One on One with Pst. Keji Hamilton

 

One on One with Pastor Keji Hamilton- ‘Parents should also make sure that they are not sending wrong signals to their children when it concerns drugs; for instance, a father putting on a shirt that is promoting beer or alcohol’.

It’s a massive structure you have here, but anyone coming in would wonder what is going on here at 16, Ikpo Street, Ikate Surulere, Lagos. So tell us what exactly is going on here?

Thank You! This is house of Joy Rehabilitation center.

How long has this been running?

Since 2009. This building was acquired and furnished by The Redeemed Christian Church of God, but we coordinate and manage this place, give direction on how to run the place and also cast the vision of the project.

What exactly prompted the establishment of House of Joy Rehabilitation center?

Yes! Sometime ago as a young man, I dropped out of school… University of Ibadan (U.I.) to be precise, as a pharmaceutical student and ended up at FELA ANIKULAPO’s shrine becoming one of his band members. So I performed, toured and traveled with him hence I was introduced to narcotics, cocaine, heroin and other hard drugs. It took me over a decade before I could come out of the habit by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. That experience made me develop a strong passion for what I am presently doing: ensuring that drug addicts who need help get one.

How fulfilled are you doing this?

I am very fulfilled because it has been a story of complete transformation of lives for many people since we started. We go to streets and drug communities to help many young men and women out there that have been rejected and abandoned by their people and the society. On my regular visits to some of these notorious areas, we talk to these people and after talking to them and they eventually agree to come with me, then we bring them to HOUSE OF JOY REHABILITATION CENTER for a period of 10months. Within this period we dedicate six months to drug de-toxicities through our transforming lectures on subjects and series of topics as well, while the other four months will be spent at a vocational skill center where they will acquire a skill. After that they will be deemed fit to return to the society, continue their normal life and even contribute to the society. Instead of being social miscreants, they now become transformed persons.

Has there been any support at all from any tier of government since you started?

Nothing has really come from the government; in truth we are yet to see them. Even though, as we speak, this center has helped even some politicians’ family members & relatives who had been abandoned. Well, what we’ve been getting has been individual support from the public, so we are yet to really get any support from the government.

You’ve been going round schools to sensitize the students in schools for a while now. Can you share your experience with us in the area of drugs relating it with school today?

Contrary to many people’s belief that drug is only associated with secondary schools and Universities, it will shock you to know that it is also found even in primary schools lately. The past five years that we have been going round schools (Primary & Secondary) in Lagos State, just to inform students of the dangers of taking drugs, I observed that different people had already started early in life to experiment on different kinds of drugs.. some at the age of 11 years and others at nine. Here is another thing that may interest you: when you talk about drugs we tend to believe it’s just marijuana and cocaine but that is far from it. We have one that we refer to as mother of drugs and that is Alcohol. You know too well that some parents give their children alcohol to drink, especially parents who are addicted to drinking. In some cases drug can be inherited because if a child grows up in a home where dad and mum drink the child will certainly not see anything wrong with it. And when that child starts taking alcohol early in life, it’s just a matter of time for the child to step up to taking marijuana, because it will get to the point where alcohol will no longer have impact in their body as they desire and someone will just introduce them to marijuana, heroin, cocaine and a whole lot of other hard drugs. That is how they ruin their lives. Meanwhile this has its effects on the student’s performance because drug addiction causes brain disease and it also has a psychological disadvantage as well. Definitely, when children start taking drugs it is going to affect their academic performance, dress sense and general behavior both at home and in school. Ultimately it will affect their physical health. There will be a change in the way they eat, sleep, and do things and gradually they will start developing psychological and psychiatric problems.

Do you have any other House of Joy center elsewhere aside this very one at Ikpoh Street?

This is our first outlet but we intend to spread because this menace called illicit drug takes place everywhere. I can name all the drug communities where drug business takes place. In Lagos alone over 160 drug communities exist where illicit drugs are bought and sold. It has become so bad that even our relevant authorities are aware of these communities. For instance, you must have been hearing of cult fight somewhere in Mushin called Akala. It is a drug community we have been visiting for over twelve years now. When you go to Akala there are policemen present but they do not arrest; they are just there to maintain peace. Drug has become a big problem and if our governments don’t do anything about it, it could eventually become a deadly time bomb. Moreover, if nothing is done urgently the government will pay dearly for it. In America today over $70billion-$75billion is spent on drug related problems.

