CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION

REASON FOR THE DECLINING EDUCATIONAL STANDARD N NIGERIA

Education is becoming one of the defining enterprises of the 21^st century with the emergence of globalization and increasing global competition in the fast changing and competitive world, education and technology are the Master key for respectable survival and progress in Nigeria. Progress and prosperity of the country depends on the kind of education that is provided to the people.

Education is the basic right of every individual in the society But unfortunately, educational standard in Nigeria are declining fastly. The defective administration, inflexible curriculum and outdated teaching methods used by teachers are the Main reason of declining educational standard. To some extent, the imperfect education system and bad inspection are involved in this deterioration. Improper health facilities, political interference, lack of co-curricular activities and non-availability of scholarships are also some Of the factors which destroys standard of education.

One of the most important factors in standard of education is good evaluation system. Evaluation plays a great role in the achievement and learning of individual. Especially, it can be helpful for that will bring co-ordination, consistency and coherence to the improvement of the process of education.

JavaScript in 2004, evaluated that academic standard describe what students should know and be able to in the core academic subjects at each grade level. Content standard described basic agreement about the body of education knowledge that all students should know. Performance standards described what level of performance s good enough for Student to be described as advanced, proficient, below basic or by some Other performance level.

Usually, educational standard stands for quality of education. Quality has been the goal of an external quest through the corridors of human history. It has been the driving force of all human endeavors.

Standard or quality of education is a challenge since it deals with the most sensitive creation on earth, human beings. Industrial productions are finished goods, but education has no such finished product, not even the graduates. Educational standards of Nigeria have been a burning issue among the educationalists since independence. Although, every government tried its best to raise the standards of education but their efforts were mainly limited to preparing only educational policies in papers. We could not find practical implementation of the recommendations regarding standard of education Nigeria.

Therefore, Nigeria and Africans in general, there is need for practical implementation of these recommendations regarding to education for better improvement in the standard of education.

TRUANCY AMONTH SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

          Stating in school is the first step to a good education, in order to achieve academic excellence, students are mandated by the school laws to attend school daily. But due to some factors most students absent themselves from formal school activities hence engaging in truancy. When this happens, everyone losses, students loose the benefits of instruction, the society looses income and suffers from juvenile crime.

          Truancy in secondary school is a situation whereby a student develops or shows adverse attitude to learning. They absent themselves from classes using uncogent excuse such as fake sickness, fake suspension by the class teacher or school authority and involvement in sport activities. Truancy can equally occur in a boring and boredom classes especially with harsh teacher who are difficult to approach and in an unconducive school environment.

CONCEPT OF TRUANCY

          The term truancy has been conceptualized by difference authors in difference ways. According to the International Dictionary of Education (2002), truancy is defined as the deliberate absence from school without parental or management knowledge. In the same manner, the New Western Comprehensive Dictionary special price Edition (2004), defined truancy as “when a student stays away from school without permission. The above definitions are in agreement that truancy occurs when a student absents himself from School without due Permission either from his/her parents or from related authorities.

TYPES OF TRUANCY

          There are three types of truancy which are as follows:

-        Habitual truancy

-        Occasional truancy

-        Casual truancy

HABITUAL TRUANCY

          This is a type of truancy that occurs when a student constantly and continually absent himself from school without the due knowledge or consent of his parents and school authorities. Habitual truants are mainly those students who misses numerous full days of school academic activates. Their frequency of absenteeism has become a regular behavior or habit.

OCASSIONAL TRUANCY

          This type of truancy occurs when a student does not constantly and continually absent himself from school. In this type of truancy, the student’s level of absenteeism from school without the permission of parents or school authority is irregular or not regular. For instant, a child whom the mother refused going to school may be who was kept at home to help care for his siblings and a child who absent s himself from school in order to attend the funeral rites of relation.

CASUAL TRUANCY

          This is the type of truancy which occurs when the students was absent from school by chance. This type of truancy or unexcused absence from school is not regular and constant but happens by chance. For instance, students who remained lurking within sound of the school bell, so that they could attend those lessons, which interest them.

CAUSES OF TRUANCY

1) As a result of illness: A child who is sick may be deliberately kept at home. Most parents having the children at home in good faith will not think it is necessary to inform the school authority.

2) Parents withdrawal: In this case, a child is kept away from school by the parents for their own purpose, may be to help in the household chores pr businesses.

3) The child absents himself in his own volution: In this case, the child absented himself from school without the permission of parents or school management.

4) School Phobia: In this case, a child seems to be afraid of going to school or leaving his home yet his parents are anxious for him to attend school regularly.

EFFECTS OF TRUANCY   

          Dittimiya (2001) in his view on the effects of truancy among students maintains that truancy among students has greatly affected the development of human resources needed for social and economic transformation of the society. to him, truancy is a destructive and undeserving element of progress training on mode of life. It is an impediment to national development. Truancy allows students to pervert the whole aim of education, examination and public morality. It does not encourage development rather it retards progress of the school and the entire society.

          According to Rotimi (2002), Truancy is a gateway to serious violent and non-violent crime. To him, students truant act lead to stealing, fighting, drug addictions, destruction of property, sex scandal and armed robbery. Hence, when a student is always absent from classes or school environment, what come to his mind is evil. He plans how to destroy, how to become a millionaire.

SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO REDUCE TRUANCY

          Having known what truancy means, whom truants are, causes and effect of truancy, the next area of interest is the type of treatment that can be given to make them change their negative attitude at school.

          Michael (2002) in his article “Manual to Combat Truancy”, suggested four main elements of educational strategy to combat truancy, they include:
1)      Involve parents in all Truancy prevention activates: According to this elements parent plays the fundamental role in the education of their children. Nobody else commands greater influence in getting persons to go to school everyday and recognizing how a good education can define his future, than the parents. For families and school to work together to solve problems like truancy, there must be mutual trust and commendation.

Schools can also help by being “family-friendly” and encouraging teachers and parents to make regular contact before problems arise. Also, there should be establishment of a gathering of teachers and parents (PTA Meeting), here the parents and school authorities are to tackle matters arising in the school which concerns the students.

2)      Provision of Attendance list: Here, the school management is to provide the teachers with a school register, not just a school register but an active one and there should be sanctions guiding the attendance of students. For instance, if a student is absent for three days in a week without any solid excuses for his absence or without the knowledge of the school authorities, such student should be punished and the parent shall be forced to pay fine.

3)      Ensure firm sanities for truancy: For effective reduction of truancy, school must communicate to students and families that truancy will not be tolerated from any student and that student found in this act must face severe and firm punishment from related school authorities.

4)      Involvement of Law Enforcement Agency in Truancy Reduction: In order to enforce regular school attendance policies, schools officials should establish close linkage with law enforcement agents like police, probation officer, juvenile and family court officials and so on to help prosecute student caught playing truancy.

          To crown it all, government should help the police department and court system to establish and run temporary detention centers where they can drop-off school truants. Also, the government should as well embark on some other anti-truancy initiative like Operation Sweep Student Truants in Neighborhoods. With these suggestions, truancy among secondary school students and even those in primary and tertiary institution will be reduced if n eradicated.

WISHING WONT MAKE IT SO.

          Everyone wishes for good fortune and a problem free life. Yet many people are disappointment with their situations.

          Is wishing effective or is it overrated? The answer is YES to both. So, what’s the catch? Wishing alone is unproductive. If you want results, wishing must be followed with action. Wishing without action is as ineffective as leaving your car in neutral; without being in gear and reviving the engine at full throttle which will make a lot of noise but wont move you an inch.

          Whenever you were told to wish for what you wanted, you were given only half the story. People who pin their hopes on wishes – coming true are invariably disappointed; they are disheartening when their wishes fail to generate good results.  

          True, some wishes will come true on their own, but these are few and far between. As much as patience may be a virtue, wishing and waiting is of no avail. Those who passively wait for wishes to materialize will be waiting for a very Long time.

          Again, without the infusion of action, wishing yields little, if any results. Now that I have pin pointed the limitations of wishing, let me emphasize that wishing as well is an essential component of reaching your goals.

          Wishing puts seeds of desire into your mind. This process is the foundation of all achievement.

          Your mind, the most powerful took known, will go to work non-stop to find a way to transform your wishes into reality.

          Your mind is prepared to create and action plan for you. But without understanding the importance of wishes with actions your will not benefit from your minds work. If you are not looking for an action plan, you wont release the full power of your mind to find one.

          Once your plan is in place, you need to take action. This requires effort. Stay motivated by reviewing your wish daily. Remind yourself how it will feel when it comes true. Each day, you should take another step, no matter how small.

          Although, wishing wont make it so, wishing combined with action produces amazing results. Therefore, accord your wishes with action to yield a positive and fruitful results.

