The rate at which some undergraduates see suicide as the only escape route for low grades in their academics is really baffling. Countless number of students at the tertiary level had committed suicide prior to recent reported cases. Such cases are becoming rampant in our institutions of higher learning.
It saddens the heart that our future leaders take their lives just because of low scores, which is as a result of the stigma placed on students with low grades and the high esteem given to students with higher performance and for fear of being asked to withdraw and becoming a disappointment to their parents.
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Not everyone would be academically proficient, though I am not disputing the fact that academics is a key factor in areas of our lives but not withstanding, students with low grades should not be treated like aberration. Lecturers should step up their methods of teaching to help slow learners where necessary.
The country’s view on students with high academic performance should not make students with low grades timid; not everyone comes out with distinctions but having the basis is what is essential. Students with low grades should not be allowed to wallow in a state of distress that can encourage suicidal tendencies.
Low grades might end up destabilizing the students emotionally, but suicide should never be seen as the only option for failure.
Arowosegbe Tolulope,
tolulopearowosegbe@gmail.com
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