Talking of government paying attention to drug matter in Nigeria and examining the number of young people going into drugs, the number is quite alarming. What is your take on this?

Yes! Certainly government will pay for it. It may interest you to know that in this country today there is no robbery without traces to drug. No assassination, terrorism and other outrageous atrocities without drugs. With the state of the economy, the increase in the rate of poverty, young people who have nothing to do and now the five months ASUU strike, so many students will be encouraged to go into drugs. So what we are doing is grooming a set of people that are going to be destructive to our immediate society in the near future unless we do something quick about drugs. According to my research and my wide work on illicit drugs, it may also shock you to know that every University or Campus has its own drug market, including Christian universities. Whenever I say this some Vice Chancellors would want to tear me apart. They would say that is not true. In the actual sense what is a drug market? It is where drugs are bought and sold. And in a Campus if two guys are already smoking, in less than three months they will initiate or influence eighty people. So since it’s a campus, one or two of them would volunteer to go out and buy the drugs in bulk and distribute to others. For them to make money they have to initiate more people. So when we say there are drug markets everywhere, we are talking out of experience, facts and one on one encounter with the students themselves all over the country. The government has a big battle in her hands to fight.

There is a great level of negative influence when it comes to drug initiation or introduction: how much has HOUSE OF JOY done to sensitize the masses?

We go from school to school to sensitize the students and even drug addicts in their various drug communities. We have some pictures and video clips here in my office to prove that. Again HOUSE OF JOY rehabilitation center conducts public awareness programmes on drugs and currently I’m trying to see if I can partner with other relevant bodies. And this is where the government comes in handy in terms of partnership; they should be able to partner with us on this fight against illicit drugs. We need to conduct a constant conference on drugs to enable us discuss drugs and its effect to children, parents, teachers and the society at large. This will also help to detect on time when a child is just getting involved in illegal drug because it is easier to get one out early in the drug stage before one gets addicted. When a person has done drugs for four to five months, he/she eventually becomes an addict and a big problem that cannot be easily handled.

What role exactly do you think parents need to play to actually checkmate their children from getting into hard drugs?

Parents should learn to be friendly with their children. It is observed that many parents are not friendly with their children; rather the children are closer to their house-helps. Also, parents do not seem to monitor what their children are doing. Some parents are so blessed that they build or acquire big buildings/mansions and the children stay in their separate rooms well equipped with different gadgets, but they never go there to actually know what is happening. The electrical gadgets and the satellite at their children’s disposal expose them to lots of negative things such as pornography, crime and even drugs on TV and internet. I must also add that we are living in a society that will soon blow off like a grenade and nobody will be able to do anything about it. Parents have a lot of roles to play; mentoring is one, finding out where they are going, who they are talking or listening to, who are their friends, etc. In fact parents should be their children’s first and best friends and vice versa. Ironically most parents don’t like that. They would rather shout or scream at their children at every little mistake they make. It is important that parents are careful about what they say to their kids. Parents should be careful about the message they send to kids about drugs. It is far better to be friendly and correct in love than to scream at kids even on matters that concern drugs as if one is in a military barrack. Parents should also make sure that they are not sending wrong signals to their children when it concerns drugs; for instance, a father putting on a shirt that is promoting beer or alcohol. By advertising that, the kids will believe since my father sees nothing wrong with alcohol then it is okay to drink it. Another example is when a child opens the fridge at home and finds alcoholic drinks in it; to the child it simply means it’s not a bad thing to drink alcohol. A father smoking in front of the child is simply saying it is okay to smoke or smoking is good. All these should be stopped. Another thing is that parents should not be found playing songs that encourage drinking of alcohol or engaging in drugs all in the name of ‘I love this song’ or ‘I love the musician’. Honestly, these things send a wrong signal or message to the children. Although it appears you are enjoying the music but the children would conclude that you like these things hence there is nothing wrong with it.

Let me also add that right now, these children are not only abusing marijuana, cocaine or heroin. How do you mean, you may ask? Those are simply narcotics or illegal drugs the police can arrest you for. What these children now do is what we call drug prescription. These are drugs sold in pharmacy stores such as: Codyne, Librium Sanah, Raphnon, etc. These are some of the drugs that have been abused by children lately. So parents, be warned. If you go into your children’s room and find two to three empty bottles of Belinyne and codyne in the trash for instance, then just carefully monitor the child to be sure such a child is not into drugs or is not abusing it. All these are destructive to our children. It will eventually make them turn criminals or something else if not checked on time. They can also be easily initiated into different things without their parents’ knowledge.