LESSON PLAN: A VITAL TOOL FOR IMPROVED TEACHING AND LEARNING

          A lesson plan has been an integral part of teaching itself. It plays a vital role in the teaching-learning process. Unfortunately, some practicing teachers, while in training, were not properly groomed in the art of planning their lessons. At the same time they failed to recognize its importance in their lesson presentations this notion they carry into their teaching career. Consequently, some practicing teachers deliver their lessons without planning for them. Such presentations are very often not sequenced or co-ordinate and so have students more confused than is it supposed. Teachers in this category may end up “cheating rather than teaching”.

          Planning a lesson and putting the plan on paper are very important functions of responsible teacher. Lesson planning provides guides to both the experienced and the inexperienced teachers in selecting adequate materials for a lesson.

          They make lesson presentation for systematic, without any mix-up along the line. It ensures that nothing is left out in an instructional activity. The time is judiciously managed and proper meaning objectives pursued. Lesson Plan also ensures that teachers and learners activities are related to lesson content and the objectives ensures that materials are adequately selected and utilized.  All these ensure improved teaching and learning.

          Generally, the essence of lesson plan is for al levels of teachers to think ahead of time about the activities they and their students will engage in during lesson presentation periods. Lesson plans are only meant to serve the purpose of reminding practicing teachers of each step in development and presentation of their lessons.

          In order to achieve the forgoing, lesson plan must be brief and each section is read at a glance as the teacher is not supposed to bury his/her head in his/her note. A quick glance reminds him/her of the next stage in the development and presentation of his/her lesson. Lesson plans should not be detailed nor should they be too sketching. Teachers should be appropriately drilled in planning lessons well and putting such plans down as they should. Every lesson plan should be a necessity, contain enough components to actually guide teachers.

TIPS FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

TEXT: 2 Timothy 2:15 – Study to show yourself approved.

INTRODUCTION: There are three seasons in one’s life:

(i)      Season of Learning (1 – 30 years) foundational knowledge

(ii)     Season of Working (31 – 40 years) – Consolidated knowledge

(iii)    Season of Rest  (61 – and above) – Exposition of experienced acquired. Each season, however involved different levels of learning and studying because when a man stops learning, he stop growing and starts ageing.

REASONS WHY PEOPLE READ

1.       To seek for knowledge which sharpens the eyes of their understanding. Proverbs 15:14.

2.       To acquire skills that could boost their talents.

3.       To derive pleasure.

INFORMATION BRINGS TRANSFORMATION – IN BOLD STEPS TO ACHIEVE A MEANINGFUL READING.

1.       Pray before commencing your study. Proverbs 16:3; 22:12;

2.       Have a jotter for putting down important facts as u read.

3.       Devout more time on the area that seems difficult to understand.

4.       Pause momentarily to allow assimilation as you read.

5.       Build up your vocabulary by checking those words you do not understand their meaning in the dictionary.  

6.       Put down questions that you cannot answer as regards the topic under study. Present such questions to a higher authority in the subject area because problems that are difficult to the mediocre are simple to the genius.

7.       Summarize at the end of your reading by going through the2 jotted Points.

8.       Evaluate yourself by answering some questions pertaining to the subject matter.

HINTS FOR A BETTER PERFORMANCE

1.       Manage your time very well.

          The different between the rich and the poor lies on efficiency of management for each has 24 hours.  

2.       Plan ahead and set a target to achieve on each day. Genius is self-imposed while mediocre is self inflicted. Proverb 21:15. Failure to plan mean planning to fail. Proverb 16:9.

3.       Cultivate the habit of reading and have a private time-table to facilitate your reading culture. Proverbs 14:23.

4.       Avoid distractions when reading. Tune off your television set, cellular phone, pictures of loved ones, etc.  

5.       Avoid anxiety resulting from emotional imbalance (quarrels, wicked imaginations, depression and so on). Proverb 12:25.

6.       Avoid bad friends. 1 Corinthians 15:33. Proverbs 13:20. He who moves with the wise becomes wise. Proverbs 27:7.

7.       Avoid unfriendly friends –much food, over-sleeping, much pleasure in films, drafts and other games. If you wake up in the morning and see a successful man, know that he has not been sleeping”. Proverbs 20: 13.  

8.       Avoid procrastination- Failure’s most dangerous attributes is its subtlelity” Proverb

9.       Avoid pride. Proverbs 16:5, 18.

10.     Have a teachable heart Matt. 5:3.  

          This will enable you to take hold of instructions. Proverb 9:20.

11.     Have a positive mind set about yourself and always believe that you can make it in life. Mark 11:24.  

12.     Embrace positive changes where and when necessary. Those who refuse to embrace changes elude them (Zik). Thos who desire positive change, must themselves, change positively.

13.     Do not live in your Past glory or failure. Isaiah 43:18-19.

14.     Be a good listener-information is the best teacher. Proverb 19:20.  

HOW TO EMBRACE SUCCESS.

Success Demands:

1.       Decision to succeed – Your today decision determines your future success. Daniel 1:8; Joshua 24:15, Joel 3:14.

2.       Determination: Is the key to success Deut. 31:6; Joshua 1:6; Job 32:9.

3.       Diligent- be hardworking and o not be lazy. Proverbs 10:4; 12:24, 13:4, 16:26. He who works on his land will have plenty to eat. No food for a lazy man.

4.       Discipline- Take precautions an exercise self control. Proverb 25:28. Examine your life on daily basis to maintain your covenant relationship with God, as you cannot achieve success outside God. An unexamined life is not worth living. Lamentation 3:40.   

5.       Desire success- Anything you don’t desire, your can not get it. As a man thinks in his heart, so he is. Proverb 27:19.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

1.       Education cannot solve all our problems but no problems can be solve without education. (Awolowo)

2.       Education makes a good man better and a bad man, worse. (King Cyrus)

3.       Success has many friends but failure is an orphan.

4.       Success is 99% perspiration and 1% inspiration.

CONCLUSION: Embrace Jesus Christ who surpasses all knowledge, understanding and success will be yours. Ephesians 3:19; 1 Samuel 2:3.

EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE IN NIGERIA

          Is there still need for studying in this country? Attending school nowadays is it still crucial? Reading and studying hard in order to pass one’s examinations are they still possible in this country? Being anxious about one’s exam is it still prevailing among the students of this country? Our youths are no longer studying their books because miracles are happening in their various examination hall.

          Examination malpractices have consistently remained the bane of Nigeria Educational System. Most foreigners say that the academic certificates being issued to graduates in Nigeria are no more valuable than the pieces of paper on which they are printed.

          So, what is examination malpractice? Examination malpractice is an illegal behavior by a candidate before, during or after the examination, so that he/she can attain success easily and cheaply. Hence, the worth of the examination is violated.

          Examination malpractice is a cankerworm that portends grave danger for the nation.

FORMS OF EXAMINATION PRACTICE

          The following are forms of examination malpractice in Nigeria:

-        Leaking of examination questions by supervisors, invigilators, teachers and so on.

-        Impersonation  

-        Bringing foreign and irrelevant materials into the examination hall.

-        Assault on invigilators.

-        Bringing non-candidate for help and writing examination outside examination hall.

CAUSES OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE

-        Laziness of Student: Seriousness is thrown to the wind by many students. Most of them have little time for studies. They spend their time attending parties, watching movies and forming gangs who engage in untoward behavior.

-        Similarly is large population of students in many schools. The few who do very well may be promoted or admitted into higher institutions. Students cheat therefore to excel over their mates.

-        Also, many students are desperate, thinking that passing the examination is a do or die affair, they want to excel by all means. Some want promises from parents to be fulfilled. Others want to be on television or newspaper as the best in one form of examination or the other.

-        However, syllabus in many subjects such as Physics, Chemistry, Geography and so on are wide and difficult for teachers to cover. The school period is shortened by holidays, shift system and late resumption by students.

-        In addition, another cause of examination malpractice is inadequate preparation for examinations. In a number of schools, the teachers are few and specialized ones are fewer, so students are no adequately prepared for the examinations.

-        Furthermore, corrupt invigilators and supervisors, the students know that if they offer bribe to them, they will be allowed to cheat in the examination hall.

          Finally, there is general trend in our society towards cheating and this is encouraged by almost all members of the population.

EFFECTS OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE

          The evil effects of examination malpractice in Nigeria cannot be over emphasized.

          Creativity and resourcefulness are hampered. It wreaks great havoc on the social, religious, economic and political lives of Nigerians.

          Employees are engaged in jobs they are not suited for since the certificate they claims to posses are not merited.

          The outcome of all these is that many graduates are nothing to write home about. Some graduates find it difficult to express themselves in English in the manner expected of those who have passed through higher institution of Learning. It is obvious that products of these educational institutions where examination malpractice is rampant cannot compete favorably with their counterparts from other climes. By extension, the hitherto cherished image of the country becomes irredeemably smeared in the eyes of the international community.

          Similarly, devastating effect of examination malpractice is the perpetual moral decadence which it entrenches in the society. Everyone now feel that is the fastest, easiest, though most expensive way of passing examinations. To this end, government should formulated policies and put stringent measures in place aimed at curbing these monsters. It is the responsibility of everyone to fight this social malaise. Therefore all hands must be on deck.

