THE white elephant and the gray rhino were in the classroom, then the black swan joined them. And the classroom, the schools and education were never the same again. These are popular metaphors used to creatively present situations and intellectually illustrate frameworks. For this article, these figures of speech relate to the educational system.

Let us get to know these animals and understand the metaphors. The white elephant is a venerable creature that has earned a reputation as a burdensome beast that requires constant care and voracious feeding, but has little or no value. There is a legend that a Thai king gave them as gifts to whom he wished to drive to poverty.