Paul Adiku
Member
Is Education a Scam or Have We Misunderstood It?
Recently, I overheard a group of people discussing education. One person argued that education is a scam, while another insisted that the problem is not education itself but the way we have been oriented about Western education.
As I listened, I began to ask myself: Who is right, and who is wrong?
I will leave that question for everyone reading this article to answer for themselves.
However, from my own experience, I believe that the value of education depends largely on the method a school adopts. A school's products will always reflect its system.
I graduated from the University of Ilorin some years ago, but I can confidently say that I financed my university education largely through the knowledge and skills I acquired during my secondary school days.
I was a commercial student, but I was trained not only to pass examinations. I was taught how to identify opportunities and create value. In simple terms, I learned how to turn five naira into five hundred naira within a short period of time. What we learned was not limited to the classroom; it was both theoretical and practical.
I remember that before we graduated, our school established a business project in which students actively participated. After graduation, each of us received a share of the proceeds, and many of us used that money to start small businesses. Today, many of those former students are still doing well in their various fields.
The same thing applied to students in the science department. Some graduated with practical knowledge in chemical analysis and production. They learned how different substances could be combined and applied to solve real-life problems. Many of them developed skills that became useful beyond the classroom.
The art students were not left out either. Some acquired practical communication and advertising skills that later became sources of income after secondary school.
This is why I believe the major problem with many schools in Nigeria today is not the curriculum itself. The problem is that we focus too much on completing the curriculum instead of making meaningful sense of it.
Many schools are concerned only with finishing the scheme of work, preparing students for examinations, and achieving high pass rates. While these are important, they should not be the ultimate goal of education.
Long before I completed secondary school, both teachers and students were already earning money from farming activities within the school. Our teachers understood how to make learning interesting. They would give students a small share of the proceeds from harvested crops, and that little reward was enough to spark our interest.
Nobody had to force us to go to the school farm. We looked forward to it because we could see the practical benefits.
As a result, we learned things that many students only memorize today. We understood different soil types, suitable crops for each soil, planting seasons, and crop management—not because we crammed them from textbooks, but because we practised them ourselves.
That knowledge stayed with us long after we left school.
In my opinion, secondary school should be the foundation for developing practical skills. It should help students discover their talents, build confidence, and acquire abilities that can support them throughout life.
Today, although I studied Business Administration, I have investments both within and outside my professional field. Much of that entrepreneurial mindset was developed during my secondary school years. That is why I remain grateful to my teachers and my school.
For me, education is not a scam when it is done properly.
A school that combines academic learning with practical skills is preparing students for life. But when a school's only objective is to ensure that students pass WAEC, NECO, and JAMB, it may end up producing students who are academically sound but lack practical skills.
Examinations are important, but they should not be the only measure of success. The real purpose of education is not just to help students pass tests; it is to prepare them to solve problems, create opportunities, and contribute meaningfully to society.
A student who can pass an examination is educated. A student who can apply knowledge to improve life is truly empowered.
That is the difference.
Ademola Promise
Pathway Educational and technological consult
Recently, I overheard a group of people discussing education. One person argued that education is a scam, while another insisted that the problem is not education itself but the way we have been oriented about Western education.
As I listened, I began to ask myself: Who is right, and who is wrong?
I will leave that question for everyone reading this article to answer for themselves.
However, from my own experience, I believe that the value of education depends largely on the method a school adopts. A school's products will always reflect its system.
I graduated from the University of Ilorin some years ago, but I can confidently say that I financed my university education largely through the knowledge and skills I acquired during my secondary school days.
I was a commercial student, but I was trained not only to pass examinations. I was taught how to identify opportunities and create value. In simple terms, I learned how to turn five naira into five hundred naira within a short period of time. What we learned was not limited to the classroom; it was both theoretical and practical.
I remember that before we graduated, our school established a business project in which students actively participated. After graduation, each of us received a share of the proceeds, and many of us used that money to start small businesses. Today, many of those former students are still doing well in their various fields.
The same thing applied to students in the science department. Some graduated with practical knowledge in chemical analysis and production. They learned how different substances could be combined and applied to solve real-life problems. Many of them developed skills that became useful beyond the classroom.
The art students were not left out either. Some acquired practical communication and advertising skills that later became sources of income after secondary school.
This is why I believe the major problem with many schools in Nigeria today is not the curriculum itself. The problem is that we focus too much on completing the curriculum instead of making meaningful sense of it.
Many schools are concerned only with finishing the scheme of work, preparing students for examinations, and achieving high pass rates. While these are important, they should not be the ultimate goal of education.
Long before I completed secondary school, both teachers and students were already earning money from farming activities within the school. Our teachers understood how to make learning interesting. They would give students a small share of the proceeds from harvested crops, and that little reward was enough to spark our interest.
Nobody had to force us to go to the school farm. We looked forward to it because we could see the practical benefits.
As a result, we learned things that many students only memorize today. We understood different soil types, suitable crops for each soil, planting seasons, and crop management—not because we crammed them from textbooks, but because we practised them ourselves.
That knowledge stayed with us long after we left school.
In my opinion, secondary school should be the foundation for developing practical skills. It should help students discover their talents, build confidence, and acquire abilities that can support them throughout life.
Today, although I studied Business Administration, I have investments both within and outside my professional field. Much of that entrepreneurial mindset was developed during my secondary school years. That is why I remain grateful to my teachers and my school.
For me, education is not a scam when it is done properly.
A school that combines academic learning with practical skills is preparing students for life. But when a school's only objective is to ensure that students pass WAEC, NECO, and JAMB, it may end up producing students who are academically sound but lack practical skills.
Examinations are important, but they should not be the only measure of success. The real purpose of education is not just to help students pass tests; it is to prepare them to solve problems, create opportunities, and contribute meaningfully to society.
A student who can pass an examination is educated. A student who can apply knowledge to improve life is truly empowered.
That is the difference.
Ademola Promise
Pathway Educational and technological consult
