How did Malcolm X perform in school as a child?

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Malcolm X in 1965, wearing glasses and a suit, with his hand raised to his face as he speaks. — Malcolm X Prominent figure in the Nation of Islam Malcolm X, 1965.

As a child, Malcolm X was an excellent student who excelled in his studies. However, his formal education ended during the eighth grade after a teacher discouraged his academic ambitions by telling him he should become a carpenter rather than a lawyer. This experience with racial discrimination led him to lose interest in school, and he subsequently dropped out.12