NYSC GUIDE

During my NYSC year, I was posted to the most expensive private secondary schools in a town in Kogi State. Tuition was N200k per term. This was about 8 years ago. For context: politicians and wealthy families sent their kids there. My salary was N40k. Almost thrice my NYSC allowance. I was teaching 4 subjects. On my first day, the principal joked, “Here, our students don’t fail.” In my head, I thought, “These students must be brilliant.” First term exams came. I marked, graded, and submitted. Then the principal called me into her office. She said, “Corper Nathan, I wasn’t joking. Students don’t fail here.” Me: “Yes ma, I remember.” Her: “Five students failed your exam. That can’t happen. You need to remark and pass them.” Me: “Ma, it’s not my fault they didn’t do well. Others performed very well.” Her: “Corper Nathan, are you tired of working here? I can call your LGI right now.” Everywhere first blur 😵‍💫😆 Me: “No ma.” Her: “Good. Go and remark and pass them.” I left and did exactly that. Second term, I wasn’t allowed to mark my own exams anymore. The vice principal handled it. As expected, every student passed with flying colours. The two corpers I met there later told me they only taught and set exam questions. They didn’t mark or grade. After service, the principal offered all three of us permanent jobs with a 150k salary. Two of us declined. One accepted. No way I was staying in that diabolical village.

JSS 1 NYSC