₦airaland Forum

I want to say something that may offend some parents, so let me start with my own shame.

My son scored 289 in JAMB. Everybody celebrated. Relatives called. My mother prayed on the phone for eleven minutes. For three weeks, I was the proudest man on my street.

Then I asked him to explain a chapter on photosynthesis he had just studied.

Not the definition. Just explain what happens inside a leaf, in your own words.

He couldn't.

He gave me the textbook definition, word for word. When I pushed him to explain it differently, he looked at me and said, “Daddy, is it not the same thing?”

No. It isn't.

That night I realised my son hadn't really been learning. He had been storing.

The Examination Is Not the Education

Our children are often trained to recognise answers, not understand ideas. They memorise patterns, match questions to past papers, and reproduce stored answers.

It works. My son got 289.

But change the question slightly and the confidence disappears.

Not because he isn't intelligent. He is. Nobody taught him what to do when he doesn't already know the answer.

That is the skill that survives school.

Where the Money Goes

School fees. Lesson teachers. Holiday classes. Textbooks. Past questions. JAMB apps. Extra tutorials. Transport. Data.

Now ask yourself: what have you actually bought?

Mostly, supervision.

What you haven't necessarily bought is a child who can pick up an unfamiliar book, understand it, and teach himself something nobody is around to teach him.

And that skill is free.

A child who can teach himself can keep learning anywhere. One who can't may remain helpless inside an expensive university.

The Phone Isn't the Problem

We blame TikTok because a child can scroll for four hours but can't read for twenty minutes.

But the phone may simply be exposing a weak attention muscle.

School often requires attendance. It doesn't necessarily teach sustained attention.

So taking away the phone may remove the symptom without building the muscle.

What I'm Doing Differently

My son is seventeen. I'm doing some of this ten years late, and I have to live with that.

I no longer ask only what he scored. I ask what he understood.

I make him explain things to his sister in his own words. When he says, “I don't know,” I don't immediately give him the answer. I ask, “How would you find out?”

It's slower. More annoying.

But something has changed.

If you have a younger child, you still have time.

Don't spend all of it buying more of what isn't working.

The greatest inheritance you can give your child isn't a certificate, school, or money.

It's a mind that can teach itself anything.

ABOUT THE RESOURCE

From Phonics to Calculus: A Parent's Blueprint for Raising a Self-Taught Mind in a Distracted World is a 65-page guide for Nigerian parents who want to build reading, independent learning, and attention skills in their children.

It covers how to diagnose what your child can actually do—not just what their results say—plus practical ways to develop independent learning, rebuild attention, and do it even without money for tutors.

It draws on WAEC, JAMB, UNICEF data, and education research.

but u know say them dey arrange the exam b4 now.nobody write exams with their head again

Eba50:
but u know say them dey arrange the exam b4 now.nobody write exams with their head again

😂 I hear you, but na exactly why I wrote it. Even if exam questions are “arranged,” the child still needs to understand what he’s reading when the question changes or life throws something wey no dey past questions. Na that self-learning part the guide focuse on.

You are right

With time he will do more better just give him sometimes because in university some questions is being answered based on your understanding

PremiumLeaks:
😂 I hear you, but na exactly why I wrote it. Even if exam questions are “arranged,” the child still needs to understand what he’s reading when the question changes or life throws something wey no dey past questions. Na that self-learning part the guide focuse on.

That doesn't mean anything, as far as he defined it the way it's supposed to then he is OK, that's still for his levels when he gets to the higher institutions I believe he will have broader knowledge to expand on that definition...



You yourself, at his age can you explain the process of that like a pro, if you are not precocious.

Your son is nothing but the reality of Nigeria's educational system. He is also good at cramming.

PremiumLeaks:
I want to say something that may offend some parents, so let me start with my own shame.

My son scored 289 in JAMB. Everybody celebrated. Relatives called. My mother prayed on the phone for eleven minutes. For three weeks, I was the proudest man on my street.

Then I asked him to explain a chapter on photosynthesis he had just studied.

Not the definition. Just explain what happens inside a leaf, in your own words.

He couldn't.

He gave me the textbook definition, word for word. When I pushed him to explain it differently, he looked at me and said, “Daddy, is it not the same thing?”

No. It isn't.

That night I realised my son hadn't really been learning. He had been storing.

