TEACHER: Good morning, students, I am here to enlighten you on some
salient points, which I believe are not clear to you.
I am very concerned that I needed to make some clarifications as you
prepare to take the first and crucial step that will shape your future career.
In the next few months you will be called upon to register for those subjects
that you will sit for in your higher school exams, as I said earlier, this will
form the basis for your next exams, where you will be selected to study the
course that will set you, probably, your feet, on future career, if only you
pass your higher school exams first, which is my concern now.
The future I know is ready to accommodate those who prepared for it, and
the starting point is here, and now, if only you can seize the opportunity.
STUDENT LEADER: Sir, thank you. This is very interesting because this
morning you are sounding like the guidance and counselor! Or is it me that
is seeing what others did not see?
ANOTHER STUDENT: Leader, you are correct, you have spoken well, our
Agric. teacher has turned to career counselor jare. There is a deviation
from the norm because when we got your summon sir, we assumed that
you were going to tell us what to expect in our forthcoming examinations,
as it concerns the subject, agriculture.
TEACHER: My good students, your observations are very good, and apt
too, but at the same time, I am in the best position to advise you as you
take your first step into uncharted future, by the combination of subjects
you are about to offer for your higher school exams.
My advice to you, even, becomes more imperative, due to some
discussions I had with the Principal last week, where he said, only ten of
you are ready to sit for Agricultural Science, as a subject in your next
higher exams out of two hundred and fifty students.
STUDENT: Sir, but what do you expect? Even that ten is still a very good
number and we are surprised that we can have so many students sitting for
Agricultural science.
If you ask those students to stand up for recognition now, I doubt if they will
do that, they will be too ashamed. Who wants to be a farmer anyway?
TEACHER: So, nobody wants to be a farmer? When everyone goes to
other professions, what will they eat when nothing comes from the farm?
STUDENT LEADER: Do we give farmers the recognition they deserve in
this our society? Any respect for them like other professions? When they
showcase them, they are either looking haggard and hungry looking,
clothed in a very tattered dress, clutching primitive hoes and cutlasses, no
special respect, no good house nor good car, nothing to inspire anybody, in
the ways they are treated, how do we then queue up for that type of
profession? No be juju be that?
Whereas, when you see Doctors, Nurses, Engineers, Pharmacists,
Scientists, Lawyers and the baba of all of them, politicians etc, etc.
These are the people or group of professions who are allowed to occupy
important positions in our town and society at large, they are the group of
people recognised, not farmers.
So, sir, why would you want us to study Agric. Science, when nobody will
recognise us, not even government?
TEACHER: Thanks, do you know that all these professions you mentioned
depend solely on farming and farmers, you ask me why? Without even
going far, you will agree with me, that nobody can stay alive without
farmers they are the people who till the soil to make food available for
everybody, in the process too, so many raw materials are made available
for various productions in our industries. In short, no town can boast of
being a town, without farmers.
I will just ask you, to take a second look at those subjects that you are
offering for your higher school exams, the future of Agric and farmers are
very bright in this town, this I assure you.
STUDENT LEADER: Hmn!
TEACHER: Our new king has assured us, that he will pay necessary
attention to agriculture, same with his second in command, they promised
that, during their own reign, nobody will go to bed hungry.
That means, whoever chooses to be a farmer, as from now on, in this our
town, will be well taken care of by the king, this means the person will lack
nothing.
Those professions you look at as being better, will queue behind farming,
and there will be live abundance.
STUDENT LEADER: Thank you, Sir, this is not a decision we can take on
our own, let's go home to our parents and guardians to sort things out, who
knows?
May God bless our town and you too Sir.