Immorality in Schools

RAPID GROWTH OF IMMORALITY IN OUR SCHOOLS


As a social analyst/crusader that considers education as a paramount tool towards any societal development, I’ve taken time to visit most of the schools in Nigeria with the object of ascertaining if students and pupils are actually practising/doing what they were supposed to practise/do. From my diligent research, I observed that, the state at which students in our various citadels of learning do not believe that some behavior is right and acceptable while others are wrong and unacceptable has become the talk of the day in our noble society. Is this the way forward?

Some of these vices practiced by the students are theft, bribery, fornication, cultism, examination malpractices, disobedience, improper dressing, disguise, drinking/smoking habits, prostitution, and what have you. Some are practised by the female students, and some are being practised by the male students, while most are found among both genders. We shall be discussing each of the ills listed above one after the other. I would be frank and discursive in my presentation for the reading pleasure of my fans whose unending text/e-mail messages remain my motivation; and for posterity sake.

Most students prefer bribery the lecturers to reading for their exams since they stand the greater chances of coming out with flying colours than those who read for the examination. More so, most of them who sit for exams end up cheating in the exam hall, which they see or consider as the only way to pass their courses because they never read for the exams. This aspect of cheating is also common amongst the secondary school students. On the other hand considering theft/larceny; some of the students live by collecting what belongs to their neighbours or fellow students. This is mostly common among the students who reside in the school hostel.

Secondly, most students in the tertiary schools see sexual intercourse as a way through which one can catch his/her fun, without acknowledging that this is only ideal for the married men and women. This ugly situation has contributed to the incessant occurrence and rise of unwanted pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) in several societies. Sometimes it’s also found amongst the secondary school students. In the same vein, most female students in the higher institutions prefer walking naked to putting on their well cultured dresses. Also, wearing of ear rings and plaiting of hair has been a common phenomenon observed among the male folks. The female and male students in our various secondary schools have also joined the chorus. It doesn’t even stop at that; most of our female students live by opening their private parts for men, for the sake of receiving money from them. What is this?

Nowadays virtually every male student on campus depend on drinks and smokes on a daily basis. Most times they end-up being drunk. Some indulges in driving while drunk which has been the cause of most accident recorded on our roads. Some of the female ones are not left out. What a world!

It’s no longer a new story that most of the pupils and students in primary/secondary schools respectively don’t even listen or adhere to their parents’ instructions or advices. And to worsen the situation; the parents in question don’t even care to implement their instructions strictly. Most of them have suddenly become lousy. What’s happening to us?

Going through the above bad omens, anyone could boldly ask of where we’re actually heading to. And if such question eventually comes up, I’ll boldly respond that, we’re heading nowhere. Of course it’s boldly written that there’s no definite destination we’re actually aiming at considering the lackadaisical attitude of those concerned.

This high growth of immoralities witnessed on an hourly basis is not unconnected to lack of home training or inadequate upbringing of children. Those days, parents took it as a priority to monitor every bit of their child/ward’s movement, speech or activity. But nowadays, the reverse becomes the case; most parents utilize most of their times looking after their respective business ventures without minding the moral status of their children/wards. They believe that money answers everything; not knowing that, having a well behaved child is far better than riches.

Improper or non-disciplinary measures taken by the teachers should also be noted as one of the causes of the occurring deviance. Apart from inadequate upbringing of the kids by their parents, the teachers in their respective schools are also one of the major causes of the porosity discovered in their moral lives. Sometimes the pupils or students are being overlooked when they exhibit some characters that are not called for. By so doing, an enormous lapse would be created in the child’s moral attitudes (behaviours). This is what prompted the popular saying that says, “Spare the rot and spoil the child.”

Most of the teachers/parents are yet to acknowledge the fact that, the foundation of a child’s training lies in his/her home and nursery/primary schools, which are vital instruments to one’s educational background.

Provision/availability of mobile phones is another recent cause of the ongoing scenario. It has created an avenue for the secondary school students to indulge in ‘love affairs’. With the use of the mobile phones, and exchange of phone numbers between the students of opposite genders, they go extra miles keeping indoor appointments in which they end-up kissing and romancing each other thereby becoming randy. They don’t only use the phones to keep an appointment among themselves; they also use them to send some immoral text messages. They also make use of the so called midnight calls for their longtime emotional discussions instead of indulging in a useful conversation that would be of good help to their academic pursuits. Also, the children who have access to camera phones end-up occupying the phones with some pornographic pictures and/or films.

More so, the abuse of the use of other telecommunication equipment such as televisions and video gadgets, has contributed immensely to this moral leakage (decadence). Those days, the television and video machines were used at home by the children strictly for news and viewing of some holy films respectively. But today, the machines are being used to watch films that do not impact any reasonable knowledge on the children’s minds. To worsen it all, some parents do join their offspring whenever they see them watching the so-called films. What a tragedy! At recent times, no child even remember to listen to news, the parents don’t ask them to either.

Lack of sudden or frequent visit of the parents/guardians to know the welfare of their children/wards in higher institutions cannot be left out. Parents no longer take time to visit their children in the school to know their moral/academic status. Also, funding of the students by their parents without minding how the money is being spent has created a social vacuum in the society at large.

To wipe out these lackadaisical and blasphemous acts, the grass root of a child’s upbringing ought to not be taken for granted. The parents/guardian should devote large percentage of their time to their children’s/wards’ activities and welfare; and they should not fail to take a proper disciplinary action if they notice any character that’s uncalled for. The same measure should be taken by the teachers. The Holy Bible says in Proverb 23: 13-14, “Don’t hesitate to discipline a child. A good spanking won’t kill him. As a matter of fact, it may save his life.”

Secondly, a dressing code ought to be implemented by the Senate or the concerned/apt authority of each tertiary institution in Nigeria and across the globe in general. A tangible penalty or capital punishment should be issued to any student who fails to stick to the rule.

Thirdly, the government in collaboration with each of the schools’ board should set-up various panel to ensure that, each of the students sit for his/her respective exams without seeking for or hiring any external candidate. It should be applicable to both the secondary and tertiary schools. Furthermore, the Senate of all the higher institutions should strictly make expulsion (rustication) the only penalty for examination malpractices.

Fourthly, adequate measure should be taken by the government to monitor the activities of the students, to ensure a cult-free learning environment, and to eradicate stealing and prostitution wholly. A capital punishment like the one mentioned above should also be implemented if anyone is found guilty of any of these crimes.

The last but not the least, the parents/guardian should from time to time visit their children/wards in their various schools to enable them to be always conscious of any immoral act, or to desist from them/any if they are already party to the game. Above all, bars or beer parlours ought to be duly banned on or within the campuses to create a decent environment for learning.

And to the people in question; mind you, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” Think about it, while I continue to pray for you!

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COMR. FRED NWAOZOR

frednwaozor@gmail.com