Would you also hold the school responsible for the students’ drugs initiation in anyway?

Of course, some teachers take drugs and they will just like to introduce some young boys/girls to it. There is loss of value in this country. The pursuit for money and fame has caused many to throw caution to the wind and disregard values. Nelson Mandela passed on December, 6, 2013. Here was a man known all over and respected for his values, what he stood for and believed in. You see and hear people sending in compliments and condolence messages to the great man. I’m yet to do the same.. I’m just reflecting on Madiba’s achievement and I ask myself where exactly do I stand? But again in our little way we are contributing to our society. The value system is terrible and our young ones are confused with absolutely no idea of the direction to go. They now have a wrong perspective that you must do something wrong, such as bribery, to get to your destination in life. They are eager to become politicians with the wrong motive. All these are wrong motives that need to be corrected. I pray that we imbibe the right motive for value and may God help us in this country.

What is your advice for students who are seriously fighting peer pressure?

Yes! What is peer pressure? It is when your age mates try to make you do something positive or negative which you are either exposed to or not. All I have to say is that you are different; God has made you a unique person. You should realize that you don’t need anything to boost your ego or confidence because these are some of the lies we hear from our friends who tend to influence us negatively so we get into drugs. Just be yourself; have a positive dream and pursue it. Therefore, as a student, to actually realize your dream what you are expected to do is face your studies and come out in flying colours. That is all. Every other thing should be left by the side.

Can you send your shout out to our esteemed readers during this YULE TIDE SEASON?

Yes! Esteemed readers, I’m saying your 2014 is a grace-filled year. Let’s put our hands together to make the year a great year by making impact in our society in our little ways. Just like these two young men are doing with EDULIGHT MAGAZINE for free and they are making impact. I urge us all to do the same. Thank you!

SAVE FOR RAINY DAYS

Saving as an attitude is what children should imbibe at an early age. What does this mean? Keeping certain percentage of what they have now for future use or for investment. Although how to save money for future use is not taught in schools, yet as individuals we must make it a habit. Particularly, parents must see it as a duty to teach their children how to save money, the importance of saving and encouragement must be given.

I knew a man who always gave his child double of whatever the child saved at the end of every year. We don’t need to have millions before we can save; twenty, ten, even five naira from our feeding allowance can be set aside as saving every day. At the end of the year such amount can be used to buy learning materials, clothes or any other thing we feel like buying, with parental guidance.

It is better we teach the children money management at an early stage of their life because it is one aspect of life that needs to be taken seriously. Once this becomes part of them up to the age of twenty, it will surely be a ritual they must do throughout of their life. Saving will help the children reduce their appetite for buying what they don’t necessarily need at this stage of their life. Also when they save to buy little things that are useful to them now, when they grow up they will know how to save for bigger projects in their life with little or no pressure.

 

 

NOISE: AN IMPEDIMENT TO NIGERIANS’ READING CULTURE

NOISE: AN IMPEDIMENT TO NIGERIANS’ READING CULTURE

          In common use, the word noise means any unwanted sound. Noises originate from different activities of man with all capable of distracting people’s serenity. Let me mention three of these actions that have been a hindrance to those who have a preference for reading:

            Some individuals are guilty of creating noise or making their immediate environment uncalm without realizing it. For instance, playing music, watching television and listening to radio for a long period of time will certainly become a noise to them at a point. Do they know this? And that is the stage they need perfect silence, probably pick a book to read as well as meditate on those they have read before. A critical evaluation of what someone had read is also helpful because it promotes a thorough understanding of a sentence, a topic or an entire book.

            Considering the state of power supply, no house or building is free from devastating noise produced by generators of neighbours if you don’t have one, particularly in the cities. With this, Nigerians can’t have absolute concentration whenever they decide to read due to such a situation which is totally out of control. You can’t tell neighbours  to turn off their generators in order to have a quiet time unless God helps and there is electricity supply at that moment. And for how long will the power last?

