Addressing moral decay in tertiary institutions

Before now, decency especially in dressing is identified as a vital feature of the African, as well as Nigerian. This has to do with the acceptable moral values and qualities of appearance of an individual or group of persons. A dress is said to be indecent when it is morally or sexually offensive, or when […]

Before now, decency especially in dressing is identified as a vital feature of the African, as well as Nigerian. This has to do with the acceptable moral values and qualities of appearance of an individual or group of persons.
A dress is said to be indecent when it is morally or sexually offensive, or when such dress exposes some parts of the body that are meant to be covered. As the local adage says, “the way you dress, so you will be addressed.”
Like other vices, such as drug abuse, cultism and prostitution, indecent dressing in Nigerian tertiary institutions has become the order of the day. Indecent or crazy dressing, also known as “dress to kill” is rampant among students of universities, polytechnics and colleges of education, particularly the females.
The pattern of dressing has been condemned by many right-thinking individuals who describe it as “improper and unacceptable” because it portrays the highest level of immorality in the society.
 Besides the skimpy and tight fitting nature of the dresses, they are again transparent revealing parts of the body that under normal circumstance, ought to be hidden from the people’s stare. Ironically, these are the fashion trends of the present time.
Different thoughts have been advanced as reason why youths dress indecently. These include poor parenting, peer pressure, wrong use of the Internet, fading values as well as demonic influence and so on.
The negative implications of indecent dressing especially among female students are that, they fall victims of rape on campus; they are lured into prostitution by peers because of the way they dress and subsequently, they are tempted and influenced to become members of one cult group or the other. All these result to poor academic performance.
To address these problems in Nigerian tertiary institutions, appropriate measures need to be taken by government and the authorities of tertiary institutions. Importantly, students should be sensitised and educated about the potential dangers associated with immorality and indecent dressing. Staff and students of tertiary institutions should be given periodic orientation on the need for good, moral conducts. They should be educated on what is expected of them and why moral values are required in man’s life.
Noteworthy are the efforts of the authorities of numerous institutions to reduce the menace of indecent dressing on Nigerian campuses through the introduction of dress codes for their students. Strict rules enforcing students’ compliance with the dress codes have been introduced in some universities, polytechnics and colleges of education across the country. These rules are strictly enforced, as lecturers are mandated to walk out a student who does not dress in accordance with the code out of lecture halls. These efforts are highly commendable. But the fact remains that “charity begins at home.” For these rules to be properly enforced, members of staff and management of tertiary institutions must “lead by good examples.” This implies that they must also dress decently.
Dress codes can be properly enforced on campuses through the collective efforts of management, staff and security personnel of tertiary institutions.
To further complement the efforts of management of tertiary institutions in curtailing the widespread of immorality on campus, parents should also be of good moral examples to their children. They should monitor and regulate the films their children watch at home. It is believed that, through home videos, satellite and other media agents, wrong values, fashions (modern, modest and immodest) are traded across cultures and nations.
As agents of socialisation, the mass media must promote good moral values. The display of indecently dressed young girls (nudity) in advertisements and promotions should be discouraged.
There is also the need to regulate the use of the Internet especially among the youth. This is because majority of the youths get exposed to different kinds of immoral activities on the Internet.
Indispensably, the role of religious leaders is also needed to reduce the level of immorality in the society. Clergymen must preach against immorality in the society; counsel and deliver those under demonic influence.
Auwal wrote from Mass Communication Department, NSUK