BREAK THE WALLS OF SHAME – BY EMMANUEL IKOROMASOMA

Napoléon remarked; “the world is spoilt today not
because of the violent mass but because of the quiet few”. Today, I refuse to
be ostracized and conditioned by the term ‘SCHOOLING’. It is an institution
that has over-lived.

Chuck Grassley remarked; what makes a child gifted
and talented may not always be good grades in school but a different way of
looking at learning and the world, but because we fail to understand these, we
allow ourselves to be clouded by classroom mentality forgetting the fact that,
there is no one way to learning and as such every child have different dreams,
different views, different opinions and approach learning in a diversified way
and not just classroom mentality, yet these kids are taught same way, same
methods and using same techniques.

My dad once said, son, you won’t make it without
the school! But it kept me wondering why and how, because 95% of the world
greatest men never did and even if they do, they never finished school. But if
I am forced to ask, who is telling a lie? Is it my dad? Or my primary school
teacher whom I stumbled unto while seated alone in my thinking corner, I
 took a walk to the past in my thoughts were I found Miss Margret telling
me, “you are the leader of tomorrow but before you become the leader you need
to go to school”. Now let me ask you, how many persons went to school and
became a leader? How many times have you used Pythagoras theorem, and the
almighty formula in real life situations?.  We are the leaders of tomorrow
but the irony is leaders of five years ago are still our leaders today! this
has kept many wondering why and when will tomorrow come! These are the lies
they feed us with. Now listen, tomorrow is only an illusion that exist within
the contemplation of the mind. Have you ever bordered to ask, why don’t they
tell us, we are leaders of today? That’s because they know the school is a
metaphor of failure and as such seen as a concrete wall that prisons
creativity, intellectualism and productivity. The school is nothing but a
mirage of reality.

Its high time we understood, Education is not just
an institution. We are still clouded with this four walls, that 95% of the
things it teaches us is compete for grade. No focus on intelligence rather how
to memorize and compete for grade. I still stand with education the reason I
hate school, but the irony remains am a graduand. But if  they had told me
the truth like Margret Mead I wouldn’t have been there. The School is only a
wall that prisons creativity. Now see, most student find it difficult to
venture into extra curricular activities like politics, sports and learning
skills because of the mentality ‘if I venture into it I will have poor result
and there after I will fail’ but the question is, how many of them failed while
trying? It depends on our definition of failure anyway.  I could remember
vividly my 200level when I met a lecturer from another university who came to
assist my lecturer in invigilating his exam. I could Also remember how he
called me outside and said, I like your style and how you comport yourself,
 but leave women because they will definitely come rather focus only in
SCHOOL. And I sarcastically said yes because, he didn’t say focus on EDUCATION.
School school and school is the etymology of our lack of creativity and until
these walls are broken like that of Berlin the school will continue to decide
our fate.

Many a times, I have wished I could be like Margret
mead, whose mother kept her out of school for her to be educated, rather than
myself that was flogged, bitten and starved just for failing a course in
school. But I tell you, if only my future where to be determined by my
performance on an examination, I would not be where I am today. But don’t take
my words for that, take Michelle Obama’s (First lady America) and I quote; “if
my future were to be determined just by my performance in a standardized test I
would not be here”. Often times, they quote scholars and great men who went to
school and became great. But statistics have shown 80% of our learning is done
outside the classroom and as such it will be wise to conclude the school never
made them great rather there strong point did!. Don’t miss quote me, I mean
don’t miss quote me, I am not against the school but classroom mentality, but how
do you differentiate the school from classroom? 

Education is weigh more than the school, it teaches
how to be fully human, to learn, understand and how the mind and body works,
and letter let each person focus on their own path to knowledge. Let’s do away
with school spirit, classroom mentality because it doesn’t teach student how to
cultivate ideas, intelligence and creativity, it only teaches them, how to
memorize and compete for GRADE. Rather we should focus on self-education,
collaboration, entrepreneurship, networking, creativity, dreams, talents,
intellectualism and virtual learning.

Yes the school might be vital, but it is backward
and as such remains an institution that has over-lived and should be polished!.