I strongly believe that Koreans are Nigerians In a different font because a lot of our struggles look the same. They have a mandatory military service year, we’ve got NYSC. Their parents are strict, and so are Nigerian parents. But their secondary schools? Might as well be owned by a Nigerian. Here’s why.
1. Teachers be beating kids almost to death
Every Nigerian child that went to a Nigerian school probably heard a story or witnessed someone almost get beaten to death. In Korea, corporal punishment is technically prohibited. But K-dramas normalise it.
2. Intense bullying
In secondary school, you’re either the bullied, the bully or the protector of the bully. And Korean and Nigerian kids could win an award for being overall bests in bullying. Almost every high school K-drama protagonist has to deal with a terrible bully. In All of Us Are Dead for example, imagine your bully becoming a zombie.
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3. Dumb class rivalries.
In Nigeria, if the SS3 girls didn’t fight with SS2 girls in your school or JSS3 A AND JSS3 C didn’t hate each other’s guts, did you even school here? In Korea, the students in the best and worst classes always have beef with each other, but that’s just part of secondary school, I guess.
4. Seniors have way too much power over junior students
In Nigerian high schools, seniors low key have more power than teachers. It’s insane. In Korea, you dare not disrespect your sunbae
5. Long-ass school days
The average Nigerian high school student spends eight hours in school as a day student, not counting after-school lessons. People in boarding school, counting afternoon and night prep, spend about 13-14 hours. Korean schoolers spend 12-16 hours in a classroom every day. This is why secondary school kids are scary. They wake up every day running on vibes.
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6. Saturday classes
After stressing kids out all week, some teachers would still have the audacity to drag them to school on Saturday for classes. Is that not wickedness? Nigerian and Korean kids need to band together and fight this nonsense!
7. Weird student ranking systems
Thankfully, Nigerian schools don’t have the weird type of ranking system Koreans have, where you’d know who’s number one in the entire school and who’s the last. But Nigerian kids can relate to the stigma of taking the last position or the fake friendships that come with being first.
