Page 48 - Grundtvig International Secondary School Yearbook 2019

THE TONE OF DEPRESSION ARTICLE
AMONG NIGERIAN STUDENTS

N igerian students have a lot of issues bugging their minds. They are passing through a lot that
some adults cannot see any problem in.

For instance, a Nigerian student reads day in, day out and writes an examination with high hopes of
passing. He comes out with a 'c' instead of an 'A' and requests for a review of his papers and scores. He
might be insulted and thrown out of the office like trash. With this development, the student is
obviously discouraged. I'm not saying that it happens in this way but it could happen in either less
harsh or in more brutal ways. Someone that has a problem with the retrieval of stored information in
the hall has a high tendency of being
insulted and humiliated in front of his In many Nigerian schools, speaking
peers. After passing through this up and airing your views are heavy
humiliating experience, all the will and and unforgivable crimes. We are
courage in him disappears and some being trained to take over the
adults would complain that students of
nowadays are having brain problems. I'm leadership of this country in the
not saying that we don't have some future but the so called future
problem students. What I'm saying is that leaders are trained to be afraid of
there is little encouragement for those speaking their minds.
that are willing, thus making the
population of problem students to
increase. You will definitely not blame all of them. When the weak students are this vulnerable and
their ego insulted, they find ways to boost it. Why do we have a high rate of examination malpractice?
Do not totally blame it actively on unseriousness; part of the blame goes to discouragement.

Some students are also insulted and their images tarnished for no justifiable reason. It's funny how a
student could meet a teacher for the first time and is told by him how much he is loathed at that first
meeting. I have friends who have totally given up trying to pass some particular subjects because
according to them, no matter how hard they try, it doesn't make any difference. Right in front of you, a
teacher will blatantly castigate your brain capacity. Why? You receive insults that even as the dumbest
student, you are afraid to ascribe to yourself. Students look at the teachers that tell them how much

046 Grundtvig Interna onal Secondary School