Not long ago I met a pupil in a taxi. She was a young girl in blue uniform with a black school bag and I decided to talk to her.

"How are you?” I asked.

"Sick and tired of not performing well in class,” she answered. 
She pulled out her papers saying, "See. My teacher marks most of my answers wrong. I never get anything right. And, my teacher reads out my name in class among the ones who failed. I do not like that!” By now, I had learnt that her name was Mary. I reached out asking, "Do you know why you fail?”
"No!” she replied.

"What do you do after school?” I asked.

"I go and play with my friends in the neighborhood. Then I watch television, eat and sleep,” Mary replied.

"So, when do you do your homework and revise your books?” I asked with concern.

"Well, sometimes I copy from friends when the teacher is collecting books for marking,” she said.

"Mary, why do you have to copy? Do you not understand what is taught?”

"I understand when the teacher is teaching but forget along the way,” she explained.

"That is the reason why you have to revise your work,” I said.

"Wise children do not go to play having not finished their homework and revision. Each one of them does their school work first and then makes time for play and rest. You should not fail. It is just hard work. God gave you wisdom and wants you to do your best,” I told her.

"I know why I fail. I also play in class when the teacher is teaching. I am never attentive. I have to change. It hurts me when I fail,” Mary sighed as she got out of the taxi determined to score better marks.

Ends