Growing up in Nigeria, I realised that education is not something everybody gets, even though it should be for everyone. Where I come from, going to school depends on many things money, family belief, and sometimes whether you are a boy or a girl.
I was lucky. My parents believed in sending all their children to school, no matter the gender. My father used to say, “Book is the only thing I can give you that nobody can take.” But not every child around me had that kind of support. I saw some families focus more on boys and forget the girls. Some parents would say, “Why send a girl to school? She will marry one day.”
I remember my friend Mariam. She was very smart in primary school, always coming first in our class. We used to sit together and talk about how we would become doctors or teachers one day. But after primary six, her father refused to send her to secondary school. He believed that sending a female child to school was a total waste of money, he was from the northern part of the country so they do not value education for a female child.
Mariam had to stay back after primary school, he always helped her mother to sell vegetables or go to the farm with the father, the father prioritize the male child because he would be the one to retain the family legacy and believe the female child will marry one day and change her surname, I still remember that anytime I see Mariam she is always downcast and lonely, this always It hurt me because I knew she had dreams just like us.
I remember my class that year, the number of boys was always more than the girls. Sometimes it was almost double. It was not because girls were not smart in fact, the girls who stayed in school often did better than the boys. The problem was that many girls didn’t even get the chance to continue. Poverty played a big role too. I also knew boys who dropped out because their parents couldn’t pay fees or needed them to work and bring money home.
My own school days were not as rosy as people who were born in a wealthy family. There are challenges we face as students that year, I remember a day that it rained and we were all drenched because the school roof was leaking, it was so sad because some of us developed cold that day, things are now better in this generation, education is not stress-free unlike those years. some days, we sat on broken chairs but I still enjoyed going to school because I knew I was lucky to be there.
In my opinion I think education should be free for all but it is not, I was scrolling on TikTok when I saw a woman lamenting on how the school fees skyrocketed, even the government Schools are no longer free, the school fees most people pay in primary schools is enough for an adult to finish tertiary institutions, I believe our government can do better in this country by prioritizing education over estates and buying of jets.
Education is never a scam anymore and it shouldn't be only for the rich, everyone should have access to good education because education changes so many things, It helps you think better and dream bigger. Everyone should be proud of getting something better, I’m grateful for my parents because they value education and gave us the best.
Getting educated is a blessing, but it should not be based on luck. It should be something every child gets, no matter where they come from or whether they are a boy or a girl.
This is my response to this episode of hivelearners community prompt of #hl-w178e01 which the topic is tagged GETTING EDUCATED
