Only those that attend public secondary school in Nigeria can relate

Attending public secondary school in Nigeria is a lot different from other countries. There is distinct aura that makes you feel like, this is really Nigeria.

In this article I’m going to delve deeper into distinct features that makes Nigeria public secondary schools stand out.

1.  Uniform: The first unique thing that is associated with Nigeria public secondary schools is the uniform. The uniform is a dressing code of each school, different schools with different fashion/styles of uniform varying in colours ranging from red, white, blue, brown to lilac, green, and pink.

2.  Low cut hair: It doesn’t matter where you are from, whether rich or humble background so far you find yourself in Nigeria public secondary school; you have to cut your hair.  This is not only for the boys; the girls as well must undergo this tradition.

3.  Discipline: Teachers are not only in school to teach students, but also to order, correct and punish them. Any student caught disobeying the schools rules and regulations will be punished. Punishment can be in form of beating with canes on the buttock or palm of the hands. Student can also be sent to clean school toilet, school farm, surroundings, etc as a form of punishment. Depending on the level of disobedience committed, some students are suspended or expelled.

4.  Greetings: As a custom all students must stand up to greet any teacher that comes into their classroom. If you are within the school environs, you must greet and teachers or staff you pass by.

5.   Assembly: At exactly 8 a.m. the assembly bell goes off and every student gathered in front of the school for praise and worship. The assembly prefect prays after which the national and school anthem are recited, everyone matches to his/her classroom.

6.  Cleanliness: Students are responsible for the neatness of their schools. Once you are in public secondary school, forget about any employed helpers to clean up your school environment or classroom because it’s now your duty as a student.

7.  Late comers: In Nigeria any student that arrive school after 8 a.m. is labeled as late-corner and will be punish in any of the above mentioned discipline.

8.  Culture: There is this believe in Nigeria that left hand brings bad luck, so anything you do, do not use left hand. That doesn’t mean there are no left hand student in school, what I mean is that you don’t raise your left and to answer a question or to give something to your teacher; it is consider rude.

9.  Classrooms setting: I have watched many foreign movies and I see that high students move from one classroom to another to attend classes. Such is the opposite in Nigeria secondary school; it is teacher that moves from one classroom to another to teach students.

Which of the above do you think is barbaric and should be abolished? Feel free to tell me in the comment section below.

Roles of Prefect in secondary schools in Nigeria

Nothing gives you more joy than being elected as a prefect, it makes you feel like a boss and many students use it to their capability. To be elected as a prefect is not something easy or trivial, you have to be hardworking, smart, neat, outspoken, and many other positive features.

Now let’s get down to business and list the names and roles of prefect.

1.     Senior/Head prefect: This is most respectable of all prefects. It is the highest post in the hierarchy, after the teachers and staff of school this person is next in line. His/her role is to ensure that all other prefects are doing their work properly.

2.     Assistance Senior/Head prefect: As the name implies, The person heading this position work alongside with the Head prefect. He/she offer assistance in case the head prefect is indisposed.

3.     Labour prefect: This is the only position with many students. Their job is to ensure that the surroundings of the school are tidy. Toilets, school assembly, staff rooms, principal’s office, laboratory, etc. must be cleaned.

4.     Health prefect: The role of the person elected for this position is to attend to any sick student by taking them to the school clinic.

5.     Social prefect: social prefect and the assistance social prefect represent the school in debates and completions within and outside of the school. The students elected for this position are smart and intelligent; they win awards and trophies for the school.

6.     Assembly prefect: The student in this position offers the praises and worship on the assembly ground every morning.

7.     Stylist prefect: There roles is to check on student dressing from head to toe. From uniform to hair to socks, it must be according to dress code.

8.     Cultural prefect: Their roles is just like the social prefect but theirs is anything culture related, like cultural dances, plays, etc

9.     Food and Nutrition prefect: The student in this role enjoys free food for the rest of his/her tenure. All food brought to the food vendor for selling to students will first be examined by the food & nut prefect to make sure it’s safe for consumption.

10. Sport prefect: All sports activities are carried out by the student in this position. He/she sign up athletic students for games practices. They also go for school sport competitions and win trophies for the school.

Back in those days I was the social prefect, and it was fun as we (with my assistance) go from one school to another to represent our school. I remember that time we won a refrigerator, for once I thought they would allow us take it home, lol.

Share your experience as a prefect in your school in the comment box below.

Secondary Schools Education in Nigeria

I’m writing this article for those outside Nigeria or inside wondering how education is in Nigeria.

Secondary schools education in Nigeria is for students ages 10-16. However, nowadays there has being quite changes in the age nevertheless secondary school education is a 6 years education system- 3 years in junior secondary school (Middle school) and another 3 years senior secondary school (High school).

The first year of junior school many students that come from private primary schools find it interesting and overwhelming because everything becomes different. Right from the teachers, new students discover that there are different teachers for different subjects unlike where they have only one teacher for all their subjects in primary school.

Most students in junior school in Nigeria takes 12-15 subjects and everyone attend the same classes. Subjects like Mathematics, English language, Basic/Integrated science, Social studies, introductory technology, Religious study, Home economics, Civic education, Physical and Health Education etc

Senior secondary education is quite interested, this is where your future begins, and this is where you decide if you want to be in commercial, science or art class. The difference in the class is the subject they offer, sciences classes require you take physics, chemistry, biology. Commercial classes require you take Financial accounting, commerce, Economics. It is compulsory you take Literature-in-English, Government, Religious studies for Art classes.

Secondary school education Is fun in Nigeria as you will meet a lot of people with different ethnic character which will also add to your life experience.

Each subject is divided into period in a time-table. There are nine periods in each day with different subjects, sometimes a subject may have two periods and at times there are free periods when student. Each period lasted for an hour, the time keeper prefect keeps tab of time for each period by ringing the bell. Once the bell goes off, the class captain for each class goes to the staff/teachers room to call the subject-teacher that fall into their period on time-table.

The sixth period is usually for break which lasted for 30 minutes, this when students go to the food vendor and get something to eat and refuel for the rest of the classes.

School closes by 3pm with the exception of Friday when all schools closes by 1pm. Some students stay for extra lesson, where they are taught advanced syllabus.

I would love to hear from you guy what you experience was when you were in secondary school, was it as fabulous as mine?

Feel free to leave your comments below.