SOLUTIONS/CONTROL OF EXAMINATION MALPRACTICE

-        Teachers should be trained properly in their fields. They will then have the tactics to follow on how to finish the syllabus for a particular term of at least cover a large part of it.

-        Holidays may be more in number but reduced in length as students are reluctant to resume from long holidays.

-        Guidance counselors should be employed in all schools to guide the students on study habits, career prospects and requirement for various careers.  

-        Continuous assessment should be practiced correctly. It will reduce examination malpractices as 40% of marks are accumulated from various assessment techniques such as project and assignments before actual examination.

-        The number of invigilators and supervisors should be increased in examination halls. Examination officers, principals and vice principals should occasionally pay visits to examination halls to observe what is going on. In this way, they could notice any cheating behavior.

-        The students should be thoroughly searched before entering the hall. Apart from photograph, finger print on ID plastic card should be used for identification as no two persons, even identical twin could have the same finger print. That is why it is used in crime detection.

In conclusion, solutions are only possible where there are examination halls, large classrooms, adequate seats and adequate number of teachers in a school. A class where there are 150 students sitting on the floor and windows with some armed with knives and locally made pistols. An invigilator will not risk his life to prevent examination malpractice. That is, precision of conducive environment for teaching and learning.

The government can play a very big role in curbing this menace by providing enough classrooms, desks and employing qualified teachers. Also, during an examination, the school should ensure that each student gets his/her own question paper and provide enough invigilators.  

Federal government has to establish an Examination Ethics Committee, al states and local government councils should do the same too.

Lastly but not the least, the government should ensure that those caught in Examination malpractices are not allowed to go scot-free, this will serve as deterrent to those who might be nursing the intention of cheating. With all these put together in place, Nigeria could be able to graduate students who have really merited it both in learning and attitudinal changes. The country will be a better place.

UBAKA O.M.

Geography Teacher

Reporter.

POOR PERFORMANCE IN SECONDARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS

          There has been lot of controversy over the question of academic standards of Nigeria Secondary School Students particularly in Mathematics. The low performance of students especially in Mathematics has clearly led credence to this popular conjective. The question of academic standard and student’s performance in Mathematics is therefore a recurring issue usually discussed both in and outside the academic circles. Everybody is interested in the answer of how to achieve quality in Mathematics education especially in Nigeria today.

          This write up examine the concept of academic standard and relates it to students performance and other examination related issues.

          Mathematics maintains and shall continue to remain an enviable position in our everyday life. No wonder it remains as a core subject on the curriculum from kindergarten to the university. Most parents expect their children after a week in the nursery school to be able to recite 1, 2, 3 ……….. Students must pass mathematics in Common Entrance Examination before they can proceed to secondary school, after primary education. They must pass Ma    thematic in Junior School Certificate Examination (JSCE) in order to move from Junior to Senior Secondary education, especially those who are science inclined.

          Mathematics must also be passed at WAEC or NECO conducted Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) otherwise, the candidates remain stranded and stagnant in his academic carrier.

          The Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) give a convert and tactical endorsement to the seeming compulsion of Mathematics. For all candidates seeking admission to any of the nation’s tertiary institutions through the JAMB Akesode (2000) reported that over 90% of the courses in Nigeria universities require Mathematics as a pre-requisite for admission.

          Employers of labour equally expect their prospective applicants to exhibit good performance in selection Aptitude Test. Such tests are usually laced with a heavy dosage of Mathematics. Thus, Mathematics, like our shadow sticks close to us anywhere we are throughout our life.

          The concept of literacy, no wonder they go hand in hand in gloves with numeracy. A person who is stagnant interms of numeracy skills will remain not only useless to himself but to the larger society because numeric skills remain the pivot of language in different aspects of our life. This is visibly seen in the areas of commerce, education, transport, housing, health, communication, defense and even politics. The two-thirds saga of the second republic is very significant in the annals of history of Nigeria Political development.

          Many students makes mathematics their enemy and therefore have the highest failure rate in all public examination from the common entrance to the SSCE, University Matriculation Examination (UME) for polytechnic and Colleges of Education. Math’s phobia or the fear and hatred of mathematics prevalent in our schools is not only restricted to the low achievers but unexpectedly cuts across the seemingly brighter ones.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

          Mathematics as a language is a method of communication, which is either in form of sound or symbol, metaphorically, mathematics is an essential transactional coin for people’s discourse, business and everyday living and this fact is easily established from the lens of history of mathematics.

          Mathematics as the cornerstone to the development of any nation and as the Queen of the science is critical to the development of science and technology. Being the king of all subjects, it is pivotal to development in such other areas such as the economy, culture and politics. Poor performance of students in mathematics should be cause of concern for all and sundry especially the government, mathematics educators in particular and all Nigerian citizen in general.

          Teachers of mathematics in particular who hold the key to national development should see thee problems of poor performance as a challenge of the first decade of this millennium which should be evolved by teachers for making mathematics friendly to all student. So that at the end of the first decade of this millennium, mathematics would be the subject Nigerian students perform best in. this is important because national development depends on the education of the citizenry for which mathematics is the king and queen of all subjects and the language of the education process.

          The government at the national level should do everything possible to find solution to the problems of poor performance in mathematics in all its ramification. Mathematics Teachers Education should be first on the government priority list because no nation can rise above the quality of its teachers. The teachers of mathematics are therefore seriously and quickly called to appraise the relationship between his pedagogy of teaching on one hand and students performance on the other hand.  Instead of dissipating energy on the questions of the rising or falling standard of education, government and the educationalists should evolve a blueprint to save the Nigerian child from the current unnecessary math’s phobia prevalent in the country. Definitely this will go a long way to drastically reduce math’s phobia and the subsequent poor performance in queen of all science subjects. Let us rise to curb this.

ONYIGA EVELYN

(LITERATURE IN ENGLISH TEACHER)

         

         

TALENT AND LIFE’S PURPOSE

TALENT
          Talent is that God given ability which only you can develop to enlighten your future. Sometimes, potential and talent are joined when trying to described the ability of one to do something extremely well.

          According to the Oxford Leaner’s Dictionary, potential is that ability in you which Can be developed and used in the future.

          Your potential is the deposit of Godliness and His omnipotency with all that He has that makes him God which He deposits in you.

          Talent according to Oxford Learner’s Dictionary is the natural ability to do something well.

          Though, many people may have similar talents that seems to be alike but can never be exactly the same. For example, there may be many people in the same field of discipline or undertaking but none can be exactly like the other. For instance, many are richly talented to be great singers like Frank Edward, Ron Kenoly, Don Moen, Rosemary Chukwu, Chinyere Udoma, Idrael Anyanele, Cornelius Benjamin and so on, but there must be unique things that differentiates one from another.

          Moreso, in the entertainment  industry, for instance, Nigeria Nollywood, there are many great wolrd recognized super stars like Nkem Owoh (AKA: Osuofia), Patience Ozokwor (AKA: Mama Gee), The Late Sam Loco Efe and so on, yet one unique character distinguishes one from the other.

          There is something that one can do well more than others. Also, there is something which can be found in one that cannot be seen in the other. It is tht thing in that person which no other person posses or can perform, that is the ability that one has that cannot be found elsewhere that is termed his/her talent/potential.

PURPOSE

          Purpose is that special instinct to achieve a target. It the aim, objectives and keen determination to reach a set goal.  

          Purpose of life is that instinct which the creator and maker of the universe want you to be in life. It is the goal which God has sent for you or that which you set for yourself.

          Purpose can be seen as God’s predestined position for your life which you must attain. The sole reason for that talent/potential which God deposited in you is to help you realize and fulfill your purpose in life. Purpose is the sole reason for man’s existence on earth.

          It may take you several years of unfulfilled, unsuccessful and worthless toil to discover your purpose in life.

          Purpose can be said to be the creator’s master plan in your existence. It is important that one realize his/her purpose early enough in life’ journey and also plan, aim, determine and pursue one’s life’s career towards that purpose.

          That great potential which will unleash the unimaginable treasure packaged in your life’s purpose is there, lying dormant inside of you , waiting to be harnessed and utilized judiciously.

          To discover and fulfill your purpose in life, you need to make use of your God-given talents and maximize your potentials. This is because the sole reason why God deposited those talents in you is to help you relies and achieve your life’s purpose.

          In order to maximize you talents and achieve your life’s purpose and be happy one throughout your life journey, you must be ready to follow these ten (10) steps of pre-requisites.

STEP 1: Be Focused: This is a vital factor in the journey of purpose. It is assumed that one cannot exist and live as rational human being without focus in life.

          Professor NIdo Qubein of the High Point  University of London quoted that “Life without focus is a life of lifelines” where one is still alive but already dead. It can be said that an unfocused person is one whose mind is dead but bodily alive.

STEP II: Mange Your Time: Adherence to time they say is a virtue. One who manages time will excel in all endeavours of life. Remember that time wasted can never be regained.

