From a young age, many students are conditioned to believe that academic excellence means excelling in everything and this includes scoring the highest grades across all subjects, mastering every topic with equal flair, and proving themselves to be “all-rounders.” This pressure does not only weigh heavily on students; it also influences the expectations of parents and educators, often creating a learning environment where the worth of a child is subtly tied to their ability to excel in every subject. But what if this belief is misplaced? What if the pressure to be the best at everything is, in fact, hindering the true potential and mental well-being of learners?
The idea that every student must be exceptional in all subjects is a myth that ignores the individuality of learning styles, the diversity of talents, and the natural variation in human strengths. In a world where specialisation increasingly shapes professional success, it becomes crucial to re-examine this culture of perfectionism and its impact on young learners.
According to a 2025 research gate report, 78% of secondary school students in developing countries like Nigeria reported experiencing academic stress linked to the pressure of achieving high scores across all subjects. This stress has been closely tied to burnout, anxiety, and, in severe cases, school dropouts. The human brain is not designed for uniform excellence. Neurological studies confirm that while we can develop competence in multiple areas, deep mastery often comes at the cost of focusing intensely on fewer disciplines. Albert Einstein, famously weak in languages and rote memorisation during his school years, is a testament to how focusing on natural inclinations rather than uniform mastery can lead to breakthroughs. Likewise, celebrated author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has often spoken about how literature, not mathematics, defined her path despite being considered “average” in other academic fields.
The expectation of excelling in every subject also sets students up for unrealistic standards of self-worth. It sends the message that a struggling grade in one area diminishes the value of their strengths in others. This is not only intellectually unfair but also emotionally damaging. When a child with extraordinary talent in creative writing is made to feel “less than” because of poor performance in chemistry, or when a mathematically gifted student is punished for weak essay writing, we inadvertently teach them to see learning as punitive rather than empowering.
Furthermore, education is not meant to produce uniformity but diversity. Every profession and innovation that drives society forward depends on the varied strengths of individuals. Many graduates who secured early career employment did so in fields directly linked to one or two core areas of their academic strength, not in the entirety of their school subjects. This mirrors global trends: the 2024 World Economic Forum skills report identified “specialised expertise” as one of the top three most valuable attributes for employability in the coming decade.
This is not to say that students should neglect certain subjects or dismiss the importance of a broad-based curriculum. Foundational literacy and numeracy, critical thinking, and exposure to different disciplines are vital for well-rounded intellectual development. However, there is a difference between having a balanced educational foundation and striving for uniform brilliance. The former prepares students for life; the latter often prepares them for disappointment.
Allowing students to recognise their strengths and weaknesses also fosters resilience and self-awareness. It helps them build realistic academic goals and focus on areas where they can make meaningful contributions. Imagine a classroom where students are encouraged to identify their “zones of excellence” while being supported to achieve basic competence in less favoured subjects, rather than shamed for not being top performers in them. This approach nurtures passion, reduces toxic competition, and builds a more authentic love for learning.
Parents and teachers have a crucial role to play in this shift. Instead of asking a child why they are not “as good as others” in every subject, the better question is: what unique abilities are they showing, and how can those be supported? Also, students who received strength-based mentoring improved their overall academic engagement by 42% compared to those who were constantly pushed to “catch up” in their weakest subjects.
The pressure to excel uniformly also raises questions about the purpose of education. Is the goal to produce students who can tick every box on a report card, or to nurture thinkers, creators, problem-solvers, and innovators? In a fast-evolving world where careers are increasingly nonlinear and interdisciplinary, what employers, institutions, and society need are individuals who can apply their strengths to create value, rather than those who can merely memorise everything with equal perfection.
Students must also internalise this truth: struggling in one subject does not define their intelligence, future prospects, or self-worth. Bill Gates, for instance, was average in several school subjects, yet his focus on computing transformed the world. The same applies to countless engineers, doctors, entrepreneurs, and creatives who did not graduate as “best in all” but mastered their niche. Excellence is not about omnipotence; it is about significance.
So, why is it okay not to be the best in every subject? Because education is not a contest of universal mastery, it is a journey of self-discovery and contribution. Being average in some areas is not failure; it is human. It is the recognition that one cannot build a skyscraper while also planting every flower in the garden with equal expertise. Prioritisation is not weakness; it is wisdom.
For Nigerian schools and indeed, schools globally, the call is to redesign assessment systems that overly reward uniformity and punish specialisation. Continuous assessment should not only track deficiencies but also spotlight emerging talents. Guidance counsellors should be empowered to help students map their strengths to realistic academic and career paths. And most importantly, a cultural shift must occur where being “good enough” in some areas is as respected as being exceptional in others.
The true danger lies not in a child’s inability to master all subjects but in a system that tells them they must, at all costs, or they are not worthy. Once this pressure is lifted, students can focus on what truly matters: curiosity, growth, and meaningful achievement. In the end, the measure of education is not in producing “perfect” students but fulfilled and capable individuals who know their worth, own their strengths, and embrace their limitations as part of the learning journey.
