₦airaland Forum

“Let's agree for a minute that “School Na Scam",
And we immediately proceed to eradicate schools.
What effects will this have on the society?”

This question led to a 45-minute conversation that lasted through my Uber ride. Without hesitation, I rated him a 5-star. It will be hard to top that ride in a long while.

Context/Disclaimer:
I had noticed that my Uber driver had completed more than 7000 rides, so I asked him how long it's been since he'd started riding.
His answer led to another question, and to another question, and then... to the:
“Shey, if I'd known earlier, I wouldn't have wasted years in the university chasing degree”

I felt the pain in his voice and thought we could find a silver lining.
So I asked: “Maybe the school experience is why you’re so good at what you do”

This is where the conversation originated.
A simple, from-the-heart conversation. I loved the debate.
I'm sharing ONLY my view about the matter out of respect for him and everyone who feels the same… not to prove anything.

This was my side of the conversation, my opinion only, not a thing against Edu-Tech.
I believe sharing my opinion- that "school na scam" is the scam, rather than a sensational personal story, will contribute towards moving the needle in the right direction.

Let's get into it.

Education is dynamic, and learning shouldn't be restricted to within a class.
This is the bottom line.

But let’s assume… no filter, no context, just blanket imagination.
That we scrap every form of formal education; no more classrooms, no more structured learning.
Instead, we pivot fully to online apps and courses, certificate programs, public forums, and video how-to tutorials.

Modern, cheaper (at least, on paper), faster, and ‘smarter’ too.

At first glance, nothing much will change, really. (except maybe AI disrupting online learning platforms).
People will still wake up, hustle, trade, build businesses, and make money.

After all, skill is skill, and that's all that matters… right?


However, a deeper look suggests that eliminating structured learning would ultimately lead to loss of specialization.

This may not be concerning at first.
But the surplus of on-demand learning will mean no need for training for a decade or obsessing over research for ages.
And there'd be no vocational schools either, (since they would have remained a form of academic learning).

Consequently, we'd no longer have depth.
We’d have millions who know “a bit of everything” and a very few who truly master anything.

So, no specialist doctors (medical and/or academic), no researchers, no professors.
No scientists stubborn enough to spend 15 years on a single vaccine.
No civil engineers who can design earthquake-proof bridges, or urban planners who see beyond today’s traffic.

And ultimately, this slows down progress.
I mean,
YouTube can teach you how to fix a tap or even how to perform surgeries… but it won’t contribute to future breakthroughs in medicine, renewable energy, AI, or space science.

The ultimate failure from that will be losing long-term, society-shaping growth for short-term, individually profitable hustle.

What would then become of medicine, architecture, pure science, or philosophy?
Or specialized fields that demand rigor, peer review, and slow, painful iteration?

The direct (& indirect) implications will be:
Slower problem solving:
Without deep, structured research, complex societal challenges stay unsolved.

Stunted innovation:
As industries rely on years of accumulated, peer-reviewed knowledge, not a-la carte hacks.

Industrialization dies:
Simply because you can’t YouTube your way into building a nationwide power grid or a space shuttle.
We’d end up with a generation quick to “build something,” but slow to sustain it.
Eager to trend, but rarely patient enough to push boundaries that change history.

Yes, we’ll still have millionaires, as long as the marketplace rewards hustle, diligence and commitment.
But imagine a society where no one becomes truly world-class because no one can afford the price of depth or discipline.


So, agreed. Our formal education system is flawed.
From outdated curriculum to underpaid teachers, missing infrastructure, and sometimes, the painful mismatch between certificate and competence.

But instead of burning the house, let’s renovate it.
Let us:

➡️ Modernize our curriculum to match real-world needs.
➡️ Retrain, reward, and retain teachers and not just pay them salaries.
➡️ Blend theory with practical, project-based learning.
➡️ Partner universities with industries to close skill gaps.
➡️ Invest in labs, research grants, and infrastructure.
➡️ Teach critical thinking over “la-cram-la-pour" memorization.

This is what I think:
Education is dynamic, but schools bring structure.
While learning can happen anywhere and at any time, schools provide discipline as well as guidance.
This balance is what we often miss.

