of the 1st 10 positions from my JS2 when I got introduced by my parent to be friends with a non-serious cousin of mine. This was to help me stay in school (as I was mostly a loner and so bored of school). I picked up again when I changed school in my SS1 where I ended my SS3 as 2nd overall.

I never understood the sudden change in my academic performance in Primary 1 until I read the book "Gifted hands" by Dr Ben Carson. The author was the dumbest kid in class who became the best and later an acclaimed world best neurosurgeon. It was when I read how the mother of the Dr had prevented her two kids from playing, instead forced them to be going to read books in the library and provide reviews each day, then I recalled that my late father had done similar thing to us (with more focus on me, being that my only brother was doing well). I could remember how my father (a former maths teacher, then a banker) would have us locked in the house and given some homework to do on our own. I remember more of how he taught me how to study maths on my own using maths text book. He would make me learn to solve new maths problems on topics for the next term on my own and I must complete all the exercises that accompany the topics. He would show me how to solve the ones I couldn't solve when he comes back from work. It wasn't interesting at all as our friends would come to mock us through our house window. Each day we would study from about 8am that my parent leave for work till 12pm when my Aunt would come and unlock the door for us to join other kids to play. Mum (a teacher) would be back around 2pm and you have to go to bed around 3pm. My dad seriously frowned at playing football and till date I and my only brother don't play nor have interest in watching football.

In summary I would say such corrections are best at the early formative years of a child. That is when it is easiest to help a child develop the habits and attitude you want to see in them. It is best time to influence a child and get them to grow with that influence. This becomes increasingly difficult as the child grows older. With my experience I'm sure that a child can be influenced to improve in almost any area (academic or otherwise). But I'm not sure how effective such measures may be for a child who has gotten to his/her teens. The best way to know is to try but at this age you must be very careful of being overbearing on the child which can result in depression, attempt to run away from home and in worst case suicide attempt. A teenage is more intolerable of parents interference in their lives, so any efforts must be done with much caution and more especially with the consent of the child. I would seriously recommend the book "Gifted Hands" for the parent and the child. The child would see from there that his/her case is not hopeless and would likely be more willing and cooperative with the parent on the measures to be taken. He or she would understand very well that the parents are doing it for his/her own interest and would reduce the change of the child viewing it as punishment.

That's my submission. Wish you the best in this.

chimauk: oga I also finished from St finbarrs 2004 set

blink182: TB Joshua can not help? God can not help? The impunity with which people like you insult God is appalling like He is just another human being. Have you been to the SCOAN or have empirical evidence that Joshua is a fraud? I am very sorry for you and the path you have chosen.

Now to the discussion. Who told you no one is born dull? I am rather shocked at the number of people who agree with you. It is like you live in this bubble created by your imagination. I have a friend that is dull actually I have friends but I will focus on this one guy because all his siblings I know are dull and unable to pass exams on their own. We were in the same primary school together, same class with me and his younger sister in the same class with my younger sister and my younger sister was in touch with even younger siblings that did poorly in class. Their dad was a full time politician and mum was a full time house wife. There was nothing their parents didn't do to help them learn. Even as a kid I could notice how hard their parents tried to help them learn. Their problem was not the inability to learn but the ability to retain what they had learnt. It cut across all spheres of their life where they had to learn then remember after some time. Now what do you say to that? My friend and most if not all his siblings are currently in the uk and really do not need to bother about making their own money like most of us.

That is just one case. I know a 16 year old girl who just wrote her primary 6 exam with little chance off passing, she has a cousin like her too-the cousin has actually stopped trying to be in school and her parents understand. This girl I know has a 12 year old sister under the same roof with her in JSS 2. Who do we blame in this case?

And what is this talk about using derogatory words. We are Africans not Europeans or Americans. That is what africans do to prevent a person doing the wrong thing to correct itself. Why do you think so many nairalanders bash and laugh at people when they are down when they should be giving encouragement? It is built into our psyche, that is how africans-true africans think. We do not pamper failure with the hope it will correct itself. When you fail this term and get flogged by your dad followed by mouth bashing from mum which often lasts a term and get reminded of your failure whenever you miss any house chore. Next term, you will struggle to out do yourself.

No wonder so many new parents are failures with raising up their kids.

We shouldn't deceive ourselves with vocational training, if the boy can't learn in class, he most likely can't learn anywhere. He doesn't seem like someone who wants to learn at all. I wonder how he got this way. Does he know how hard it is to survive in society when you have nothing to offer.

GboyegaD: You people should help him understand how best he assimilates and once he gets that, things will get better. Do you guys taunt him for his non-performance? Are there other things that interest him that he is willing to try? This and many more in my opinion should be where you should start rather than concluding by tagging him as you have done.

sammyjay3: Check yourself you're probably a blockhead when u were young like your child...... I think with time he'll improve like you, maybe the child inherit it 4rm u

piagetskinner: Did the said boy fall ill during his early years of development....some illnesses could hamper cognitive development in children...it could be a case of dyslexia

mackmanuel: He is cursed

mackmanuel: He is cursed

Olekumaster: ur uncles child or ur cousin?

