Academics: How I revive my dead students

As I enter my class on a Monday morning, dressed in my official wear, I saw my students wearing different expressions. Some of them were happy while some were sad because they thought I wouldn’t make it to the class that day. Whereas, i got to school very late due to some personal reasons.

Irrespective of their facial expressions, I still had to teach them since that is what I am being paid for. This time, I decided to make the class interactive because it was a few days to exams.

 So I asked them ” What is linguistics?”

Everywhere became silent. I was sure if a pin dropped, the sound will be clear enough to hear. I began to wonder if I was talking to myself or the “dead”. In annoyance, I left the class to my office.

While in my office, I  make some research on why students are dead academically and alive in other vices that don’t yield any good to them and society at large.

Why are my students dead

In my search so far, I was able to conclude that a large number of our youths believe in this

1. Schooling is a scam
2. Being an academic guru takes you to nowhere.

I begin to wonder why our youths who are meant to become the leaders of tomorrow no longer want to be youths but rather leaders at a tender age. This may seem good but are they doing this the right way?

 A lot of our youths don’t want to take personal development important again. They all just want to make money anyway. The African culture is slowly losing its valour – its pride! Society is giving birth to a generation that has everything at its disposal but rather chooses to be “dead”.

Yes! I said ‘dead’

What do I mean by dead students

Being “dead” does not only mean a person who has kicked the bucket. Being dead can be used metaphorically to describe a person whose relevance is not seen in society. Because

A living dog is better than a dead lion

Of which significance is a dead lion if not as meat?

Our universities are dead

Most universities are now full of dead students rather than students who are alive and vibrant to re-create what has been taught in the four walls of their schools. Back then, when social media was not in existence, we take education seriously. 

I begin to wonder if being at ease comes with laziness. If yes, then I think we need to do away with ‘ease’ so that our generation can see the relevance of education.

In the ’90s, we have to pay a little amount and we take every sacrifice that comes with being educated -burning midnight candles; having to go to different libraries just to read wide and gain more knowledge. Today, we have the world at our feet but we seem not to use it wisely. It saddens my heart to see our beaming light turning to darkness.

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A mentor once said;

WHEN FOCUS IS LOST, ALL WAYS LOOK LIKE A WAY.

When the educational culture is lost, we begin to forget that education is the light to ignorance. What shall we say to those who have seen light but decide to walk in darkness?.

Gone are the days when being a graduate holds much relevance; gone are the days when people struggle to be a first-class graduate so society can be proud of them. Our dead students no longer see any joy in it. Rather, they throw shades at such a person for being erudite because they believe the outside world is not in support of their educational success.

One way my dead students can be revived is to let them know that change begins from them since they are the future. If they dream of becoming the best innovator, engineer, and richest man on earth, only education can make it possible.

But I need to say this so that you don’t misinterpret me

What do I mean by education?

By education, I don’t mean schooling. I am aware that our school system is not in its best shape to groom a student alive. I am aware that teachers, lecturers, parents, and government agencies are not helping matters. I am aware that examination malpractice is eating into the system.

How then can this generation get the education needed to be alive? That is a story for another day

My picture of education back then is not what we have today. Those days, we don’t go to school because we want to brag about being a student of the best university or to fulfill all righteousness. We do not go to school then to impress our parents or society. We go to school to learn, come out with good grades.

Those times, we are so focused and we make sure to use what we learn in school.

The education of today is a little different. People go to school to learn something and they end up not using what they learn in school. If the school of today is messed up, does that mean that every student has to come out dead?

In conclusion

To every dead student out there, a little drop of water makes the mightiest ocean. Celebrate your small wins and the world will celebrate your biggest wins.

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Never be too late or too early. We want to produce graduates who are alive and not dead as the society will be the one to suffer these losses in the nearest future if we continue like this.

As you study that course, if you find something else you are so passionate about, create time to learn about it. It is possible for you to combine two-time consuming skills. What you need are a plan and discipline.  

See you at the top!

Writer: Neemah