School Na Scam But We Still Need It.

When people ask if getting a degree is still worth the effort in 2025, I just laugh sha , because this question is like very common here in Nigeria, you will hear people shouting “school na scam” left and right , especially when they see graduates struggling to find jobs or doing menial work after all the years of stress, but honestly, even though the Nigerian education system has plenty wahala, I still feel like having a degree is something that can open doors for someone in the future.  So let me give you a small example, back then when I was just a housewife, I did not even have plans of going to school then , I was just focused on family life, but from time to time, opportunities would come up maybe one church member hears about a kind of job opening and tells me, I would check the requirements, and boom, the first thing they always ask for is “minimum of OND” or “must have a degree.” and even though I had the skills in one way or the other, I just could not apply because I did not have that paper qualification ,that feeling alone can be very discouraging you know? ,see you know you can do the work, but because of one certificate, you are automatically disqualified. That is why I say even if the system is not perfect, even if school is somehow scam, we still need to pass through it, that certificate acts like a key sometimes, yes, maybe you will not use it immediately, but you never know when life will just bring an opportunity where you will need it. Now, talking about whether I have applied anything I learned in school this past week… honestly, nothing, not a single thing, and that is the funny part about school, we spend years learning theories, formulas, and courses that sometimes doesnt match what life is throwing at us in real time, but does that mean school is totally useless? I do not think so at all ,there are times it will still come through for you, even if it is not every day. so to be honest, the school system in Nigeria needs a whole lot of improvement, like I mean big one, In fact, sometimes it feels outdated, like see we are in 2025, and yet our style of teaching is still stuck in the past, no practical, just plenty notes and exams that test memory more than real understanding, so how is someone supposed to come out and face the modern job market like that? The world is moving fast with technology, AI, creative industries, but most Nigerian schools are not even scratching the surface when it comes to preparing students for that at all and it is very bad. Even simple things like entrepreneurial skills, digital knowledge, or practical life lessons, they do not teach them enough, like people graduate, and it feels like you are starting all over again, learning skills outside school to survive, sometimes I even think if schools in Nigeria can find a balance between theory and real life application, students would benefit more and “school na scam” would not be so popular. So back to the question, is getting a degree still worth it? For me, yes, because I have seen how not having one can limit you, no matter how smart or talented you are, the certificate does not automatically make you successful, but it keeps certain doors open for you, and in this life where opportunities can show up at any time, it is better to be prepared. At the same time, I don’t think degrees should be the only focus, people should also be encouraged to learn skills, explore talents, and build themselves outside the classroom, that way, whether job or no job, you will not just be sitting idle waiting for one certificate to save you. So in conclusion, school may be scam in some ways, but it is a scam we still need to invest in , because one day, that piece of paper might just be the ticket that helps you move forward. _{*Image Is Generated With Meta AI*}