The Examination Is Not the Education

Our children are often trained to recognise answers, not understand ideas. They memorise patterns, match questions to past papers, and reproduce stored answers.

It works. My son got 289.

But change the question slightly and the confidence disappears.

Not because he isn't intelligent. He is. Nobody taught him what to do when he doesn't already know the answer.

That is the skill that survives school.

Where the Money Goes

School fees. Lesson teachers. Holiday classes. Textbooks. Past questions. JAMB apps. Extra tutorials. Transport. Data.

Now ask yourself: what have you actually bought?

Mostly, supervision.

What you haven't necessarily bought is a child who can pick up an unfamiliar book, understand it, and teach himself something nobody is around to teach him.

And that skill is free.

A child who can teach himself can keep learning anywhere. One who can't may remain helpless inside an expensive university.

The Phone Isn't the Problem

We blame TikTok because a child can scroll for four hours but can't read for twenty minutes.

But the phone may simply be exposing a weak attention muscle.

School often requires attendance. It doesn't necessarily teach sustained attention.

So taking away the phone may remove the symptom without building the muscle.

What I'm Doing Differently

My son is seventeen. I'm doing some of this ten years late, and I have to live with that.

I no longer ask only what he scored. I ask what he understood.

I make him explain things to his sister in his own words. When he says, “I don't know,” I don't immediately give him the answer. I ask, “How would you find out?”

It's slower. More annoying.

But something has changed.

If you have a younger child, you still have time.

Don't spend all of it buying more of what isn't working.

The greatest inheritance you can give your child isn't a certificate, school, or money.

It's a mind that can teach itself anything.

ABOUT THE RESOURCE

From Phonics to Calculus: A Parent's Blueprint for Raising a Self-Taught Mind in a Distracted World is a 65-page guide for Nigerian parents who want to build reading, independent learning, and attention skills in their children.

It covers how to diagnose what your child can actually do—not just what their results say—plus practical ways to develop independent learning, rebuild attention, and do it even without money for tutors.

It draws on WAEC, JAMB, UNICEF data, and education research.

La Click and pass, sure odd ticket

Eba50:
but u know say them dey arrange the exam b4 now.nobody write exams with their head again

Is this true?

Or a mild exaggeration?

Flangelo12:
Is this true?

Or a mild exaggeration?

jamb and waec centers, practically all na arrangement center with the waec/neco/ jamb staff. come agbor make u see them dey pay 70k for exam

Gotocourt:
La Click and pass, sure odd ticket

👍

He will get better with time, he just needs encouragement

Eba50:
but u know say them dey arrange the exam b4 now.nobody write exams with their head again

Imagine, how can you even say this. Are you a parent, and if yes, do you subscribe to what you just mentioned there from your own child or children.

zoghys:
Imagine, how can you even say this. Are you a parent, and if yes, do you subscribe to what you just mentioned there from your own child or children.

i am telling you facts, u dey attack me. any waec or jamb center, against next one, go and 0see answers being prepared on chat gpt and google image lens. within 7 minuets, all answers don ready, then students begin tick and write as the situation specifies. 60 percent of the exam time, them don finish exam

Eba50:
i am telling you facts, u dey attack me. any waec or jamb center, against next one, go and 0see answers being prepared on chat gpt and google image lens. within 7 minuets, all answers don ready, then students begin tick and write as the situation specifies. 60 percent of the exam time, them don finish exam

Sincerely am at lost with what I just read now, I must be living in another planet. Sorry if you felt attacked by my comment but mehn am lost here

zoghys:
Sincerely am at lost with what I just read now, I must be living in another planet. Sorry if you felt attacked by my comment but mehn am lost here

na we wey write waec b4 2003 write waec with brain and head. i live in agbor in delta, my 3 close friends get their own school and get their own arrangements with jamb for their approved center. for the waec, them. with waec invigilator go just snap the pics of all questions, whether objective or theory for google lens/chat gpt.the app go to tick the answers for the obj and then the theory, them apps go solve all the maths per question and page. waec officials go just come the school like 40 mins into exam, them go just welcome them with envelope...30k per school. within 5 mins them don go. them go do same thing for at least 20 schools that per day, so everyone is busy for their pockets. then, their jamb, na same thing. within 20 mins them don leave hall. na jamb invigilator go do same. their waec na only one candidate fail one subject, physics. all the others get 7 credits including maths and English, then science students credit the physics, chemistry, biology join maths, English. their jamb, least score is 222.na one candidate get it. he's apologizing to the parents of that one candidate who got it, cos the others, the lowest was 248, and na same candidate for waec thm release same time get 8 credits under him