Urbanization of our cities in this country, Nigeria, does not help in promoting the reading habit of the people. Wherever you find a school nowadays either public or private, or even a library, what comes next to such an institution will either be a big market, a church/mosque, a workshop of any kind (i.e. mechanic or furniture) or an express road. The noise and odour that normally emanates  from such places give no one a chance to uphold tranquility. Sadly, those who operate businesses in those areas mentioned are carefree; most of them are not aware of the consequences of their action.

With all kinds of noise buffetting us on a daily basis we still need to find time to read regularly because “if you can read you can lead”. Give no room for hindrances that will make you not to read. Reading is self-education because “formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.”-Jim Rohn.

Read your way to good health, wealth and prosperity.

Read! Read!! Read!!!

Book recommended for this edition: WORKING WITH EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE

By Daniel Goleman.

Christmas and its true meaning

December 25^th of every year is one special day many Christians and even non-Christians always relish and eagerly await as we all come together to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Although Christmas means different things to different people, one would agree that even in the Christian faith some do not believe in it while some who believe in it do not align with the December date. However, Jesus Christ is the very personification of Divinity. He was born at a time when ignorance, superstition, greed, hatred and hypocrisy prevailed upon the land. Purity was forgotten and morality was neglected. 
In the midst of these conditions, Christ was born and He worked a transformation in the lives of people. He gave a new and a spiritual turn to the life of man. There came a change upon the land. Ironically, the euphoria associated with this day has caused many to neglect the true reason for the birth of Jesus Christ. EduFocus in this special edition will be carefully examining Christmas as one of the most celebrated dates in the world today. We shall also look at the true purpose and relate it to our day to day living.

There is no denying the fact again that during the Yuletide season such as this, family members, friends and well wishers far and wide come together not just to celebrate the season but also to keep tab with happenings with one another. Amongst the numerous works done by Jesus Christ, one glaring truth was His genuine love for mankind. His love was simply amazing without preference, segregation or partiality.

‘The most influential man on earth’ Jesus Christ despite his great works and blessings to mankind never ceased to live in peace with other religious faithful in His days. The question today is: Are we tolerant of one another and how genuine is our love towards our neighbour? Sadly but true, even amongst Christians, as youths we tend to mock those Christians who do not believe in Christmas(e.g Jehova’s Witnesses).

Either Christian or Muslim, we are expected to breathe, live and show love in all we do. Talking of love, permit me to make reference to the bible passage that better explains the kind of love Jesus Christ expects of us: That passage is 1^st Corinthians 13:1-end. The importance of love cannot be over emphasized as the birth of Jesus Christ Himself according to (John 3:16) was rooted in love.  Please be warned we are not referring to earthly love but God’s kind of love popularly called Agape as explained in the aforementioned scriptures. There are ways to show love, but more importantly, we should note that aside exchanging of gifts with loved ones, we need to extend a hand to the hungry somewhere, clothe the naked, visit the sick and hopeless, do something to put a smile in someone’s face and see how we will feel afterwards.

Now for some of us who always travel in times like this to celebrate this season, as you find a heart to touch don’t forget to appreciate everyone that has been instrumental to your success today and deliberately tell them how much you LOVE them (Parents, Teachers, Friends, School Heads, Relatives etc.).

Once again from EDULIGHT MAGAZINE team, we wish you Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in advance!

 

 

How to DEVELOP YOUR WRITING SKILLS

Writing is one of the oldest craft. It has survived several era of human development and has made it into the computer age. It started as signs invented by man for communication among a small group of people or a community. As time went on, men developed signs to represent the various sounds produced as words are fabricated/verbalized in a particular language. Those signs evolved into what is known as alphabet today.

Writing has proven to be a better alternative to verbal communication over the years. Some of the advantages of writing are;

1.       Wider coverage. Written communiqué get to more audience than verbal communication. Today, we have with our thoughts, ideas and teachings of legends who are long dead and buried. So much of what they said in person has been lost to memory and extinction. But several of the thoughts they put into writings has survived from generation to generation. If you care to know, the fastest way to travel abroad is to write a book. Books get to places their authors never dreamed of and will never get to.

2.       Refined message. Putting your thought and ideas into writing allow you the opportunity to fine-tune the content of your message. It provides you space to define and focus your communiqué to ensure that your intent is achieved in the audience. You are able to cut off the unnecessary and thus make your message and straight to the point.

