By Esther Obukohwo
“I want to become Oga wife,” Cynthia said without an iota of playfulness.
Of course, her response was met with laughter and jest. The question, “What do you want to become in the future?”, is a generational question children have been asked for decades. I was asked the same question at the age of eleven when a missionary group visited my school. Years later, volunteering for a secondary school outreach became one of the items on my undergraduate bucket list, and I had looked forward to asking that same question to the twelve teenagers sitting before me.
As I engaged them and listened to their responses, however, I realized that something has changed.
Unlike previous generations, where the desire to acquire Professions such as Law, Medicine, Engineering, and Teaching dominated youthful aspirations, the members of JSS2C before me appeared to have little enthusiasm for higher education. One student revealed that his parents had already made provisions for him to learn a trade after his Basic Education Certificate Examination. Florence intended to continue the family foodstuff business in the market. Jeremiah and Jeremy, the twins, spoke excitedly about joining “HK” and becoming “big boys” through internet fraud. And Cynthia simply wanted to get married and become an “Oga wife.”
None of these responses would have been alarming had they been isolated cases. Unfortunately, they reflect a growing ideology among many Nigerian youths—an ideology popularly expressed in three words:
“School na scam.”
In a society where children are increasingly taught to seek wealth rather than knowledge, and where many parents are no longer willing to make sacrifices for the education of their children, one cannot help but ask what values our society now celebrates and what future awaits us.
Education is the bedrock of every civilization. Philosophers throughout history have emphasized its importance, and Plato, in his work The Republic, argued that education is the most important instrument for enlightenment and social stability. Beyond acquiring certificates, education serves as a tool for intellectual, psychological, and moral development. Through education, societies cultivate citizens capable of fostering innovation, progress, and national development.
Yet, there appears to be a growing indifference towards learning among many young people. Educational apathy, defined as a lack of interest, enthusiasm, motivation, or concern for learning and academic excellence, is gradually becoming one of the most disturbing social challenges confronting our society.
This apathy manifests itself in numerous ways. It is evident in declining interest in academics, the normalization of examination malpractice, chronic absenteeism, school dropouts, social media addiction and endless doomscrolling, refusal to engage in critical thinking, poor reading culture, and little or no involvement in intellectual activities. It also reveals itself in celebrity worship, unhealthy peer influence, the get-rich-quick syndrome, and the increasing acceptance of the “School na scam” mentality.
Parents and guardians are not exempt from blame. In many homes, discipline has become scarce and parental involvement in children’s educational development is minimal. Some parents spend little or no time monitoring the academic progress of their children. Others compare their children to their peers, justify laziness, and inadvertently encourage nonchalance. More troubling is the fact that some parents celebrate wealth without questioning its source. In extreme cases, stories abound of parents sponsoring examination malpractice or even encouraging cybercrime and other fraudulent activities. Such actions constitute a grave danger to the moral and intellectual future of our nation.
Teachers, who ought to serve as custodians of knowledge and character formation, have not been entirely exempt from blame either. While many remain committed to their noble profession, disturbing cases exist of educators aiding examination malpractice, demanding illegal fees, and neglecting their responsibility to inspire intellectual curiosity among students. Furthermore, the misuse of artificial intelligence and other technologies as substitutes for genuine learning has contributed to intellectual laziness among some students.
Indeed, it takes a community to raise a child. Where parents and teachers falter, society itself often compounds the problem. Public funds meant for education are sometimes diverted through corruption. Consequently, many public schools are left with leaking roofs, broken desks and chairs, poorly equipped libraries, and inadequate instructional materials. In private schools, the rising cost of education places an enormous burden on families already struggling with poverty and economic hardship. These conditions have contributed significantly to the gradual decline of educational standards.
Another elephant in the room is the “School na scam” ideology itself. Faced with alarming rates of unemployment and underemployment, many young people have become skeptical about the value of education. Thousands of graduates roam the streets despite possessing impressive academic qualifications. Consequently, many youths are forced to ask a painful but legitimate question:
After school, what next?
In the absence of convincing answers, the appeal of instant wealth and shortcuts to success becomes increasingly difficult to resist.
The problem, however, is not without solutions.
I see three pathways towards national recovery: Reorientation, Restructuring, and Renaissance.
First, there must be reorientation. Students, parents, teachers, and society at large must be sensitized to the enduring importance of education. Every stakeholder must understand the role they play in combating this social and intellectual crisis. As a people, we must redirect ourselves from the path of ignorance and materialism towards the illuminating power of knowledge.
Secondly, there must be restructuring. Parents must return to their responsibilities as the first teachers of their children. Teachers must once again embrace their sacred duty of imparting knowledge and inspiring curiosity. Governments, educational boards, and private individuals must invest heavily in infrastructure, libraries, and learning resources. Students themselves must renew their commitment to learning and intellectual growth.
Finally, there must be a renaissance—a rebirth of knowledge, curiosity, and the desire to learn. A society that values knowledge inevitably produces innovation, development, and progress. History has repeatedly shown that civilizations flourish when they prioritize education and decline when they neglect it.
Education remains the birthright of our children, the hope of the common man, and the future of our nation. To abandon it is to mortgage our collective destiny. The “School na scam” ideology may be gaining ground, but it must never become the defining philosophy of a generation.
For where knowledge thrives, societies prosper; and where ignorance is celebrated, civilizations perish.
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