          Avoid procrastination. This is a dangerous time killer. Don’t try to leave for tomorrow what you can do today.

          Similar, do not dwell more than necessary on the past leaving many present things undone after which you will be regretting.

          Asa Kaulos, a musician once quoted that “the problem of Nigerian youth progress is caused as a result of dwelling/living in yesterdays while todays are left wasting away.

          Time consciousness is the key to promptness, punctuality and effectiveness. It is said that time waits for no man. Hence, to be able to effectively utilize your potentials inorder to achieve your life’s purpose, it is of utmost important that you manage your time well.

STEP III: Be Self Disciplined: This is one of the vital ingredients or recipe to achieve one’s life’s purpose you need to control the way you behave, the way you think, the way you do things, do what you believe is right to do and not what others thinks of you to do.

          When you discipline yourself, then you can always discipline those under your care who are indiscipline. For it is said that one cannot give out what one does not have.

In this new era of computer age, it is only a self disciplined personnel that can fit in well in any public establishment.

STEP IV: Go the Extra Mile: To be an achiever, you need to take extra risk by going the extra mile. Some graduates with first class merit  are those who went extra miles, studying their books as far as the mid-nights even when other have gone to bed.

Always bear in that winners never quit and quitters never wins. Refuse to be a quitter, rather be a winner.

STEP V: Have Applied Faith in God: With God all things are possible. A firm believe in God makes things work even the seeming impossible ones. Faith is the key to miracles. Be upright and endeavour toward righteousness. Only then would you see your set goals achieved. Lean not on your strength, but commit everything to God in prayer for by mine strength shall no man prevail.

          Trying to be independence of God is a risk of one taking one’s life for a quarantee for he/she will surely achieve nothing at the end of the race.

          This, the Bible makes clear in the book of Mathew …………………….. where it clearly stated: “cut off from me, you can do nothing”.

STEP VI: Be Real and not Imitation: Always be your        self at any time and in any where. Do not jealous or envy others. Never try to imitate or mimic other  people. Only learn what is good from people. Trying to imitate someone only makes you a second to the person. 

STEP VII: Have a Controlled Attention Free from Distraction: This goes in line with self discipline. When you discipline yourself, you will control your attention and be focused only on the things which are important and beneficial to your future.

          Some university students and even secondary school students allow the saga of boyfriend/girl friend issue to be the top list of their school life. Many believe that indulging in such makes you to belong to the said happening class. This will only pose a serious disturbance and distraction to your studies. Keep your attention to your studies and after graduation, you will have all the time in the world for pleasure. For there is time for everything under the earth.

STEP VIII: Be Enthusiastic and Rightly Motivated to Committed: Motivation is the key to achieving your purpose. It is the spark that lights up your potential and brightens your talents.

          In the first edition of this motivational magazine, “The Mentor”, I enlisted the motivational quotes which when applied will help you achieve your purpose. Motivation without commitment is like a car without an engine. Enthusiasm gets you out of bed to do seeming impossible task, motivation keeps you moving even in the face of awful odds but commitment sees you through to accomplishment.

STEP IX: Have a Personal Initiative: Make yourself a goal getter and not just a goal setter. Many sets goals that are never reached or accomplished.

          Be positive about yourself. Have a personal positive self image and self esteem.

          These will help you build up your initiatives and push you to the right track towards achieving your full potential and fulfilling your purpose in life.

STEP X: Definiteness of Purpose: Some are yet not quite sure whether they have a purpose in life or not. While some who are sure they have one does not really know what they want out of life.

          You should define your life’s purpose and be sure of what it takes to achieve it. The definition you give to your life purpose is what it will take. Note that nothing good comes easy. Achieving your purpose in life cannot be without a cross. For without cross, there will be no crown.  

          Dr. Napoleon Hill of the Oxford University London, stated clearly that “ He who wants or expects tangible things (meaningful outcome) out of nothing is really doomed for life’s total disappointment in all its ramifications.

          Some people keep wondering about their very existence. Some do not know exactly whom they are. While some keep asking the rigorous question that had always been asked through out generations “WHO AM I?”

          I will like to give you the right answers to that unending rhetorical question. I will like to tell you the truth about yourself. As written by Brian Tracy and Zig Zigler, so I rhapsodize:

-        You are truly a good person

-        You deserve a wonder life, full of success, happiness, joy and excitement.

-        You are entitled to have happy relationship, excellent health, meaningful work that earns highly and be financially indolence.

          These are your birthright only if you can define your purpose and maximize your talent.  

-        You are engineered for success and designed to have high level of self esteem, self respect, and personal pride.

-        You are extra-ordinary, there has never been anyone like you in the anals of the history of mankind on earth.

-        You are a living magnet, made so wonderfully and fearful to attract goodness, prosperity and favour.

-        You have absolutely amazing untapped talents and potentials, very special and unique abilities which God has deposited in you and in no one else.

-        You are living at the greatest time in human history. Though many believe that the time of our fore-fathers are better of than now. But you can be the very change that this generation awaits.

          Even the Bible stated “The whole generation is waiting to see the manifestation of the children of God”.

-        You have great purpose and talents that when properly harnessed, unleashed and applied can bring you virtually everything you want in life be it the things that money can buy and every other thing that money cannot buy.

-        You are surrounded by abundant opportunities that you can take advantage of, achieve your life’s purpose.

-        The only limits on what you can have or be in future is the limit that you place on yourself. For no one can close the door of success against you except yourself.

-        Be reminded that you can bring limitation to your future, success and purpose by the way you think. This is because you act the way you think and your thinking abilities controls your entire capabilities.

-        When you think positively, you will behave positively. For Dr. Napoleon Hill quotes that “whatever the hear of man can conceive and believe, he can achieve.

-        Your future is bright and virtually unlimited, the only person that can close the door of success against you is your very self.

In Conclusion, I can bet very assuredly that you and I mean you my dear reader will not bring limitations to your greatness and purpose in life.

          Be righty motivated.

EZEKWEN P.O

BASIC TECHNOLOGY TEACHER

BOKO HARAM INSURGENCY IN THE FACE OF NIGERIAN EDUCATION (A CAUSE AND PROSPECT)

ABSTRACT

          Recently, in our country there has been series of terrorists attack by the deadly group known as Boko Haram whose mission is to destroy the peace we share in our country Nigeria. Now chaos, fight, living a life of fear has been the order of the day in or country. People are now afraid of going to their various and normal businesses because no one knows where he or she will meet his untimely death. Therefore, this article is made to discuss the fate of Nigeria system of Education in this crises and way forward.

INTRODUCTION

It has been noted that in the recent years, there has emerged in Northern part of our country Nigeria an element of menace with a stronger political agenda, not unlike elements of Al-Qaida movement although but without the same intellectual origins.

          However, Boko Haram movement as its commonly known which implies in Hausa language “Western Education is a sin”. The group also represent what they call “people committed to propagation of the Prophet’s Teaching and Jihad” in 2009, the assumed first leader of the group, Yusuf Mohammed told BBC that western style of Education is mixed with issues that are contrary to our beliefs in Islam.

As a matter of origin, however, it could be seen following Yusuf’s assertion that Boko Haram as the name implies first emerged publicly around 2001 in the North – east of Nigeria, with a simple motive of fighting against western education and Islamizing Nigeria thereby causing pandemonia to the authorities. Shortly after that major violence which erupted some states in the Northern –east of Nigeria. This gave a great concern to the authorities, after some hesitation and response from the massive force and authorities as a way forward.

Then in July, 2009, the mosque headquarters of Mohammed Yusuf, was destroyed in the city of Maiduguri, Borno State Nigeria with the effort of our Security Agency, as a result of the assault hundreds of lives were lost and Mohammed Yusuf was captured, prosecuted and killed.

Today book Haram has re-activated their operation of Sharia law in the twelve Northern States of Nigeria and a total abolishment of girl child education in Nigeria especially in the Northern part of our Country. This demand left me with a question which says: can a country or a nation grow from strength to strength or economically without educational empowerment? Of course the answer to this question is NO and that takes me to the second question; how can Nigeria survive as a country or nation without education? That is no nation of course. What then is education and how can it help in developing a nation?

EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT

          ACCORDING TO Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 8^th Edition, education is described as “a process of teaching, training and learning especially in school or colleges is to improve knowledge and develop skills” This definition proofs that a nation or individual person cannot fully develop the potential economical, financial and otherwise without education. Therefore, education is the pillar every nation for education a nation will not stand because the survival of every nation is solely dependent on the education and training of the younger generation.

          Researchers have observed that increase in educational participation and achievement ensure that knowledge and skill can be harnessed to improve health, raise nation GPD incomes, help sustain economic growth and promote equity and harmony among people irrespective of their gender and religious differences. But one cannot still affirm such propositions in Nigeria of today since disunity, chaos and uncountable number of bombing have replaced the peaceful co-existence that we have shared as a nation. Can one still affirm that Nigeria system of education can boast of producing qualified and renowned graduates in future considering the situation of things in our country today.