DONMAYOR19: 22nd/24 for 3 consecutive times u said? If is true, then the boy is brilliant, he is brilliant because he is above two people in 3 attempt....no be person dey score 23/24 and 24/24?

durella4: Nothing s wrong about d child nt even d parent,ve seen cases were both parent re stark morons yet thier children still excel academically. D only tink he nid s determination,wen onces he take dat step am sure he's gonna make it.

If d parent ve try education and it does nt work,let dem try vocational training 4 him i blive dat s were s future lies after all d re so many peepz doing vocational trainin n re makin it in life.

cococandy: Help him discover his talent and invest in it.

Tuface isn't a graduate.
#justsaying

uboma: No one is a blockhead. And calling your Uncle's child one will not help matters at all. No matter what a child does, don't call him/her derogatory names or compare them with other children who may be doing better.

If you really want to help, you need to have a heart to heart chat with your Uncle's child. First, gain his trust, so he can open up to you. It could be that something went wrong during his formative years (6-10 years). Please answer these;

Did this child grow up with his biological parents or with a relative?

During his formative years, did his parents play an active role in his life? Did they play together as a family? Was the father/mother always around to LISTEN and talk to their child? During his early years in school (nursery to primary) were his parents interested in his school activities? Did they guide him with his homework? Did they find out from his teacher(s) the performance of their son? Or was it just the *enrol your child in school, pay his fees when due, buy school materials? Is this the cycle they followed?

I always tell parents that *children are what we make them*. Once you miss it during their formative years, then you've lost out big time. It is simply not enough to just send your child to school and leave them at the mercy of their teachers. Parents need to play an ACTIVE role in their child(ren)'s life.

And mind you, if you are sure that the parents played their role during his formative years, then the child may be better off learning a vocational skill. If having listened to this boy, and its obvious that he just doesn't like school, then find out his hobby or the skill he's interested in and build on that.

Look around the world today, not all the well to do men actually completed their schooling. But they have excelled in their chosen fields.

There's so much to say but time... I wish I could have a chat with your Uncle's child. Are they in Abuja?

NB.
Calling a child derogatory names only serves to worsen him, make him more reserve and won't bring out the best in him/her. No one was born a dullard. Please take note.

femojie: No, it does not in anyway. You can use the storage space to store games, movies or music files.

femojie: That is not data. It is the hard disk size

Sloan: So you want to leave Nigeria to to and hustle elsewhere, may you never get any visa to escape the retardeens paradise of Nigeria you've been supporting with GEJ till BH blows you off the road!

cbrass: What makes you think omisore can't?

ralphcrown1: .
“The five policemen sur­rounded the madman and tried to overpower him and after much struggle, they tied him up with a rope and bundled him into their van and took him back to the church for interrogation.”
He said the policemen later saw a man taking pic­tures and tried to collect his phone from him but he iden­tified himself as a soldier and they let him go.

source: http://www.ralphcrown.com/2014/07/drama-as-madman-stabs-2-policemen-in.html

McLuhan: I do hope it will turn out to be merely a rumour. Medical doctors have not yet finished theirs. Most lecturers that I know don't even have the appetite for another strike. They complain that the last strike did not yield many dividends in terms of remuneration, apart from the money voted for infrastructure, which money, in any case, is managed and controlled by vice-chancellors and governing councils.

UpLoyo: And here you are wasting your life away on a forum about a guy that doesn't know that you exist. So because he plays for naija means you guys should dictate what he's supposed to do with his life? Does anyone come to your job and compare your incompetence with the guys you went to school with? You guys really need to stop, the guys is probably at a beach now relaxing, enjoying his life while your is on hold, commenting like the guy wakes up, comes to nairaland to check what he's supposed to do with his life. Stop hating and go figure out your own life. The guy's life is made at 27yrs of age, so stop hating.

UpLoyo: So he's a slave because he considered a brighter future carrying British passport instead of the green and useless one u carry? Nonsense. Nothing but pure jealousy.

chuquiz: you are a concrete hater.he will have dual nationality and enjoy his life, you will keep hating while his money piles up

princefunmi: Look at you. If it was you will you do differently?

Of-course having a British passport creates more opportunities for him. He clearly knows what he wants. If he is about to get something that would be of benefit to him and he is this close to achieving it, why would he not opt to stay put. October is just around the corner. A transfer window opens up in January. He can make his move then.

Now tell me how that makes him mentally poor?

saxywale: No. you got it wrong. What his decision means is that there are some things in life that money can't buy. Simple as ABC.

The same way the Atiku's, Adenuga's, e.t.c obtain citizenship of first world countries for their children.