Chapter 2: Results No Be Everything
I don dey lead graduating SS3 classes for years now.
Even before I get grey for my beard, na so my results dey speak for me. Every year, 60% of my students dey enter top federal universities, 35% go top state universities, and the last 5% dey go the very best polytechnics.
To talk true, since I start to teach—apart from my first two years for one remote village—none of my students don ever fall for this wahala wey be the WAEC and JAMB, where everybody dey struggle to cross like say na one thin log bridge.
Sometimes I go dey remember that time for Ogun, how dem go cross river to reach school. For that village, na only one lantern dey the whole compound, but I still try reach each child.
But I no expect say one day, na the parents of my students go face me directly:
"Other teachers dey give students only one day break every week. Why you go dey allow them rest and sleep for Saturday instead of book? You no dey hold them back so? You wicked o! You sure say you fit be teacher?"
No matter how many years I don teach, or how many stubborn students I don handle—
This time, as I face parents wey stubborn, proud, and wahala pass any pikin I don ever meet, I just feel like say I dey use my head knock cement wall.
For my mind, I dey remember say, person fit quarrel with pikin, e go end. But once you enter parent wahala, e dey hard to settle. Everybody wan show say na their child sabi pass.
"With my pikin brain, to enter top ten for the whole state suppose easy. Na because you no dey do your work as class teacher, with exam near like this, my pikin never even enter top fifty. You dey hold am back!"
If to say dem see the effort wey I dey put, e for better. But e be like say na only result matter, no be happiness or growth.
"And you dey call yourself gold-medal teacher? You just dey mislead students."
Some even dey send screenshot of other schools—see how dem dey press students, say na so e suppose be.
"This your soft teaching style dey spoil them."
I just dey read, shake head. For my mind, I dey wonder whether dem know wetin e mean for pikin to dey alive, dey happy.
"My son get sense well well—Unilag or UI no be problem for am. But you tell am make e no stress himself too much, even talk say course of study better pass the school. No be bad advice be that?"
Sometimes I go just ask myself, who really dey raise these expectations—parents or society?