          However, in all odds access to high quality education is a widely recognized human right and when that is achieved, it will help to curtail corruption and the issue of security challenges that face our dear today. This access to high quality education will help reduce the high rate of illiterates, that roam the streets causing havoc. It will also reduce serve as a deterrent mechanism for reduction to proposing children in streets and help create employment for the masses as well.

EFFECTS OF EDUCATION

          The group and their leader and sponsor simply believe that western education is a sin, therefore they believe that fighting and killing innocent souls in schools of our dear country will proof their propaganda. This leads to another question, is western education a sin? All those instruments such as gun, explosive devices, vehicle, hand –sets, computer, internet and even their brains were  developed as a result of western education.

          Therefore, if they solely despise western education that much, there should as well despise anything that comes with it. Now let us say for instance that Boko Hara       m won by proving that western education is a sin and Nigeria government also agreed to abolish the system, then my question could be, what then is going to replace education? It is Arabic education or what? And if the venue for students will be where? Certainly, schools/classrooms are typically western structures.

          However, I solely believe that Boko Haram or whatever name it takes is simply fighting an unjust fight which will certainly bring doom to them no matter how long it will take the authorities to stop them. I therefore urge them to lay down their arms, embraces peace and harmony and stop allowing uncivilized and selfish politicians to use their brains for their selfish political reasons.

          Conclusively, I sincerely believe that of corruption ha entered our nation, a nation that was blessed by God with all kinds of natural sources for her sustainability. I urge the government and everybody to never relent in fighting this menace called Boko Haram especially in our educational system since the hope and aspirations of our future as a nation lies with the education of our children.    

LOVE IN THE JET AGE

          Today, the word “Love| have being given so many meaning s and interpretations. Many see it as having sex, while some misinterpret it their lust to be love.  But notwithstanding all these misconceptions, the true face of love can never be changed or covered, the misconceptions about love are many, so are the true meaning of love which depends on its type. The word “love” can be seen as a variety of different feeling, states, attitudes that range from interpersonal affection than pleasure. It Can also be seen as an emotion of a strong attraction and personal attachment. Also can be seen as a virtue representing human kindness, compassion and affection toward oneself, fellow human animals, things and so on.  But in this age, which can be referred to as the Jet Age the meaning of “love” is quite far from all these, the only way to quote the wrong is to explain the type of love and how it appears and affects human activates.

TYPES OF LOVE

          There are many types of love but there are only three major type of Love which are erotic love, philos love and agape.

EROTIC LOVE: “Eros” is Greek term which actually means desire and longing. According to the Greek methodology, ‘Eros’ is the name of Greek god of love. This is a selfish kind of love as it associated with sexual love. Eros love is based on the strong feelings we have for one another and it usually develops during the first stage of a romantic relationship. This kind of love is based on physical traits unless it is redeem by the Lord’s presence that the presence of God. This type of love can end up being possessive since it always seek first to conquer and the control. God created physical attraction between men and women but he didn’t create it for selfishness. This love is meant to be preserved between a couple for it is essential for healthy marriage but hence it is selfish, lots of people tend to fall out of Love if they are not happy with the marriage. It does not only destroy marriage but also misleads youths into living adulterous life all in the name of love but this can be avoided if this feeling is controlled. And one can only control his or herself by seeking the face of God, advice and by preoccupying oneself with educational activities.

PHILOS LOVE: This is a unique kind of love like the one you have for a companion or friend. It refers to loving one another just like your brother or sister this love is for a pal or friend who is really close and dear to us and it is characterized by various different shared experienced between two people or more. In fact, this is the kind of love that many Christians tend to practice towards one another. Although, Philos love is really wonderful, it is not that much reliable, since it can end up scary at times as we have all experienced at a time in our lives. This can be caused by disagreement, relation, graduation, marriage and so on. So this kind of love is good but does not Last long.

AGAPE LOVE: This is a special term which represents divine love of God towards his son Jesus Christ, human beings and all believers. This is the best of the three types of love in the Bible. In fact, Jesus himself showed this type of divine love to his father in heaven and to humanity. Agape love is the love of God commanded on all believers to have for everyone whether he/she is a believer or not. Agape love should never be determined by our feelings; it is more of set of behaviors or actions. With agape, you do not have to actually feel it for you to give it, which means that you can show love without anything at all. At times, feelings can follow after showing this kind of love. It is not selfish it does not bear grudges but is forgiving and sacrificing. This is the kind of love ordained by God Himself.

          Among the three types of love, Agape is the best, it has lots of good qualities than the others. This is the type of love that our father in heaven expects us to give. The jet age of today has painted the face of love black with lots of bad theories and conceptions. This can only be changed if we open our hearts and embrace the true nature of love, for we all are the creatures of love and existing all because of love. Lust, sex and obsession are far different from love. If we embrace the true nature of love, this world will be a better place for us all to live in.

HOMOSEXUALITY

          Homosexuality is a recent concept unique, among the conceptualization of male-female sexual bonds of other culture in several ways. Where the western concept of homosexuality assures life-long predisposition, other cultures love typically constructed male-female sexual bonds as temporary phases, as in the initiation rites of tribes in New Guinea or ancient Greece, or age-based relationship, such as in ancient Greece. An even more profound uniqueness of the Western concept of homosexuality is revealed when it is contrasted with how male-male sexual and romantic bonds were treated in imperial China where several male concubines and also where male prostitution (for male clients) were prevalent up to the end of the Qing dynasty. The reason why there was no word for homosexuality in Chinese was because it was never seen as defining or integral part of a person’s identity. Male-male sexual and romantic bonds were constructed as relationships between two people as opposed to a psychological essence that defined either person. Moreover, these same-sex bond were seen as a perfectly acceptable and natural way of life in imperial China.

          Part of the reason why gay culture is as a counter-reaction to the oppression and marginalization of homosexuals over the past 150 years in Western culture, but the reason why that marginalization occurred at first was because a special category of life-long sexual reference was created and defined a psychologically aberrant.

DEINITION: There is no précised, all-inclusive of homosexuality. It is probably much easier to say what homosexuality is not. It is not a genetic defect, a hormonal imbalance, a mental illness, or a result of demonic possession. Homosexuality thus, means that men are sexually and emotionally attracted to men. Men in collaboration with it own brother women and women. This is also called same-sex attraction.

CAUSES: Homosexuality is caused through a complex combination of shaping factors and persona choice. Sometimes, the news or magazines have even made it sound like scientists have found genetic proof. So far, perception of being different is a factor. Generally, there  are a number of different factors that are of different degrees of importance in different people’s lives, these include:

·        Factors that you are born with e.g temperament or possible genetic predisposition.

·        Whether there were other significant negative experience in childhood e.g sexual abuse or rejection by peers.

·        Whether a persons family situation was good or bad.

·        The rate and kind of support that was available to help child or young person deal with what was happening.

·        The kind of moral training a child received.

·        The choices that were made in response to feeling and attrations.

·        How clear or confused gender roles are in a particular culture.

No two people develop a homosexual self-concept or lifestyle for exactly the same reasons. One may have had a poor family background; another may have an “ideal” balance of love and discipline in the home.

Parents may influence a choice for homosexuality, but they cannot be held entirely responsible. However, the inter-play between shaping factors and personal choices is co complex and so different for each individual, that only God has the knowledge and love necessary to unravel and reverse the Process. Not all homosexuals are involved to the same extent. A gay person may be involved along these categories.

·        FANTASY

·        BEHAVIOUR

·        IDENTITY

·        LIFESTYLE

Homosexuality begins at the BEHAVIOUR or FANTASY level. A child may experiment with gay sex at an early age or he may not do that until later in life. Experimentation does not mean that the child will become homosexual. The vast majority of the people never moved beyond this stage instead they go to develop heterosexuality.

With some people, homosexual fantasy or behavior can lead to the IDENTITY level. At this point, the person begins to label himself “Gay”. The person has begun to base his personality upon homosexuality even if they perhaps have never engaged in homosexual behavior.  Some people stay in this identity. This is probably the most decisive and destructive category.

Some people proceed from the identity category to the LIFESTYLE category. Here the gay person considers himself with a supportive gay sub-culture. He may surround himself with gay friends, work at a gay establishment, frequent gay bars or night clubs and so on etc. with this gay lifestyle, the person feels less alone. He has a sense of belonging.

When you meet someone who says he is homosexual think of these different categories. Ask the person what he means when he says “ I am homosexual”. Does he mean his sense of self is based on gayness? Is he involved with a supportive gay subculture? Your response to the person will be determined in part by the extent of his involvement with homosexuality.

Negative Impacts: Homosexual behavior not only seriously harms homosexual individual, it harms society also.

·              People who [practice homosexuality experience higher  rates of diseases including Human Papillomavirus [HPV], Hepatitis A, B and C, Gay Bond Syndrome, HIV/AIDs, Bacterial Vaginosis.

·              They have high rates of alcohol abuses, drug abuse, Nicotine dependence, Depression, suicide and so on.

