WHAT SCHOOLING IS NOT VS WHAT SCHOOLING IS: NIGERIA AS A CASE STUDY

        With these treatise, which serves as an eyeopener as the topic calls for what schooling is not versus what schooling is. This has been one of such areas that has dogmatised or limited our mental syndrome to appropriateness while we justify our view under dogmatism or seeing school as culture rather than institutional education where people are refined to be the best version of themselves and the society.

          According to teachmint, "schooling is the education that students receive in school".

It is type of formal education and discipline transfered into the students by a recognised source. It turns an unknown person into a known person, an empty vessel into a vessel of honour ready for use by the society. Schooling is one of the means by the untapped intelligence of men are realised and are built upon by transferring knowledge into that vessel for benefit of the society and the individual. Being a schooled person in this present Nigeria offers a big respect and opportunities by the Nigerian society. This is because,' knowledge is power".It gives you an edge to control your world. You rule because of the knowledge you have to transform the society to a better form. You are highly regarded because the society one has better thing to offer than those who are unlearned. Since the society feels that those are schooled should solve the societal problems and create more opportunities for men to enjoy better standard living. It is one of the belief that the society holds onto which is likely very true if one understands what schooling is all about.

             In Nigeria today, Schooling is a way of life. It is usually seen as one of the things which children see as "A MUST DO" without knowing its essence which is toproduce usefulness in men to their society. I brought out this content these to catch your attention that schooling is more than just going to school and is not compulsory for everyone as there are people who can be at their very best without schooling. Many people in the country today believe that if you are not schooled, you have not attained yet , not knowing that schooling is not for every individual as they are people that won't do well in academics but they can be good caterers, good fashion models, wealthy roadside mechanics,vulcanisers who are making money yet without being schooled. We have examples like bill gate who dropped out of school knowingfully that he does not need schooled to be great in life. He believed in the application of his uniqueness to practice having realized something in himself that can solve human problems. Some people in my country today are yet recognise their areas of uniqueness and "callings" as I would say. Some would even spend their time to come to school and later neglect what they have learnt after they have realized that the matter they are facing cannot be solved by schooling. Schooling in Nigeria today has become an avenue for some people to just acquire knowledge. Such kind of knowledge acquired in school is a waste to them because no mental alertness is birthed in them as a result of schooling. My fellow Nigerians,the purpose of schooling is to breed mental alertness and usefulness and make one capable of tackling challenges and solving problems befalling humanity. Schools are now filled with crowds who "come and go" without practicality of the knowledge they have acquired in their lifestyle. They are a disgrace to what schooling is, which was supposed to be an instrument of change to the society. This kind of people are now addition to the problems of the country .They have now become part and parcel of the problem that my society now nutures, accumulating to the problems aforehand. Many of these so called "schooled people" lacks creativity and competence, which is another thing that schooling should produce in one. We have such kind of "schooled persons" has no impact on the society in which they exist. Schooling should produce creativity and competence that solve the problems of men. Schooling in Nigeria today is a build up of grades and marks.What most students are now doing today is to acquire grades and "pass out " of school without proving the competence and worth of such grade to the Nigerian society. Schooling in Nigeria today is now "push them to graduate" without productivity and creativity. For example, a graduate of English Education, who was given a job to manage a administrative office in the ministry of Education and was called upon by the top brass in the ministry to give a solution to an urgent problem at hand but cannot give any reasonable solution emergent problems that Nigerian Educational system is facing is one of such problems that has crippled what schooling is meant to produce.

My fellow Nigerians, we are the moment where schooling should birth an awakening to recognise how we can use "our schooling output" to solve emerging societal problems.

Let's think aright with our uniqueness and think critically to see the needs of the society rather than wasting our time to just to go school. Schooling is nevertheless important as a instrument of change if one can wield it's power effectively.

 ASHAKA YISEYON SUNDAY,

Yiseyonashaka@gmail.com

Lagos State University,OJo, Lagos State, Nigeria.