School didn’t teach you to dream—it taught you to pass. They promised education would open doors, but it locked you in a cycle of tests, rules, and fear. But all it taught you was how to memorize, obey, and survive. You memorized answers, not solutions. Now you hold certificates, but the world doesn’t care about your grades. The world doesn’t reward paper—it rewards value. It begs for your fixes. Why settle for a piece of paper when you could change lives?
In Most countries like Nigeria, schools were built to make workers, not thinkers. Students aren’t trained to question, build, or innovate—they’re trained to pass. The goal? High test scores, not high impact. These systems, left over from colonial and industrial times, trained people to follow orders, not to lead. Picture kids in crowded classrooms, scribbling notes to ace exams, not to solve real problems. Their prize? A degree that often leads nowhere.
This breaks so many. Graduates freeze when they make mistakes. Workers stumble when things get tough. Young people think “smart” means high marks, not fixing what’s broken, Youths who think success is about being "book smart," not problem-solving smart. Tests are quick; but life’s challenges last forever. No exam teaches you to fight corruption, open a shop, or lift your family out of poverty.
UNESCO says 60% of African graduates lack skills for today’s jobs. In Nigeria alone, millions with degrees can’t find work because they were taught to cram, not create.
Why do we cheer for schools that value test scores over solutions, reward cramming over creating? Why call someone brilliant for memorizing a book, not for how well they solve problems or build a better world? It’s time to question what “education” really means.
Kunle was the pride of his Lagos school. He could recite history dates, solve math in his head, and write essays that made teachers clap. His report cards sparkled with A’s, and his family dreamed of his big future. Scholarships rolled in, and everyone said, “Kunle’s going places!”
But after graduation, Kunle’s dreams hit a wall. He tried starting a small clothing business, but it collapsed. Then a food stall—failed. Four tries, four flops. He couldn’t read what customers wanted, haggle with suppliers, or stay calm under pressure. School gave him grades, not grit.
One hot afternoon at Oshodi market, Kunle met Mama Tolu, a trader with no schooling. Her English was rough, but her three stalls buzzed with customers. When prices spiked, she bargained like a pro. When sales slowed, she sold new items—fruits one day, fabrics the next. She read people, not books, and that made her rich.
Kunle’s certificates felt like stones in his pocket. He’d been trained to pass tests, not to survive the real world. Mama Tolu, with no degree, was outsmarting him. That day burned in his heart: School had taught him to follow, not to fight for his future.
Test-driven schools don’t create leaders—they create followers, obedient workers. They teach you to copy answers, not craft solutions. To memorize facts, not master skills. To dread mistakes, not chase breakthroughs. This isn’t a mistake—it’s by design.
Colonial and industrial powers built these systems to produce clerks who’d serve empires, not thinkers who’d challenge them. Today, those old roots still choke our schools. Emotionally, it conditions shame which hurts deep. Imagine a kid failing a test and hearing “You’re useless, dull girl or lazy boy.” Not because they lack intelligence, but because they don’t fit the mold. This shame follows them for years—killing confidence, curiosity, and courage.
In Kenya, kids as young as 10 face exams that decide their future. Fail, and they’re labeled “dumb,” carrying shame into adulthood. That pain kills their confidence, their curiosity, their courage to try. In Nigeria, parents push kids to “pass at all costs,” even if it means cheating, because a certificate feels like the only path. But it’s a trap.
It also trains you to stay quiet. You sit in class, listen, copy notes, and repeat what the teacher says. Asking “Why?” feels like trouble. Thinking differently feels like a crime. The message is clear: Don’t question—just obey, Don’t think. Just memorize. This hurts your wallet and the damage shows in the economy, too. Graduates flood the streets, chasing scarce jobs instead of creating their own. Who wait for opportunities instead of building them. It breeds dependence, not design.
In 2014, 520,000 Nigerian graduates applied for just 4,000 Immigration Service jobs, some dying in the desperate stampede. That’s not a job market—it’s a battlefield. The problem isn’t just too few jobs; it’s that graduates weren’t taught to make their own paths. They learned to wait for opportunities, not make them.
Who wins from this?
Exam boards rake in cash from exam fees. Companies get workers who don’t argue and would accept the lowest wages just to be employed.
Leaders get people too scared to question broken systems.
Politicians who fear a population that questions systems.
Who loses?
The youth, stuck in a cycle of “study, pass, wait.”
The poor, who bet everything on a degree that doesn’t deliver.
The dreamers, told to settle for less.
Those who want more but were taught to settle for less.
This isn’t education—it’s a chain. It programs you to survive, not thrive. But you can break it by choosing to solve, not just pass.
School should light a fire in you to fix things, not just scrape by, train you to solve, not just survive. Your smarts aren’t your test scores or grades—they’re your ability to grow. Can you build something? Can you bounce back? Can you lead others?
Knowing a book inside out isn’t enough. Real skill is using what you know to change your life—teaching it to others, trying it in the real world, or building something new with it.
Think of a carpenter. His value isn’t in reciting how to hammer a nail—it’s in building a house. Your education should work the same way: Teach you to build, not just to brag about your tools. You weren’t born to pass exams. You were born to tackle problems—big ones, small ones, yours, or your community’s.
Any school that doesn’t show you how to solve real world problems isn’t lifting you up—it’s holding you down. It's programming you, not preparing you.Don’t let a system define your worth. Your power is in the problems you fix, not the tests you pass. Break free and start solving.
Ready To Ditch Test-Thinking? Here Are 7 Ways To Start Solving Problems And Building Your Future:
Use what you learn: Next time you study, ask, “How can this make money, fix a problem, or build something?” If you’re learning math, calculate costs for a small business idea.
Fix real problems: Look around for issues in your life or community—maybe your street’s full of trash or your neighbor needs work. List 3 ways to help. Don’t wait for a perfect answer—train your problem-solving muscle. Even small ideas train your brain to solve.
Don’t fear messing up: Fail fast. It's okay to Ask questions in class or at work, even if they think they're "dumb" questions or make an ugly draft. Make rough sketches of your ideas. Mess up, laugh, and try again. Growth comes from mistakes.
Start something small: Sell snacks, start a blog, or offer a service like fixing phones. One Nigerian teen sold homemade soap online and paid her school fees. You learn more by Doing than waiting.
Find builders: Join groups of people making things—online forums, local markets, or WhatsApp entrepreneur chats. Learn from folks who solve, not just study.
Share what you know: Teach a friend something simple, like cooking or using an app. Post a quick tip on TikTok. Teaching makes you to truly understand. Share your knowledge online or offline, even in small ways.
Track your wins: Every week, write one problem you solved, no matter how small. Fixed a bike? Helped a sibling study? That’s progress.
Action:
Think: What skill do you have on paper but never used?
Can You Say to yourself: “I’m not here to pass. I’m here to try to solve problems.”
What else did you learn to copy but never truly own? Your future isn’t tied to a test score—it’s tied to the problems you solve, the people you help, the mark you leave. You’re not just a student or a worker. You’re a fixer, a builder, a dreamer with power.
Start today. Fix something small—a broken chair, a neighbor’s problem, a gap in your skills. Try something new, even if it flops. Every step makes you stronger.
Till then, don’t just pass through life. Grab it, shape it, fix it. The world’s waiting for your solutions.
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