May be these problems are the result of society’s discrimination against homosexualists. If we look at places in which homosexuality is accepted such as Netherlands and San Francisco. We find that the greater the acceptance of homosexual, the higher the rate of the above negative consequences accepting homosexual behavior makes it worse.

THE ACHIEVER’S WEAPON (CAREER EXPLOIT AND GOAL SETTING)

          A career is an occupation undertaken for a significant period of person’s life with opportunities for progress. It is a profession, vocation or occupation. It is a lifelong engagement aimed at offering both living wages on one hand and satisfactory purposeful living on the other. It is equally an avenue to exhibit profitable use of our God’s given talents or gifts.

          In making our career a reality, we must package ourselves very well and label the package with determination, resourcefulness, competence, passion, performance, persistence and self motivation. This will determine our success or failure in life as far as career and goal setting is concerned.  

          According to career coach, Dr. Randall Hensen, the key word of career means the following;

C        -        Contemplate and understand who you are and what you want from    life.

A        -        Access your current situation and what you want to become. This                          involves self assessment.

R       -        Research and set goals to achieve. The vision you have set for your                       self.

E        -        Explore and development short and long term plans to achieve your                       goals.

E        -        Execute and implement your plans, making changes where                                    necessary.

R       -        Reflect on success, plan for the future. This is about rewarding                              yourself and continuing the process to achieve your long term goals                      and aspirations.

          Dear reader, you have heard from the career coach. Honestly speaking, opportunity never comes to those who waited. They are captured by those who dare to attack. The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your career goal but in having no goals to reach. Goal setting is the achiever’s weapon. One thing is to have a career; another thing is to set your goals because goals are vision with feet. Indeed, when you set your goals, you switch on from fire fighting to fire prevention.

          Setting goals will deliver you from the Ichabod family. You will know whether or not the glory has departed. Men fail because they give up too early. Mosy people stop trying in trial times. Be different, nobody remembers a quitter! By perseverance, the snail reached the ark. Once you quit from your career and goals, you have set in life, you are dumped into the dustbin of history, never to be recycled. Does anyone still remember the ten (10) spies that were sent with Joshua and Caleb to spy the land? Oh! The shame of quitting! No matter the giant you encounter in your life, career, business, academic, marriage or ministry, refuse to allow fears, depressions or worries.

          Remember, if you want rainbow, you have to endure the rain. Keep your mind on where you are going. Life is an echo; you get back what you give out. Just keep on moving; as long as you are moving with your plan/career, you will never fail. Even if you fail, get up and keep on moving. You will get to that level you want in your career as far as the ladder of determination and perseverance are there. If you have achieved all your dreams, then bigger is regressing is repressing. Develop goals that are bigger that your brain because success is never ending and failure is never permanent. Your goals must remain permanent while your methods must be flexible. Also, you should remember any career and goal you want to achieve in life with reading road map to achieve them outside the will of God. For you is like a man that is building on a faulty foundation. Such goal or career may likely crash and amount to nothing.

          Your life is a treasure above a billion naira, Cedis, shillings, pounds or dollars. Please don’t waist I. make it count by your goal setting, make it exciting, make it challenging, discipline it, add action and you will achieve all the desires of your heart, most especially your career and goals in life.

Thanks.

OGUAMANAM CHIKAODIRI

(FINANCIAL ACCOUNT TEACHER)  

GOD’S CREATION

          We are an embodiment of systems. Our whole life depends on systems. There are about 11 systems in the human body. The nervous, urinary, respiration, skeletal, reproductive, lymphatic, muscular, endocrine, immune, circulatory and digestive systems.

          God built us like a complete house that has camera (eye), speaker (mouth), a central processor (brain), and a generator (heart) that uses plumbing pipes (arteries and veins) to supply life (blood) to every part of your body. Its all God creation.

THE MIGHTY HAS FALLEN

          53 years after independence, this great oil rich country (Nigeria) is in pains, its oil is both a blessing and a curse.      

          Majority of Nigerians wallow in poverty, life expectancy has dropped abysmally. Basic amenities like portable water, electricity, good roads, medical facilities are in pitiable state of disrepair, not to talk of the poor standard of education in the country.

          This is country where the youths who are the leaders of tomorrow are afraid of their future. A country where the only prosperous people are in the government, who have concealed power and misappropriate public funds. Save the rich and kill the poor” is this what we are celebrating today? The giant of Africa has fallen.

          What does independence worth then?

ENDTIME REVELATION

          The devil’s best work (job) is done by those claims to love God that is those who side Satan against God. Those who do wrong things by telling lies, bearing false witness, swearing, stealing, fornication and so on

          This set of people do not read the Bible. They don’t pray but only jump from one prophet to another. His mean sowing to the flesh. The Bible say, “if you sow to the flesh, you will reap corruption”. It means living a life that does glorify God. Your deeds infuriate God every minute.  You have big Bible at home, other Holy Books, sacramentals and so on. There is one corresponding change in your life. How can it be said that on the last day, you will end up together with the Satan you sang and prayed against. This means sinning without reasoning. “what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his precious soul”. Biblical injuction, try and give answer to that question yourself.

          Spiritual stubbornness works in people who are stubborn or stone hearted. It is resistance to spiritual check up, spiritual challenging and spiritual chastisement . it is a failure in your personal revelation. It happens when you are slow and dull to hear the voice of the shepherd and indulging in self-confidence and pride. Infact, whether you like it or not, there is nothing as inevitable as death in life.

          Death is unavoidable, a diabolical enemy of man. And as such, man hates death. Many have tried to endure it and many others have attempted to deny it. Some even tempted to forget it as something that does not exist. Some postpone death while some believe it. Whosoever you are, you are dispensible. You may run but it still be awaiting in a corner to catch up with you. Therefore, the most important thing to do is to position your life in such a way that if God says or call you “come now” you should be ready. Many people are not ready and this is a very serious problem. The rich man cannot bribe Mr. Death because it takes no bribe and respects no body. So let us be ready at whatsoever time it pleases the Lord to say come.

WHAT WE MUST DO

1)      Crucify your flesh, don’t let Mr. Flesh have power your life.

2)      You need to review your life spiritually to ascertain whether you are on line with God.

3)      You must obey God, whether it is convenient or not.

4)      Make yourself ready for heaven. This implies that you must denounce Satan and all his deeds.  

5)      You must be watchful. This means being spiritually and physically fit (prayer is the only key).

          In the Book of Philippians 3:20-21, it says, “for our commonwealth conversation is in heaven and from it we await a saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lovely body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject to all things to himself.

          Holiness, pureness and Godliness is what God demands from us because we are in a sinking world, all signs are showing that the end is very near and manifesting. If we are not ready for heaven, it is a very serious problem because Satan is always busy praying for many souls.

          Don’t tell me you want to be victim.

ASK YOURSELF THIS QUESTION

Is this soul of mine not too precious for Satan to handle? Think about it

You still have enough time in the world to make amends and be close to your God because He is the way, the truth and the life. No one commeth unto the father except through Him (JESUS).

SCHOOL DROP-OUT IN NIGERIA: A CAUSE OR PROSPECT

          According to the 6^th Edition Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary “Drop-out” simply means when a person or one leaves school or college before one’s duration of studies expires.   

          There has been a great increase in the number of drop-out in our society and Nigeria at large.

          However, it is often said that Education is the bedrock of an individual or societal growth and development. An educated society is one where ineptitude and mediocrity with their negative effects such as inefficiency and low level of development and also corruptions and crimes thrive.

CAUSES OF SCHOOL DROP-OUT

          There are many causes of this menace in the country which include; firstly, Poverty: There is great  poverty among our people. Some people are so poor that they are unable to send their children to school.

          In most cases, some parents have to many children beyond their economic strength.

          Meanwhile, as a result of this many children are made to hawk or sell goods on streets, markets or even on roads during school time.

          Selling goods on street may entice them in money making ventures early in life and course of doing this, they will end up in abandoning their education or joining corrupt people. This is so because bad company corrupts good manners especially in teenage life.   

Secondly, Unemployment: Thus, children are not motivated because of the increase unemployment among the educated ones in the society, so as a result of this, they do not see the need for education, when they know that they might end up being unemployed.

          Furthermore, the large proportion of an unemployed in this country has a negative effects on these children of school age to the extent that the various crimes and corruptions in the society which they consider as the means of getting money fascinates them.

          Finally, lack of parental responsibilities; sometime, the fact that most parents do not impact the proper and authentic morality in the children. This may mislead them to the extent of making wrong choice in life for their future by dropping –out of school and to join some menial jobs which they think are the best.

          Therefore, in most cases, these children have to cater for themselves and in course of doing the menial jobs may be entice to dropping out of school.

CONTROL MEASURES TO DROP-OUT SYNDROME

          In order to stop this menace that has affected the standard of living in this country, many things are required from the government.

1)      The government should check the indiscriminate and arbitrary fees increase in the institution of learning. This will reduce the burden on student and parents.

