Why do students cut Grass in Nigerian Schools?

by | Jun 9, 2016 | Editor's Muse, Websites | 4 comments

I don’t mean cutting with lawn mowers or any such contraptions,  I am talking about the o’l school-kumbaya-grandpa’s cutlass. 

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I remember when we were in boarding house we had a list,  the house master or mistress would check us in with this list:

2 white bedsheet
1 cover clothe
Mosquito Net
.
.
.
1 cutlass
1 hoe
1 Bamboo cane

And may God bless your soul,  just forget the cutlass and hoe but please bring the Bamboo cane.  Some public schools also had to buy these items and each pupil’s name would be inscribed on it.

I think our house master,  usually looked for the hottest afternoons to initiate the gardening exercise. It was during one of such exercises that In discovered that bending the cutlass at its tip actually made cutting very easy.

I decided to write this post as a way to remember some things I learnt in school,  while dreading the torturous environment we had to endure for learning to take place.

We were told that cutting grass was a way to teach us “discipline”,  I think the school just needed cheap labour!!  What do you think?

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4 Comments

  1. Adedibu Ruth

    I really don’t get it either, it was a part of boarding school i did not like… Long hours in the sun, sore blisters on my palms… Just glad that phase is over.

    Reply
    • creativeriterz

      We also have this in common, I see. Didn’t know you also were in boarding house… Wow!

      Reply
  2. Tolu

    Mine was similar to this,we call it manual labour.After cutting grasses,we ‘scrape’ it.By using our hands to uproot and broom to sweep.It was not an experience,I love.There was practically no way to avoid it,except you are in the senior class.Boarding school could be tough at times!

    Reply
    • creativeriterz

      Wondering why a number of people seem to have enjoyed what seemed like torture to people like me lol.. Thanks for reading through.

      Reply

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