"21k USD" is trending number 1 on Twitter with over 100,000 tweets after a video clip which captured a father slapping his son for an abysmal performance in exam surfaced online.
The Zambian father, visibly furious, found it unfathomable why his son who schools at American International School of Lusaka, Zambia, would refuse to show up for Mathematics and English papers, fail in all other subjects except Music which he passed with distinction.
Knowing that the performance is a slap in the face, to say the least, having paid twenty-one thousand dollars ($21,000) as tuition fee – equivalent of one hundred and twenty-thousand Ghana cedis (GHC120,706) – the parent repeatedly slapped the ward who sat in one of the chairs in their sitting room.
“Stop beating him,” a woman believed to have filmed the incident was heard saying.
“This is stupidity. You can’t be saying I should stop beating him. You know what this means,” the man retorted as he continued with the act.
The incident has stoked a conversation on social media with tweeps expressing mixed reactions. Some have also been disclosing how their parents reacted towards their examination results back in the day – justifying the resounding slaps given the child.
21k USD wasted and e still sidon under AC
— Peace Of Mind (@wealthy_yute) April 22, 2020
My dad gave me 1,000naira to buy Understanding Mathematics and I didnt give him his 300 change. Result came out and I failed Maths
My dad put me inside a drum, rolled it in the compound and asked me to be shouting "I AM A THIEF"
21k USD wasted and e still sidon under AC
— Peace Of Mind (@wealthy_yute) April 22, 2020
My dad gave me 1,000naira to buy Understanding Mathematics and I didnt give him his 300 change. Result came out and I failed Maths
My dad put me inside a drum, rolled it in the compound and asked me to be shouting "I AM A THIEF"
21k USD?
— Coleon W. (@IrunmoleWeil) April 22, 2020
The term I went to excursion at Olumo rock and I didn’t ‘jot’ anything, my father made sure I didn’t eat every night for two weeks.
Excursion was 2500 guys
You pay 21k USD for a child - a whole 8 Million naira. He is absent in English and Maths and failed the rest of his subjects...and you say that small roughing up is too much? I should talk to him instead?
— Mr. Czar ???? (@nonso_nnamani) April 22, 2020
In this life, never negotiate with a terrorist, even if he is your son.
Is this beating ? 21k USD is a lot and the mum is saying he should not beat them ? She’s giving them confidence or indirectly saying they get away with things easily. Because the dad shouldn’t be the only one scolding them pic.twitter.com/7bcrL7qoVS
— SULTAN OF LAGOS (@SurtanLeee) April 22, 2020
Everyone is concerned about the 21K USD that the man paid and the boy’s failure to show up on exams days while y’all ignoring the fact that a woman filmed the man scolding his son,took a picture of the son’s result and let everything get to social media. Women will embarrass you
— Dehkunle Of Africa???? (@Dehkunle) April 22, 2020
E papa get 21k USD pay for school. But e sure me die say when e drop e first track, we go hear "I came from the gutter", "I remember those days wey we no see food chop"
— Four-eyed Edo boy™ (@Alex_Houseof308) April 23, 2020
The man can scold his son all he wants the boy deserves it, forget the 21k USD he paid, the boy he can’t even get into any credible music school without Math and English
— Lamarr ? (@Kinglamarr___) April 22, 2020
and It’s not like he even failed, he just didn’t show up.
You failed Maths amd English but passed Music after Paying 21k USD ?
— Trouble Maker ???? (G.O) (@ObongRoviel) April 22, 2020
Omo it’s there you will start writing music
And if you don’t blow, I’ll blow you
Just know blow must happen
21K USD per term. He failed. Skipped classes. Had the effrontery to bring the result home, he didn't turn himself in at an orphanage home. He sat down majestically watching TV. But the father is not right beating him.
— Wale Adetona (@iSlimfit) April 22, 2020
Na vibes and insha allahu full some of una head.
21k USD school fees but you pass only Music and geography.
— Pastor Ola ? (@Biisi96) April 23, 2020
The only thing that’ll save you from beating us if you can draw me a treasure map to where I’ll see my money back. Or you release a song that’ll top Billboard hot 100.
Anything less, Na WWE we go do.
21k USD wey I fit use enter Quilox , Shina peller go talk say make everybody off light say I wan order
— Dehkunle Of Africa???? (@Dehkunle) April 22, 2020
21K USD wey I fit use buy 2 of that kind Pamilerin benz
21K USD wey Ogbeni Dipo go advice you to use study abroad
Na him that boy set on fire, why the papa no go vex ?
If you add the school fees of every body in my secondary school with the school building and our principal's car, it will be around 1.3m. I now pay 21k USD (8million) and you miss Maths and English Exams, and pass music. I will slap you for anything you say without singing it.
— Æthelstan, The Great (@JayPeeBlaq) April 22, 2020
21K USD for school fees and someone would still say leave him let him follow his passion
— Kambaj Is Dead. (@DeadKambaj) April 22, 2020
His passion : pic.twitter.com/q5NVFYKxLT
This dude had Distinction in Music. Music at that level is not easy. I know because I studied it. So 21k USD or not, this kid is definitely not stupid. Looks to me like a kid trying to make a point to an obviously abusive parent. pic.twitter.com/LOx8SN9NzH
— Moe (@Mochievous) April 22, 2020
“Fail is you must, but at least show up!”
— Efam Harris™ (@iefamharris) April 22, 2020
The anger must have come from the fact that the boy didn’t even bother to be present. Simply shows how much disregard he has for everyone. In the video, the father didn’t for once mention the 21k USD. “You are the first son!”
For every "I was beaten blue black and still turned out fine", there are a lot of people who weren't beaten and still turned out better.
— Adunni Achebe (@_Adadioramma) April 23, 2020
There's more to parenting than the number of slaps you can dish out or paying 21k USD for fees.
It's not even a woke take.