They should subsidize school fees and other charges in school in order for the poor ones to afford it.

2)      The government also should promulgate law which will forbid parents from having more children than can cater for or beyond their economic strength.

3)      Lastly, Education should be made compulsory and affordable in the country. This will help and make it easier for parents to send their children to school. When all the factors for the decay of education, academic and intellectual improvement are expressed, the solution proffered and suggestions put into consideration. I believe Nigeria educational system would be improved with high level of illiteracy would take a positive and better dimension.

ELOM EBERE

SS III D

WEEKEND TREAT

Family members have the opportunity to be together and exercise during the weekend. Parents desirous of healthy fit children should encourage them to start exercising as early as possible. Since obesity is not limited to adult, everyone must get into the exercise business for healthier life.

Preventing obesity in children is an issue that needs to be taken seriously, as many of these young ones are reported to be plagued globally, although it is more pronounced in the Western world. The two major factors responsible for this trend are dietary and lifestyle. The first is the type of food children are being fed with and the sedentary lifestyle they live. In tackling this problem, parents must deal with the root cause. So, eating a lot of fried and junk foods should be eliminated or at least eaten minimally. Children should also be made to engage in enough physical activities to shake of the fat piled up from inactivity.

This is where exercises come in for the whole family. Experts have for sometime now been advocating that appropriate programmes capable of helping children stay fit and healthy be adopted by the family. And this probably is why many gyms and fitness centers are incorporating the idea of creating conducive environment for the whole family to have fun while exercising and spending quality time together. The family is thereby encouraged to stay fit and healthy together.

Apart from exercising this way, members of the family particularly children should be made to take food that are balanced and well prepared, which include also the eating of lots of fresh fruits and vegetables with adequate intake of water.

Children should be involved in household chores rather than allowing them stay idle. This trend has many advantages excluding just piling up fat from lack of appropriate physical exertion.

The idea generally is that the earlier the individual starts eating right food and exercising, the better. Living a sedentary life does not start overnight. It begins gradually. A child ho starts off living a sedentary lifestyle and eating the wrong stuff is likely to grow up the same way.

But by exercising and planning together, family members stand to benefit in many ways in this regard. Care should be taken, however, that children are made to undertake suitable physical activities that wouldn’t injure or get them stressed up. Parents also need to constantly monitor their children, especially if the exercise activities including swimming and such others that could be dangerous.

Ideally, most weekends, if not all should be left free for the whole family to have fun and keep fit since the weekdays are usually busy and so free.

DOUGLAS GIFT C.

COUNSELS TO CHILD ABUSE

          Child Abuse is defined as the physical, sexual, emotional, maltreatment or neglect of a child or children. That is, cruelty to children or child maltreatment.

          It is the persistent failure to meet a child’s basic and essential needs, making a child worthless which result to emotional harm.

          Child abuse can occur in a child’s home or in the schools, organizations or communities the child interacts with.

          There are four major categories of Child abuse. They include physical, psychological or emotional, Neglect and sexual abuse.

1)      Physical Abuse: This involves physical aggression directed at a child by an adult. Bruise, scratches, burns, broken bones, lacerations and rough treatment that could cause physical injury.

2)      Psychological or Emotional Abuse: This is defined as the production of psychological and social deficits in the growth of a child as a result of behavior such as course and rude attitude, harsh criticism and denigration of the child’s personality. Other examples include name-calling, ridiculous, degradation, destruction of personal belongings or killing of a pet, excessive criticism, inappropriate or excessive demands, withholding, communication and routine labeling or humiliation.

3)      Neglect: This is the failure of a parent or other person with responsibility for the child to provide need food, clothing, shelter, medical care or supervision to the degree that the child’s health, safety and well being are threatened with harm.   

          Neglect can come as lack of attention from the people around surrounding a child and the non-provision of the relevant and adequate necessitates for the child’s survival which would be a lacking in attention, love and nuture. This includes child’s frequent absent from school, begs or steals food or money, lacks needed medical and dental care, consistently dirty or lacks sufficient clothing for the weather.

4)      Sexual Abuse: This is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent abuses a child for sexual stimulation, that is asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities regardless of the outcome.

          It refers to the participation of a child in a sexual act aimed toward the physical gratification or the financial profit of the person committing the act. A child, displaying pornography pictures to a child, actual sexual contact with a child, physical contact with the child’s genitals, viewing of the child’s genitalia without physical contact or using a child to produce child pornography.

EFFECTS OF CHILD ABUSE

          The above child abuse leave lasting scars, some physical and emotional scaring, have long lasting effects throughout life. Damaging a child’s sense of self ability to have healthy relationship and ability to function at home, at work and at school. This effect include:

a)      Trouble regulating emotions: Abused children cannot express emotions safety, as a result the emotion get stuffed down coming out in unexpected ways.

b)      Making a child feel worthless or stupid; if you have been told over and over again as a child that you are stupid. It is very difficult to overcome these feeling.

c)       Feeling of being ashamed and damaged; sexually abuse survivors, with the stigma and shame surrounding the abuse, often especially struggling with a feeling of being damaged.

d)      Lack of trust and relationship difficult; if you  cant trust your parents, who can you trust? It is difficult to maintain relationship due to the fear of being controlled or abused, therefore distance themselves from the abuser.

CORRECTIVE MEASURES TO THE EFFECT OF CHILD ABUSE

1)      Avoid denial and remain calm: If you display denial to a child or show shock or disgust at what they are saying, the child may be afraid to continue and will shut down.

2)      Don’t interrogated: Let the child explain to you in his or her own words what happened, but don’t interrogate the child or ask leading questions. This may confuse and fluster the child and make it harder for them to continue their story.

3)      Reassure the child that they did nothing wrong: It takes a lot for a child to come forward about abuse. Reassure him or her that you take what is said seriously, and that it is not the child’s fault.

4)      Safety comes first: If you feel that your safety or the safety of the child would be threatened, if you try to intervene, leave it.

OKWUOSA RITA (MRS.)

COMPUTER TEACHER

LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS FRIENDS OR FOES

          For a better appreciation of this topic, let us start by defining the operative term. The B.B.C English Dictionary describes law enforcement agencies as officials such as the police and government legal department that are responsible for making sure that people do not break the laws of a country or state. FRIEND: Hornby (1995; God) defines friends as “a person you know well and like and who is not usually a member of your family”. The B.B.C Dictionary also describes a friend as “someone you know well, it goes on to explain that if you are in friendship with someone, you like each other and enjoy spending time together, talking about friendly issues, it says that a friendly person is kind and pleasant. It further explains that if you are friendly with someone, you like mostly.

FOE: According to Hornby (1995: 578/ a foe is simply an enemy. The B.B.C. English Dictionary also defined a foes or enemy as someone who intends to harm you.

          Hailing certified these terms, we are now set to x-ray over law enforcement agents to see whether they face into the camp of foes or friend.

          Under normal circumstances, law enforcement agencies should be friends and not foes but unfortunately in Nigerian context, the revise in the cause. This is because of the high rate.

          Corruption in Nigeria Bribery and Corruption is almost a culture in Nig2eria today. This is as a result of excess materialistic indications. Nigerian society is such that people have the tendency of acquiring much money as possible and sometimes even to excess. This is why at the slightest opportunity leaders in Nigeria embezzlement public fund.

          Little wonder Adewole (1988:22) writes “Ours is a society where a great proportion of people’s worth is assessed by the quality of their clothing, the number of house built and so on. No one is interested in the ways, in which such things are acquired, so this is the problem with the Nigerian society, everyone wants to be seen and recognized as a popular figure in the society. The cheapest way to do it is to acquire as much wealth as possible, buy a fleet of cars, take the highest title in the community and soon. Invariably, this is the society sin which our law enforcement agent is found. They are highly different, if they try to prove innocent, they tend to be worse, this is why Adewole (1988 : 19) white commenting on bribery and corruption in Nigeria writes “The most common racket is perhaps that of the traffic police. There is always something wrong with the average passenger as the drivers have no fear. Since they know how to get out of their offences, however illicit the method may be. If it is not over loaded, it is not road worthy or licensed. There may be several such offences the lorry is rightly stopped by the police after an interval of behind. The scene exchanges during which a few naira are carefully slopped under the wheel or at the root of a nearby tree. The lorry is allowed to proceed regardless of the danger it may constitute to the public.

          What about a situation when someone who break the law of the hand i.e a thief or even an armed robber, is caught and hundred over to the police for justice to take it course? What usually happens is that no matter how grievous the fault of the offender is, the offender can always bribe the police with the result that the police allows the offender to go without taking him to court, depending on the abicoty of the offender to pay a huge amount of money or depending on the connection that the offender has in the society. This is popularly known as “I m” in Nigeria, invariably, as “IM”.

          In Nigeria, the law enforcement agents who are supposed to be friends of the masses turn out to be foes to the people by thwarting justice.

          In conclusion, the writer strongly advises the law enforcement agents to prove their integrity as friends to the society and not foes. This would help our country Nigeria to achieve a greater height.

