How My Teachers Derailed My Dream of Becoming a Lawyer — Tunde Onakoya: Tunde Onakoya has shared how his early dream of becoming a lawyer did not work out because of the pressure he faced from his secondary school teachers. According to him, his teachers pushed him into Science and made the Arts look like a path meant only for students they saw as not intelligent enough.
The Nigerian chess champion and Guinness World Record holder talked about this experience while reflecting on his secondary school days. He explained that many teachers at the time believed that only the brightest students should study Science, while Arts students were often tagged as dull. This mindset affected him deeply and influenced the direction his education took before he fully understood what it meant for his future.
He said he had always loved debates, enjoyed using words, and truly wanted to become a lawyer. That dream was clear to him even as a young student. However, his teachers refused to allow him to follow the Arts class. They insisted that he belonged in Science, even though that was not where his interest was. In his words, one of his biggest regrets is allowing his teachers to convince him that the Art class was for dull students while the smartest ones had to be in Science. He explained that he wanted to study Arts, but he was not given that chance.
Tunde also pointed out that this decision was made for him at a very young age, a time when he did not have the confidence or understanding to question authority. He believes that this same situation has affected many Nigerian students, where teachers decide their future paths without considering their passions or talents.
“They made that choice for me before I even understood what it meant,” he said. He added that he is sure this kind of decision has changed the lives of many Nigerian children in ways they may never fully recover from.
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Source: Campus informant, Tribune