3.       Best view:  Putting a subject in writing gives you a better view of the subject. You get to understand it better and are better positioned to relate with others on the same subject.

I can go on and on, but you’ll only come to agree with me when you give ‘writing’ a try. Even God endorses writing. He specifically instructs some of His servants in the Bible to explore writing as their medium of communicating His message. He knows best. And for Him to have instructed thus, it is same to infer that there is nothing better.

Sheridan Blau et al (1995): The Writers Craft, McDougal Littell Inc., U.S.A; has the following to say about the reason you should write:

1.       To discover. Writing can help you discover what you think and feel.

2.       To remember. Writing a journal about what you’ve seen, heard, tasted, touched, smelled, thought, and felt can capture these experiences on paper, which readily refresh your memories when the need arises.

3.       To explore and invent. When you write, you can create your own world.

4.       To plan and prepare. Putting your ideas on paper can help you plan what you’ll do next.

5.       To learn. Writing your reactions to issues, books, TV programmes etc. can help you tune in to what you’re thinking and feeling.

Mr. Jesusanya O.S. -Prince Heirs’ College

One on One with Dr. Jacob Adeyanju, Proprietor, Turning Point Group of Schools

Education is not about structure alone but the products that come out of the school. What can you

Say about the discipline, moral and value imbibed into the students?

 

Let start from education itself, it is a complex system. When you talk about the system it comprises of different parts. In education for example, we have many components but the quality of education is a function of factors put together. The structure is one of the requirements, environment, teachers, materials and curriculum, all play together to determine the quality of education in any society. The structure has to do with the building. Of course, the building must be good enough, well ventilated, illumination must be okay. That is why the Ministry of Education insists on using cream colour for the inner walls of the classrooms. Researches have shown that cream colour aids the illumination of classrooms. For instance, if this room were painted blue, the illumination wouldn’t have been as bright as this and any classroom that is poorly illuminated will negatively affect classroom activities. Now let’s talk about the quality of teachers. It always saddens my heart when I realize that we don’t have teachers again. Honestly, in those days when I was in primary school, the quality of teaching in public schools was so high that nobody ever thought of private school. The few private schools then were those that were owned by missionaries, I mean churches that wanted to teach people their doctrine and would not like any pollution from outside. So,individual ownership of school was not common.

 

What's responsible for lack of quality teachers?

 

The society, I mean all the stakeholders in the education sector are guilty. We have the government, teachers, pupils and the investors. I am telling you today as I do tell people that we don’t have a future generation.

 

That is a strong statement, sir?

 

Yes it is, the reason I said that is that I foresee a situation where this generation will crumble. This is because it is built on nothing, this present generation is built on nothing and when you build structures on nothing, it is just a matter of time before the structure will crumble.

 

Sir, you said the present generation is built on nothing but you have schools, does that mean you don’t believe in this generation?

 

I believe in it but my worry is that lots of atrocities are common to this present generation. Today we talk of examination malpractices, student indiscipline, forgery, certificate racketeering, corruption and the likes. All these are in the highest order.

My being in the school business is because I believe education is a composite responsibility of both the public and the private, so, I think there is a need for me to contribute my own quota to the lives of people. The students under my care know me for my strong philosophy and principle. WAEC exams started today, all students know that they are on their own. We have done everything to prepare them before now. As a trained teacher, I know what to do to prepare students for examinations. The teacher is the first significant factor,all my teachers had at least a first degree in their various disciplines. You can have a look at the board right behind me, you will see the list of teachers, they are professionals.

Apart from that, one may know the subject but may find it difficult to impart the knowledge on students because he is not a trained teacher. This is where teaching qualification comes in. That is very important because it is not everybody that can tolerate the idiosyncracies in children. At teenage, they start to exhibit different types of behavior, if you are not trained in child psychology you may not know how to curtail their excesses. That is why we talk of academic and professional qualifications. Those that are professionally trained have been exposed to the characteristics of this age group, so when they start exhibiting this attitude, the teacher knows the next therapy to adopt in order to resolve the problem. If you are not able to control their excesses in the classroom you wouldn’t be able to teach them. The teacher is number one determining factor when it comes to quality in education. Like I said, if you are not well grounded I will not employ you. Even the corps members that were sent here for youth service I do test them despite the instruction written in their letters that they should not be interviewed. But because I don’t want anybody that will ruin my system, I test them. A lady corps member came in this morning for Mathematics and I told her my stand that I would only absorb her if she passed my test. I discovered lots of university graduates don’t know what they are doing, that is why the problem is a serious one.