NGOZI: NWAFOR

NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF HAND-SET ON CHILD EDUCATION

ABSTRACT

          Recently, the use of hand-set otherwise known as cellular phone has become a menace to the development and proper learning of a child especially on the secondary school level. Parents now wants to follow the new trend     of modern technology by buying highly sophisticated phones for their children in the name of child development and upbringing without knowing that indirectly they are exposing them to other sides of social media. Therefore, this article is specially based on the bad effect of hand set to the development of child education.

INTRODUCTION

          A mobile phone (also called, Cellular telephone / Cell-phone or handset) is an electronic device used for two way radio communication over a cellular network of base stations known as cell sites, mobile phones differs from cordless telephones, which only offer telephone services within limited range through a single base station attached to a fixed land line, for example within a home or an office.

          A mobile phone allows its user to make and receive telephone calls to and from the public telephone network which includes other mobiles and fixed line phone across the world. It does this by connecting to a cellular network owned by a mobile network operator.

          In addition to being a telephone, modern mobile phones also support many additional service and accessories such as SMS (or text) message, e-mail, internet access, Bluetooth and infrared short range wirelesses communication, camera, messaging. Mp3 player, radio and G.P.S low end mobile phone are often referred to as feature phones, where as high end mobile phones that offer more advanced computing ability are referred to as smart phones.

1)      HEALTH HAZARDS: Over the past decade, the world has seen rapid growth in cell phones uses, everyone from older to the kids in high school seems to carry on glued to their care, without under standing the possible health risk associated with the use of cellular phones. To begin with, a recent scientific journal published in 2007 in caption long term use of cellular phones and brain tumor conceded after assessing results from many different studies that the use of cell phones for more that 10 years does show increased risk for acoustic neuroma and glioma. Adding that the risk is highest for Ip’s naterlas explosive, meaning tumor on the same side of the brain where phone is mostly held.

          The effect mobile phone radiation has on human health is the subject of recent interest and study, as a result of the enormous increase in mobile phones usage throughout the world. Mobile phones use electromagnetic radiation in the micro wave range which some believe may be harmful to human health. A large body of research exists, both epidemiological and experimental, in non human animals and in human of which the majority shows no definite causative relationship between exposure to mobile phones and harmful biological effect in humans.

          The WHO/World Health Organization based on the majority view of scientific and medical communities has stated that cancer can be related to phone radiations. The radiation emerged from the mobile phone have cause many serious health issues.

          According to a new researcher mobile phones are greatly co-ordinate with different types of micro-organisms especially bacteria which cause a lot of diseases. Mobile phones use has a dangerous effect on our environments, including birds, mammal and pet animals; it has been observed that animals which are more exposed to radiations emerging from these mobile phones or tower have many abnormalities as compared to those who are not exposed to these type of radiations.

ACADEMIC DISTRACTIONS

          Some students have the habit of keeping their mobile phone on during lessons. They do so for their classmates to know their latest ring tone. Thereby distracting their students, even the teachers in the class. Some put theirs on vibrations and that distract during lessons school hours, diverting their concentration on who is causing at the moment.

          This mobile phone with different memory capacity is used to download and several music of different lyrics and tones. The songs are being listened every now and then with the use of the earpiece at home and school forgetting their academic work which is supposed to be their priority. Some even play these songs in the classroom distracting the serious minded students. While the constant use of earpiece makes it difficult for them to understand and converse with low tones and shout while talking with the aim to be heard. 

          One of the several factors that have distracted those upcoming leaders of our generation has a lot to with mobile phones. Most students spends hours playing different games in their phones, they enjoy these games to an extent of neglecting their academic work, assignments, and homework. They even discuss these games in school encouraging others on how interesting the games were, storing games in their memories instead of studies.

          Analysis on performing an art/creative work and playing mobile phone game well.

NEGATIVE INFLUENCE ON CHILDREN

          Most of the phones are multimedia in nature such that they download and watch all sorts of pornographic pictures and moves which curiosity will allow them to practice and know what it’s all about.

          Once a student starts using mobile phone, it is an alert for opposite sex that he/she is ripe for sexual relationship. Naturally, there are people who cannot speak to their mates face to face, using mobile phones becomes a good medium to express their feelings. For some, the phone is used to formalize arrangement and appointments. With their phones they know and observe all the happening places in town like parties and night clubs. They loose the essence of their studies and cause the psychology to be weak.

          Cell phones can cause harmful radiation, microwaves on a persons brain, according to some studies. This also affects the person’s sleep pattern and leads to irritability lack of patience and abruptness. Not only can cell phone have a negative effect on one’s health, but also they can affect a person’s social life. Excessive use may result to family neglect, when a person constantly glued to their electronic device, he or she pays little attention to the things around there, let alone people, family interaction become limited as people find more and more reasons to sat with their cell phones for hours. This addition could lead to one becoming a slave to technology. The person must always stay updated with the new gadgets and be surrounding by internet browsing, face-book and 2go. This is also causes a short attention span of users when it comes to other task at hand.

NEBO CECILIA

SS 1^A

CITIZENSHIP EDUCATION

          All I know is to become the best of my kind by God’s grace. My good readers, if you study this topic, it is so interesting and enthusiastic it will enable you to study about your life and its environment because everyday  of our life it keeps on reflecting. This topic is not made only for those students in Pure Art department rather is for everyone.

          Citizenship education is the branch of education that enables people to make their own decisions and take responsibility. This key concepts of citizenship education are democracy, Justice, rights, responsibilities, identities and diversity as rights and privileges. It is the opportunity to participate and make one’s community and nation a better place.

          The purpose of citizenship education is to make one aware of social, economic, cultural and health education. It is broad discipline which looks at crime education, career prospects, sex education, development of social skills and other important topics that should be taught at home citizenship education grooms you into becoming an upright, productive and responsible citizen.

          Important of citizenship education is to promote the inter-relationship between the people and government in general, it highlights the structure of government and its functions and to the government and that of the people to government vice versa, it enables the people to make their own style and ways. It is essential for preparing the young people for our shared democratic life.

          Citizenship education is not all about knowing your right and from there derive powers to intimidate people, “No”. Just to do things at the right time in your country, abiding with government orders and make your environment clean and ready for visitors. With this citizenship education, one can be valued a person has studied/practiced all these, then he can be called a citizen.

WHO IS A CITIZEN AND HOW CAN ONE KNOW A CITIZEN  

          A citizen is legal member of a country or state that has full legal right that is conferred to him/her by constitution which its status is right, duties and obligations. You can be one of the citizens of a country or the other if you concur with these. A citizen must have a home he can be single, married and living with his parent.

          There are duties and obligations of citizen in his community; I mean what you own your community in every day life things you supposed to do or responsibilities at the right time. And the rights of the citizens is free speech, free religion, right to bear arms and free press. These duties are to vote and serve on a jury. The obligation of a citizen is to pay taxes and follows laws as they are established. My dear readers and fellow students, all my explanation is applicable to school rules and regulations here in Holy Child Madonna College. We student have came to learn in the course of our study Citizenship Education, all you have duties and obligations of students is to abide with these rules and regulations, endeavour to concur with this rules because it will change your life to be emulative, better, special, distinguished citizen and no one will trample on your right as a citizen.

OKAFOR ISRAEL

SELF DISCOVERY

          First of all, let’s ask this question “WHO AM I”. I have come to realize that many have gone astray simply because they couldn’t define or know who they are.

          According to the scriptures, we know and believe that everybody has his or her own talent that our creator (GOD) has bestowed on us. But to be ignorant or not knowing who and what we are, we keep going the wrong way.

          An adage says that “Destiny may delay, but can never be changed”, it is true but let me tell you my dear listener or reader. If you as a person cannot define things yourself, that destiny will continue to delay until you enter your grave. This is because any person who will excel in life, will or must have laid the foundation years back and now build it to the level he or she wants. now, tell me, can a person who doesn’t even know himself talk of foundation, talk more of excelling in life?

          Then, coming to the side of students, it seems like it is worst, “Why?”, our parents sent us to school not only to learn how to read and write but to be different from others outside. But today, it pains a lot that those outside (illiterate), are now more mature and sensitive than those so called student of nowadays. When am talking of or about students, I don’t mean everybody because everybody must not die at a time, I am referring to those one’s that don’t know why they are in school. Lets take for instance, I thought it was just a mere joke when I was told that a student of lass five couldn’t write his name, but I have seen it by myself. Please my dear reader, if you are a student or you have children going to school, please try as much as you can to be focused as a student. For parents, try to show interest to concern in your children’s studies to know who we are and what we are destined to be, so that we will not end up being a disgrace to our people or the society we are into, rather than to be kind of p2ersoon that others will emulate.          

In conclusion, how can we know who we are? There is no other way than prayer and living a life of emulation, for example, minding our ways, the type or kind of people we associate or deal with. I believe with these, the real you will come out and you will become the best of who you are, remain bless.

IZUAGBA TOCHUKWU