We can improve both experiences independently.
In fact, we can remove education from schools, but we cannot remove schools/classes in any form (either physical, virtual, online, or hybrid) from learning.


Please hear me…
Formal education isn’t just about the certificate; it’s a structured process that deepens thinking, fosters specialization, and builds every institution that the society depends on.

And, even though self-learning is powerful, it thrives best when layered on basic (and maybe, structured) knowledge.

So, I hope next time someone says: “School Na Scam…”
You'd engage them in the bigger conversation.
You'd try to understand what kind of society they think we will build without it, while helping them see the one we'd lose without it.

Because while it makes sense now, because the current system has failed, it is its purpose (of building depth, patience, and structure) that drives our collective growth and development.

And rather than throw it all away, let’s fix the parts that fail us and keep what truly builds us.

Thank you.

A knowledge regulatory body and rumour police will b needed because everyone will attempt to become a professor. Village powers too.

LMAOOO
YouTube gurus already exist, so I vividly see how ridiculous that will be when what makes a person an "academic authority" is the number of their subscribers.
"Zombie dullards" go com surplus
Thank you for your insight

CodeTemplarr:
A knowledge regulatory body and rumour police will b needed because everyone will attempt to become a professor. Village powers too.

theyongest:
“Let's agree for a minute that “School Na Scam",
And we immediately proceed to eradicate schools.
What effects will this have on the society?”

This question led to a 45-minute conversation that lasted through my Uber ride. Without hesitation, I rated him a 5-star. It will be hard to top that ride in a long while.

Context/Disclaimer:
I had noticed that my Uber driver had completed more than 7000 rides, so I asked him how long it's been since he'd started riding.
His answer led to another question, and to another question, and then... to the:
“Shey, if I'd known earlier, I wouldn't have wasted years in the university chasing degree”

I felt the pain in his voice and thought we could find a silver lining.
So I asked: “Maybe the school experience is why you’re so good at what you do”

This is where the conversation originated.
A simple, from-the-heart conversation. I loved the debate.
I'm sharing ONLY my view about the matter out of respect for him and everyone who feels the same… not to prove anything.

This was my side of the conversation, my opinion only, not a thing against Edu-Tech.
I believe sharing my opinion- that "school na scam" is the scam, rather than a sensational personal story, will contribute towards moving the needle in the right direction.

Let's get into it.

Education is dynamic, and learning shouldn't be restricted to within a class.
This is the bottom line.

But let’s assume… no filter, no context, just blanket imagination.
That we scrap every form of formal education; no more classrooms, no more structured learning.
Instead, we pivot fully to online apps and courses, certificate programs, public forums, and video how-to tutorials.

Modern, cheaper (at least, on paper), faster, and ‘smarter’ too.

At first glance, nothing much will change, really. (except maybe AI disrupting online learning platforms).
People will still wake up, hustle, trade, build businesses, and make money.

After all, skill is skill, and that's all that matters… right?


However, a deeper look suggests that eliminating structured learning would ultimately lead to loss of specialization.

This may not be concerning at first.
But the surplus of on-demand learning will mean no need for training for a decade or obsessing over research for ages.
And there'd be no vocational schools either, (since they would have remained a form of academic learning).

Consequently, we'd no longer have depth.
We’d have millions who know “a bit of everything” and a very few who truly master anything.

So, no specialist doctors (medical and/or academic), no researchers, no professors.
No scientists stubborn enough to spend 15 years on a single vaccine.
No civil engineers who can design earthquake-proof bridges, or urban planners who see beyond today’s traffic.

And ultimately, this slows down progress.
I mean,
YouTube can teach you how to fix a tap or even how to perform surgeries… but it won’t contribute to future breakthroughs in medicine, renewable energy, AI, or space science.

The ultimate failure from that will be losing long-term, society-shaping growth for short-term, individually profitable hustle.

What would then become of medicine, architecture, pure science, or philosophy?
Or specialized fields that demand rigor, peer review, and slow, painful iteration?

The direct (& indirect) implications will be:
Slower problem solving:
Without deep, structured research, complex societal challenges stay unsolved.

