“FOR a thousand years in the sight of God Almighty are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.” It is a thing of joy to have witnessed yet another Children’s Day all over the world despite the huge challenges facing children globally at the present time. One cannot imagine a country without children as they are the foundation, pillar, and heartbeat of any nation. It is therefore important for nations, including Nigeria, to pay proper attention to their total development to have a sustainable tomorrow. A holistic approach is necessary to ensure the development of the ‘total child’. Children are vulnerable because of their immaturity and they are completely dependent on their parents and guardians for the basic necessities of life and the shaping of their directions in life. Both governments and parents have joint responsibilities to ensure the empowerment of children for a sustainable tomorrow. They must be empowered with the right training and skills at an early stage in life so that in the future they can be productive and contribute positively to nation building. The vision is to equip them to enable them to channel their inner strength and creative tendencies for the betterment of the society in the future. No nation can afford to jeopardise its future by handling issues relating to children with levity.
Parents and guardians need to give their children qualitative education and moral training. Education is a veritable means by which parents can empower their children. The emphasis is on education at school and at home. Children need exposure to new technology to broaden their horizons and build confidence in them. Parents should take the education of their wards seriously and should not compromise their future on account of their parents’ investment in social functions which is like building an edifice which has only ephemeral benefits. Parents and guardians must also instill discipline in children. The moral decadence that is pervasive in our society shows clearly that many parents are not doing things right. Government, on its part, must accept the fact that children of the present generation are being prepared for a global world. Government as the primary provider and regulator of education must ensure that the curricula of our schools are consistent with global best practices. Since a country that handles the education of its children with levity stands the risk of underdevelopment, it is important that children are equipped with the skills that can make them compete favourably with their counterparts in developed countries.
Children must be exposed to technological training that will make them experts in the various fields they wish to pursue in the future. Therefore, we need to instruct children in a way that can bring out their creativity, dynamism and resilience so that they can grow to be persons that can grow the nation’s economy to guarantee us a sustainable tomorrow. Government policy on education should also be geared towards strengthening the moral standards of children. Nigeria must pay attention to religious and moral education. Religious activities that emphasise the fear of God, love, good neighbourliness, tolerance, respect for other people, diligence, and peace and progress should be encouraged in schools. It has become imperative to review government policy that bans morning devotion in schools as it deprives children access to the essential information they need to improve their moral standard and discipline. Religious and moral instructions should be seen as a form of empowerment for without them any other form of empowerment is useless. “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” Religious and moral education play a big role in making children good citizens.
Government’s responsibility in the empowerment of children is to provide an enabling environment for them to exhibit their God-given potentials and also to activate their ingenuity for development of the nation. Government should ensure the implementation of laws that make basic education free and compulsory. It must also be qualitative. Bursary, scholarship and other financial aids should be provided to brilliant children who are from financially poor backgrounds to enable them to pursue higher education. The policy that establishes Suleja Academy for ‘gifted children’ should be reviewed such that gifted children from humble backgrounds are also admitted and not just those from elitist homes. Government should provide the enabling environment for learning and teaching in schools. Children must be made to enjoy schooling while teachers are adequately rewarded for their services. The achievements of our children in academics, innovation, creative and social activities at local, national and international levels must be recognised and celebrated.
The innovation by a former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in which a child who excels in the state’s quiz competition acts as Lagos State Governor for a day is designed to motivate children toward academic excellence as well as to enhance their self-confidence, boost their morale and leadership qualities. There is no end to the benefits of this kind of noble idea and we recommend its replication in other states in Nigeria. There must be adequate financial commitment by government at different levels to ensure the success of its agenda or programme for education. Money spent on education is money well spent. It is a means to ensure the security of the state both now and in the future. Failure to empower children has serious negative effects on the future of any nation. Children that are not empowered to be productive and useful to their society will engage in anti-social activities like cultism, yahoo-plus, armed robbery, keeping of gangs, sexual immorality, rape, kidnapping and other social vices.
In conclusion, children are leaders of tomorrow and we cannot over-emphasise the need to empower them by training them properly and adequately. Children need ‘Good Samaritans’ who would address their situation and where necessary speak to people in power to ensure that their interests and basic needs are satisfied in order to make them to attain great heights and guarantee them a sustainable tomorrow.
- Ogungbemi, a cleric, lives in Ibadan.
A Cleric writes from Ibadan
samleyegbemi@gmail.com
IN CASE YOU MISSED THESE FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
- Revealed! Details Of South-West APC Leaders Meeting With Presidential Aspirants
- Supreme Court Has Cleared Civil Servants To Participate In Politics, Falana Tells FG
- Battle For New Alaafin Begins As Ruling Houses Insist On Producing Next Oba
- Court Admits More Evidence Against Alleged Fake Army General, Bolarinwa
- I’m Every Man’s Choice Now, My DM Is Crazy —Eniola Badmus
- It Is Now Bye To Decency: Crazy Fashion Trends At Owambe Parties
and then