I have never been a fan of the boarding house system; reasons are that for me it’s not a best way to bring up a child. And it doesn’t help in growing and building a relationship between children and their parents.
I am not saying the boarding schools are a bad idea but simply that it has its disadvantages and advantages. Let us begin with the advantages of attending a boarding house is; Children become stronger, more independent and they strive to work hard in their studies.
Children also have more time to make relationship with their peers and generally have more experiences in social activities.
And the disadvantages like I earlier stated is the relationship between the parents and children could be alienated and also children who are more independent could probably become self-centered and intractable.
I attended a boarding house from my junior class to my senior class and I had my own bitter sweet experiences which has helped me in life and on the other hand didn’t go down well with my family and friends I later made in life. And of course I had no option than to shift grounds and adjust to so many things and it took me time to accomplish it.
A lot of people who attended the boarding house have lots of stories to tell which of course I know my beautiful readers will love to read. I got to speak to some few people to get the low down about their experiences of attending boarding schools I was amazed at what I got at the end of the day.
Check out some experiences and compare it with yours and don’t forget to send your own boarding school experience to us. I will be waiting!
NURA YUSUF: first day in boarding house when I resumed JSS1. I was 9 years and some few months old. As my parent turned back after dropping me off that night, I tried to familiarize myself with my new environment. The so called seniors were looking much matured with moustache and huge (Lol…) to the extent of when I am being called by them I unconsciously answer ‘sir’ only for them to shout back ‘’Are you mad’’ am I your father? Go and fetch me water.
I taught to myself I am just resuming today, I don’t even know where they fetch water from. I reluctantly took the bucket and went to get the water. I made a friend whom later told me I should always get my water at night before the next morning to enable me take my bath early in the morning or else I won’t be able to have my bath in the morning before going for classes(God it was that terrible) the first experiences I had was when I got water before going to class I used my padlock to lock my bucket of water under my bunk only to come back to the hostel and found out that my mattress and water of bucket were both gone(Chai which kind wahala be this) I later found out a senior in my hostel called ‘blood’ took my mattress and bucket of water but out of fear I couldn’t approach him. The experiences are countless and I became wiser and smarter.
SEGUN ADEBAYO: As a guy that spent just 3 terms in the boarding school, I have little experience to share. My sole aim of joining the boarding house was just because if you weren’t a boarder, you didn’t belong to the clique of biggies in school, and no girl would agree to date any day-student unless one got real swags to beat the boarders.
Those days in school, we were not allowed to cook but we would sneak a boiling ring into the peeled wire to boil water in the ceiling. Any of the neighboring hen or fowl that enters into the school compound would be killed, prepared and steamed with our boiling ring in the bournvita can.
The bathrooms are just unbathable to be mild so also the toilets. Early in the morning we would go out to the back of the hostel to bath outside. The terrible part of what cut my hostel duration short was when 2 friends and their girlfriends, I and my girlfriend sneaked out of school to a club in the evening.
We didn’t know our principal also clubs there, the principal saw us without us being aware he was there and the following day, he called us out on the assembly, told us to prostrate and spanked us with many strokes of pankere (one Hausa stick). We were suspended from the hostel and never to return.
SA’ADAT YUSUF: Maimuna where do you even want me to start eh…. (Lol…)
Well my experiences in the boarding house were terrible. First to start with the sporadic punishment, even when you’re still on bed! And such were despicable punishment, waking you up with dish water, plank, cane or sometimes pillow slaps. The worst of it all is the stealing of provisions (Ahh…) this one na normal thing, but it really got me out of this world when my emptied milk and chocolates can were filled up with sands….. (Ahh… I fainted twice).
The poor meal timing were just ‘Hell timing’ I had my breakfast by 11am almost throughout my stay there, am sure anybody that lived in the hostel would find it easier adapting to life in ‘Hell’ (Lol…) Away from the timing, you need to have a peep at what am made to eat, this morning could be 2 balls of Akara and watery pap, the next morning its half-cooked beans. The list plenty eh…. But I really had to enjoy the school a little bit when I graduated into the SS-class come see payback!
CHUKUMA ORJI: chaii my boarding house experiences were horrible and funny at the same time.
I usually sleep in class because I’m always a most wanted at the hostel, they usually call assembly because of me (for refusing to give out my meat at the dining hall or been seen with a senior’s girlfriend)
Ismaila and Kpangolo are always bugling my locker stealing and selling my provision to some hungry senior’s (hope you guys are not criminals now? Lol…) getting punished for writing my name on the ceiling (bad guys things) sneaking out with my ‘mofty’ (baggy jeans and over sized T-shirt) with my favorite school daughter to club (Lol…. May God forgive me) I’ll stop here because the talk plenty.
Use the comment box and kindly share with us your boarding house experience. I will be waiting……
BY MAIMUNA BAGUDU
