The Education System Then & Now

During my youth service, I often saw this small boy every morning on his way to school. He would back his bag and hold his lunch box, walking slowly on the road. This little boy should be around 3-4 years old and nothing above that age. The first time I saw him, I felt unhappy and surprised at the same time because there was no one with him. Maybe because the school isn’t far, but even though, upon still, someone older should accompany him.

Gone are the days when kidnappers were rampant in some areas and such a thing could make it easier for them to do their operation, and who is to be blamed? I even heard on one of such days that some commercial drivers were blaming and cursing the parents for leaving him alone on the road to go to school. Anything can happen.

This wasn’t like this some years ago. The education system was made in such a way that if a child’s hands haven’t reached his ears, he is not fit to be in school, but still under his parents' care, because they don’t want any problem or distraction whatsoever for the teachers in school. I didn’t experience this because I remembered I was around 4 years old then, when I was placed in kindergarten school with my immediate sister, who was two years younger.

Dad would carry us on his bike while Mom would carry us and our lunch boxes to school. Then, once we were dropped off at school, we would start to cry louder till closing time.

But today, most parents are excited to even drop their one-year-old baby at the crèche, leaving them in the hands of the nannies employed in schools. I know this because we had one where I taught in Ogun State. Those little children can frustrate one’s life, especially when they won’t allow the cleaner to do her job, making her stay behind after closing time to finish her activities. It’s so funny seeing these children even in uniforms, as they look like they're thrown into the clothes. Lol

The education system has changed so much today that I am always in awe seeing little children going to school, and they’d be happy leaving home. Both boys and girls are allowed to go to school, and there’s no limit to the level you want to go.

Gone are those days where girls are not allowed to go to school because they believed they ought to be in the kitchen to take care of the family, moreso, some females are given off into marriage at a young age and so, education is a no go area for them, but today, both gender are allowed to be educated and amazingly, females are doing wonderfully.

Only that after school, there are always a number of graduates who are unemployed, and it doesn’t stop schools from producing talented students across the country. We have lots of prominent people who went to school, and some are still furthering until they can no longer study. No one is putting a limit on one's education level as long as you have the finances and are capable of taking yourself to a higher level; besides, there are always scholarships being made available for the meritorious ones.

I just hope the education system, though it is doing a good job, should also work on areas that need improvement, like funding for more resources to make learning comfortable and accessible for everyone, including those who couldn’t afford tuition fees. Inclusion of major courses and programs should be taken seriously and not just the old system of teaching and boring curriculum, because I believe there are lots of things students need to learn, especially in this era of technology we are in. After all, things keep changing.

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