Eba50:
na we wey write waec b4 2003 write waec with brain and head. i live in agbor in delta, my 3 close friends get their own school and get their own arrangements with jamb for their approved center. for the waec, them. with waec invigilator go just snap the pics of all questions, whether objective or theory for google lens/chat gpt.the app go to tick the answers for the obj and then the theory, them go solve all the maths per question and page. waec officials go just come the school like 40 mins into exam, them go just welcome them with envelope...30k per school. within 5 mins them don go. them go do same thing for at least 20 schools that per day, so everyone is busy for their pockets. then, their jamb, na same thing. within 20 mins them don leave hall. na jamb invigilator go do same. their waec na only one candidate fail one subject, physics. all the others get 7 credits including maths and English, then science students credit the physics, chemistry, biology join maths, English. their jamb, least score is 222.na one candidate get it. he's apologizing to the parents of that one candidate who got it, cos the others, the lowest was 248, and na same candidate for waec thm release same time get 8 credits under him

Jesu Christ, this is one of the craziest thing I have ever read. Apparently am out of touch, I did my waec 1996, and the we study really hard to pass our exams. Am a father to a teenager taking her exam next year, so this info comes handy. Anyways, thanks for those info and once again, my apologies.

Truth is.... what the OP said is correct.... there's a movie called 3 IDIOTS, an Indian movie... It clearly explained all he said.... Nigeria educational system is damaged across board, all areas are affected

Handii work of miracle centers.

If you don't have money, nigeria educational system will frustrate the hell out you.

Introduce your son to puzzles, logic, mathematics, and real-world problems from an early age. Encourage him to think through problems rather than simply memorizing answers.

If you’re into coding, take it a step further by teaching him basic automation and programming concepts using mathematics. You can create small projects that involve

Algebra and equations
Sets and logical operations
Percentages and ratios
Basic statistics
Conditional logic
Simple but unique formulas designed for specific situations
Real world calculations and problem-solving

The goal isn’t just to teach him coding or mathematics. it’s to help him learn how to think, experiment, build solutions, and solve problems creatively.

You need to guide your son else there is no help in site even if you spend millions in educating your son in nigeria

Not all schools
I wrote my WAEC and NECO in 2023 myself not special centre . Well not in Delta

Not all private school involved in that act.

Eba50:
na we wey write waec b4 2003 write waec with brain and head. i live in agbor in delta, my 3 close friends get their own school and get their own arrangements with jamb for their approved center. for the waec, them. with waec invigilator go just snap the pics of all questions, whether objective or theory for google lens/chat gpt.the app go to tick the answers for the obj and then the theory, them apps go solve all the maths per question and page. waec officials go just come the school like 40 mins into exam, them go just welcome them with envelope...30k per school. within 5 mins them don go. them go do same thing for at least 20 schools that per day, so everyone is busy for their pockets. then, their jamb, na same thing. within 20 mins them don leave hall. na jamb invigilator go do same. their waec na only one candidate fail one subject, physics. all the others get 7 credits including maths and English, then science students credit the physics, chemistry, biology join maths, English. their jamb, least score is 222.na one candidate get it. he's apologizing to the parents of that one candidate who got it, cos the others, the lowest was 248, and na same candidate for waec thm release same time get 8 credits under him

@OP I see what you are trying to do, which is very good as it will help your child a lot.

In this era of "la cram la pour" and AI, it takes real ingenuity to be able to study or read something and explain in your own terms, in clear, correct, concrete and complete manner.
While la cram la pour can earn a student grades at secondary school level or Bachelors level, you'll need more to achieve excellence at Masters and Doctorate level when you'd be dealing with Professors who have mastered their respective fields of study.

Prospective students BEWARE!!!! LINCOLN UNIVERSITY MALASYIA, Nigeria NSUK campus is offering a NURSING PROGAMME AND THE Nursing and Midwifery Council of Nigeria have not accredited this UNIVERSITY TO GRADUATE NURSES. THEY CURRENTLY HAVE STUDENTS IN 400 LEVEL, these students have been paying 850,000 Naira per semester and they are about 100 students in each level for the NURSING program.