Sanwo-Olu’s wife, commissioner, others join campaign against parents rushing children education

The wife of Lagos State Governor, Mrs Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu and the state’s Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, as well as a senior lecturer at the University of Lagos, Akoka, Dr Olumide Ige and the Head of External Relations, Mother’s Love Initiative, Mrs Hanatu Enwemadu, have expressed disapproval on the manner some parents in the country nowadays rush their children education and other life activities, saying such practice has destructive effects on such children and the society at large in the long run.

They gave this position separately in Lagos, at the launch of The Hurried Child Project by a non-governmental organisation known as A Mother’s Love Initiative as part of activities to commemorate this year’s World Day For the Prevention of Child Abuse, held at the weekend globally.

According to them, every child is expected to pass through certain stages of life as they grow older and develop to become responsible adults.

They said unfortunately many parents want their children to jump over some stages that are meant for their ages by rushing them in virtually everything as they journey in life.

Speaking through the wife of the state’s Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mrs Edith Ebube, at the event, Mrs Sanwo-Olu, for example, said a condition where parents over-schedule their children’s lives by pushing them hard for academic success and expect them to behave and react as miniature adults are condemnable.

According to her, a hurried child would certainly turn out to be half-baked and that would pose a serious challenge to him or her and the society as a whole.

She said some parents just want to live their dreams through their children, and because of that unnecessarily mount pressure on them forgetting that hurrying can lead to a wide range of childhood, teenage and adulthood crises, including depression.

She said one important fact all must always stress is that there is no shortcut to success, thus the need for everyone to adhere to basic processes in child care and development.

Mrs Sanwo-Olu, however, commended the Mother’s Love Initiative for taking up the cause, saying the overall result of the efforts would bring up a better society.

In her own contribution, the state’s commissioner for education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo, said as far as Lagos State is concerned, the National Policy on Education, which prescribes certain age for a specific level of education for every child is its guiding principle.

According to her, a child is expected to reach six years of age to be enrolled in primary school and complete Primary Six education to be transited to secondary school and the process goes on to tertiary schools based on the 6-3-3-4 education policy.

She said it is disheartening that many parents don’t allow their children to go through these stages, rather skipping some as if they are immaterial.

Mrs Adefisayo said children’s passing examination even in flying colours, for example, is not amounting to anything tangible unless such students are emotionally and psychologically matured and can give correct interpretations to both the questions and answers given and also exhibit values applicable to their ages.

She said that was why some students would not remember anything they were taught in class a few days after the exam because they only read to pass and not to understand.

While using herself as an example of a hurried child, she said she was 15 when she was admitted by the University of Ibadan for her first degree and because of that she behaved immaturely in class and in the hostels.

“I was really too young for that level of education at that time and I didn’t like the experience as I lost focus,” she recalled, adding that though she was able to adjust later and surmounted the situation, so many other children would certainly unable to adjust for a positive change.

The commissioner, however disclosed that most parents who rush their children education nowadays usually falsify their birth records to suit the purpose, saying that is why the government would continue to persuade them to follow the normal process of care and development for their children.

Shedding more light on the issue, the convener of the forum, Mrs Hanatu Enwemadu described a number of ways a child could be hurried, saying “To hurry a child is to present them with tasks and responsibilities that are inappropriate for their ages and maturity, or to expose them to information beyond their scope and capacities, or to overload them with emotions that are unhealthy for their mental health, or to deprive them of quality time needed from parents, or to rush them through their education unconditionally, or to neglect their social and emotional needs in their formative years, or to present them with curriculum meant above their cognitive levels, among others.

“So all these factors need to be addressed by slowing down the process and ensure that children development factored in their physical, biological, cognitive, emotional, social, spiritual and economic well-being as they journey in life.

She said the goal is attainable but only when all stakeholders including government at all levels, corporate organisations and individuals join hands in the campaign as the benefits of a child passing through normal life stages are unquantifiable in the society.

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