Our school system gives us what the country needs

Dear Editor,

I read somewhere that we are glorifying a small percentage of pupils who have earned passes to senior secondary schools. I would also like to congratulate these pupils and wish them well.

While those who were ignored will hardly ever become doctors, scientists and notable poets, they are the ones who will form the foundations of the country. They will be our drivers, conductors, farmers, carpenters, masons, surveyors, mechanics and so many other respectable and dignified job holders. The doctors and the lawyers will need their services in their day-to-day living.

We tend to downplay our average performers in school and try to create in them robotic programming as we do with computers. Our schools are graded at the secondary level and we know which are the ones which graduate many of the low and average performers into antisocial individuals. Each school has its role in giving us the many colourful varieties of humans we encounter in our daily lives.

Imagine having the full cohort of thirteen thousand all gaining over five hundred marks for placement! Imagine our country without business people, people to collect our garbage, fishermen and even dishonest and deceitful people. Would we have need for lawyers and the police? Even greedy and dishonest politicians?

Our school system is giving us what the country needs.

Yours faithfully,

R Udho