The system is cyclical, although universities train but after training they release their products to the society but in a situation whereby society finds it difficult to absorb the products because they were not well prepared, then there is a problem. That is why the unemployment rate is so high but foreigners are coming here to get employment. For instance, the Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amachi some time ago said he wanted to employ principals from India to head all the schools in Rivers State. The question is, ‘’Are principals no longer being trained in Nigerian schools?’’ Does that mean university graduates in Nigeria are not good enough to head those schools? That shows there is a problem somewhere.

Anybody that comes here must be tested, and if found okay, I give him/her the job and rest my mind that when he/she gets to the classroom he/she will not mess up.

 

Two, the environment as you can see is very conducive, it is not noisy, the classrooms are well ventilated and equipped with all the basic facilities that enable students to learn. But do you know where I have a problem?

 

Where?

 

The parents. Some parents have asked funny question when they come to register their children for exams, like: ‘’Please, I want to register my child for WAEC exam, will he pass?’’ That question sounds funny and

I always tell them to ask the child. I’m not the one that will write the exam for him/her, the child should answer the question. Parents are too desperate they want success at all cost.

 

How do you manage that?

 

Yes I stand by my principles and I’ve been given a name “Policy man”, but I don’t care. If you stand by your principles people will know you for that and those who value honestly will appreciate you.

 

Does that have any effect on you?

 

It has, last year my SS2 class was (45) forty-five in number but when they got to SS3 at the point of registration for WAEC, they reduced to (26) twenty-six. The reason for that is that they wanted schools where they would be allowed to cheat. The day we got approval from WAEC and NECO to conduct and write exams in this school I was happy and went ahead to announce to my students that the approval has been given by the Ministry of Education for WAEC and NECO exams, they all shouted ‘’Oh no!’’ I was very shocked to hear that kind of expression because I expected them to be happy. When I asked them the reason for their reaction, they replied, ‘’We know you as a “Policy man” you will not allow us to cheat during the exam’’. But I still like it because there are some of them who are ready to learn.

 

Have you ever witnessed a situation where students appreciate you for sticking to your policy of “do it yourself”?

 

Yes, I have many of them. For example, last year immediately after their WAEC examination those that wrote UTME were on awaiting results, when results were released seven of them got admission on merit. Two of them at the University of Lagos, one is studying medicine while the other is studying Actuarial Science. One is in FUTO, Owerri, studying Computer Science, others are in LASU, UNIBEN and University of Ilorin, all on merit. I was very happy when their parents came back to thank me. Two years ago there was a controversy about one of my students here who went to the University of Ilorin Post UTME, because it was computer based she wrote hers here in Lagos. When the authority saw her result it was highly incredible. They said they did not believe the result so the University authority wrote a letter to me to forward the girl’s result from JS1 to SS3. This was a girl who has been very consistent in performance from her JS one through SS three. When the university saw all the evidences, they had to give her admission. She is studying law now at the university. My own belief is that if one can write WAEC exam on his own and pass it, there will be no exam in the world that will scare you.

 

Your advise for the government, parents and the students?

 

Let start with the government, they have good policies but the problem is implementation. There is what I called policy somersault. As we are trying to study and execute one policy they change it and bring another, at a point we would become confused. So there is a need for consistency in policy. Now they are talking about scraping NECO and JAMB, this has brought confusion.

 

To the parents, it is important to recognize the potentials in our children. They can do well, they have all what it takes to excel in life. But parents are too anxious and desperate. At SS1 they want their children to write WAEC examination and GCE, those kind of students is not matured for such exams. Parents should take it easy, they should have that understanding. They should allow their students to develop at their own space, if they do, I’m sure they will succeed.

 

For the students, they need to know that they were being trained for a purpose, school is not a place where we talk about miracles, they have to go through a process which will make them solid in the future.

 

Thank you!!

Edulight Magazine (Attention!!)

FALLEN EDUCATION STANDARD

 The present debate that is very popular amongst Nigerians aside from political debate is about the standard of education in Nigeria. Nigerians had seriously divided about this issue due to the sensitive nature of education on people’s life. Some school of thought beliefs that if one compare the present system of education to the olden days, the difference is clear for everybody to see.