Stunted innovation:
As industries rely on years of accumulated, peer-reviewed knowledge, not a-la carte hacks.

Industrialization dies:
Simply because you can’t YouTube your way into building a nationwide power grid or a space shuttle.
We’d end up with a generation quick to “build something,” but slow to sustain it.
Eager to trend, but rarely patient enough to push boundaries that change history.

Yes, we’ll still have millionaires, as long as the marketplace rewards hustle, diligence and commitment.
But imagine a society where no one becomes truly world-class because no one can afford the price of depth or discipline.


So, agreed. Our formal education system is flawed.
From outdated curriculum to underpaid teachers, missing infrastructure, and sometimes, the painful mismatch between certificate and competence.

But instead of burning the house, let’s renovate it.
Let us:

➡️ Modernize our curriculum to match real-world needs.
➡️ Retrain, reward, and retain teachers and not just pay them salaries.
➡️ Blend theory with practical, project-based learning.
➡️ Partner universities with industries to close skill gaps.
➡️ Invest in labs, research grants, and infrastructure.
➡️ Teach critical thinking over “la-cram-la-pour" memorization.

This is what I think:
Education is dynamic, but schools bring structure.
While learning can happen anywhere and at any time, schools provide discipline as well as guidance.
This balance is what we often miss.

We can improve both experiences independently.
In fact, we can remove education from schools, but we cannot remove schools/classes in any form (either physical, virtual, online, or hybrid) from learning.


Please hear me…
Formal education isn’t just about the certificate; it’s a structured process that deepens thinking, fosters specialization, and builds every institution that the society depends on.

And, even though self-learning is powerful, it thrives best when layered on basic (and maybe, structured) knowledge.

So, I hope next time someone says: “School Na Scam…”
You'd engage them in the bigger conversation.
You'd try to understand what kind of society they think we will build without it, while helping them see the one we'd lose without it.

Because while it makes sense now, because the current system has failed, it is its purpose (of building depth, patience, and structure) that drives our collective growth and development.

And rather than throw it all away, let’s fix the parts that fail us and keep what truly builds us.

Thank you.

I love your thinking cap. I think I'll borrow some of the lines used here in my ongoing project. I'm working on a script at the moment.

A closer look at both angles to support or against that motion of "school na scam" gives reader a wider periscope of the whole institution known as school. The topic itself is engaging. By the way, I love your points.

Pickieox:
I love your thinking cap. I think I'll borrow some of the lines used here in my ongoing project. I'm working on a script at the moment.

A closer look at both angles to support or against that motion of "school na scam" gives reader a wider periscope of the whole institution known as school. The topic itself is engaging. By the way, I love your points.

Borrow and use, as much as you want.
Let's spread knowledge.

Thank you for your kind words.

Bro, you really dealt with this topic. Look around and see the caliber of people that say and believe this statement, a vivid analysis of their situation and thinking already reflects reasons why they came up with that conclusion.

Some people hardly had the time to do an in-depth analysis of issues before arriving at a conclusion and that is why we need to properly guide our younger generation so as not to bring in this kind of mentality.

I was almost a victim too but my rebellious nature at the time liberated me. That's a story for another day.

In a nutshell, I love your exhaustive analysis and recommendations. It's just the way to go.

yemre:
Bro, you really dealt with this topic. Look around and see the caliber of people that say and believe this statement, a vivid analysis of their situation and thinking already reflects reasons why they came up with that conclusion.

Some people hardly had the time to do an in-depth analysis of issues before arriving at a conclusion and that is why we need to properly guide our younger generation so as not to bring in this kind of mentality.

I was almost a victim too but my rebellious nature at the time liberated me. That's a story for another day.

In a nutshell, I love your exhaustive analysis and recommendations. It's just the way to go.

Thank you for your feedback.
Oftentimes, noise gets louder than substance simply because people (of substance) decides to keep quiet.
We hope the table turns soon enough.

Thank you for your kind words too.

....

I can't agree with you less

SamTosetutors:
I can't agree with you less

Thank you for your feedback.
And I apologize for my late response.

theyongest:
Thank you for your feedback.
And I apologize for my late response.

You are welcome Sir