Youth education and societal problems

However, some instructions and experiences may not be educative but may prove to be harmful. These harmful experiences may be called mal-education or bad education. This results in producing unhealthy personalities who cannot be integrated into society. Within the family unit where the earliest social interaction begins, motherhood is no longer a full time career […]

However, some instructions and experiences may not be educative but may prove to be harmful. These harmful experiences may be called mal-education or bad education. This results in producing unhealthy personalities who cannot be integrated into society.

Within the family unit where the earliest social interaction begins, motherhood is no longer a full time career as the labour market has taken women from their homes, where they act as natural guardian to their children. No one can give equal sensitivity, patience and compassion like a mother. As the head of the family, the father is to provide responsive, proactive support in guiding the children. But most often, the reverse is the case; most fathers are full time politicians or businessmen with less time to play their role as family heads. Our children who yearn for our care and love are left in the hands of teachers, house servants/maids. The child is sent to school, his teachers formulate precepts and principles through interpretation of lessons taught in his books and assignments.

In the field of abstract sciences like chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics and geography, the children are not allowed to think independently. They are given readymade answers. The method of teaching science in our schools and colleges is outdated and cannot make this nation one of the industrialized nations by 2020.

Furthermore, teaching of values should have been an integral part of the school curriculum, but there are some harm done to the teaching and learning process, especially where teaching and learning do not originate from positive value perception. Besides that, some of the teachings and learning are corrupted because they become a mere preparation for examinations or tests.

At the home front, when the child gets back home instead of doing assignments from school, he/she watches television, visits cinema, listens to meaningless music from people who do not have positive balanced view of life. This should be discouraged by parents.

I am of the opinion that we should redefine our school curriculum, rewrite some of our textbooks, standardize our examinations and reconstruct the learning map. It is also time we initiate lessons in our schools that will teach our children proper modes of behavior that will make them fit citizens for our society. If we care to look carefully, we will see that today, most of the behaviour of our children are unacceptable.

While there are children who receive positive parental guidance and adapt to changes without losing their values, these group are becoming few. They possess good conduct, live balanced and orderly life with inclination to sensible enjoyment and innocent entertainment, maintain and keep the traditions of the society intact.

On the other hand, there are children who reject our existing values without establishing new ones. They suffer psychological stress, underdevelopment characterized by the loss of faith in oneself, the strong desire to imitate others, the feeling of alienation, increase rate of mental insanity, deviant and criminal behaviour. When left without help, these children will often take to deviant ways. The confused young people have conflicting emotions which compromise their moral standards. They stand confused between the two cultures and share a fractured social existence.

Musa Ibrahim Jakkada, Bauchi.