      Their argument centered on the caliber of pupils/students that come out nowadays. Some find it very difficult to speak and write good English.

      They argued further that our present day graduates from various levels of our educational system are not employable due to their deficiencies in the area of their chosen careers.

      This school of thought rounded up their argument by saying that some of these deficiencies manifested when some (NYSC) National Youth Service Corp Members could not speak correct English or fill the form given to them by NYSC officials. What a Nation disgrace?

 

      On the side of those who supported that education has not fallen, based their argument on the fact that government has no political will to solve the problems and secondly, the endemic problem of corruption that engulf all the facet of our life as a nation seriously affected educational sector.

     On political will, they believe the government still behave as if education in not the way to progress, for example the U.N.O. Approved a 26% for education in any annual budget but what is going on in Nigeria is that the little allocated for education was not properly implemented or not implemented at all. For example the present budget (2013 budget) is yet to be signed and time is going. Hence it will affect our education sector.

      Standard of education has improved tremendously through private initiative, the private school has really come to the rescue of the education system because they follow scientific innovation that is going on in advanced countries.

 

Administrators and government to toe the line of modern methodology of education system.

     Education standard to them has not fallen at all, if one look at the way and manner technology and innovation has come.

      In the olden days there was nothing like Computer, Phone, Laptop and other scientific innovation that is very common nowadays.

      If one is not in line and practices in scientific innovations one will think that education has fallen. The standard has improved tremendously.

      The only thing left for our government at various levels is to build more schools and provide more facilities in our school.

      If the government can match their words with actions and political will, there is nothing like fallen standard of education in Nigeria.

 

     To me, as an educationist who has  experience in teaching both public and private schools, the debate comes up as a result of neglect education sectore for so long. For example in early 70s and 80s nothing like exam malpractices. As a result of this malady students instead of taking their studies seriously started hiring ‘mercenaries’ to pass by all means. Parents and society as a whole are not left out in this shady character to glory. Hence it affected the standard.

       Our ministry of education is not left out due to non-challant attitude in supervising schools.

Government should not allow corruption to strife, strike action whatever means should be eradicated in our education system. If things can be done properly all things being equal, our education sector will be the best and appellation of being called Giant of Africa will definitely be ours.

All the arguments either for or against depend on the political will of the government to put everything in order.

 

Thank you.

 

ALHAJI A. A. LAWAL

Head Teacher

Al-Mubarak N/P School,

Surulere, Ojuelegba, Lagos.

08038393090

 

 

 

 

 

DEVELOP A WINNING ATTITUDE

Problem: Most people have the attitude that things won’t work out, that bad things will happen. You receive at the end what you expected during the journey.

Solution: Expect to succeed. Develop a positive, enthusiastic, happy, excited, confident attitude about life.

Over the years, I have developed a few theories about what it takes to be a winner in life. With your financial gamelans, and in all areas of your life, your “will to win” will be an important factor. The things I’ve learned about winning have made the difference in my life, I’m passing them onto you in the hope that they give you “food for thought” about your own attitudes. Life will give you whatever you will accept. I believe that your life will turn out exactly as you allow it to. If you accept being average and ordinary, life will make you average or ordinary. If you accept living with financial hardship, life will give you hardship and heartaches. If you accept being unhappy, life will deliver that too. It all depends on your attitude and expectation. Basically, if you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.

Expect success. For things to improve you must improve.

You must expect to succeed. The kind of success you’ll have throughout your life depends on your outlook. Before you can have any meaningful progress, you must inculcate an attitude or expectation of success. Your expectation is more important than what anyone else thinks about you. Why? It is a fact that people live up to their own expectations of themselves. Learn to see yourself as financially independed. Learn to see yourself as free, happy and successful. If you are convinced it will happen, believe me, it will happen. Life will give you whatever you demand, sacrifice and work for. Most people are unwilling to put off until tomorrow things they can’t really afford today. Most people are heavily indebted because their desires are stronger than their will to win. Can you live with being average and ordinary? If not, you will be successful.

MR. FATOKI THOMAS AKINOLA

BAPTIST BOWEN NUR/PRY SCH.

BASIC 5 TEACHER. 07085910624.