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Mr. OLALEYE, Brightview Nursery & Primary School
Mr Olaleye Francis Oluyemi is the Head of School, Bright view Nursery and Primary School, Ewupe, Ota, Ogun State. He is a seasoned educationist with 34 years of academic practices in the education sector. He is a staunch disciplinarian, who believes in education beyond the walls of classrooms. The concern about academic decay in Nigerian children these days, led City People’s Adebimpe to request an interview that’ll shed more light on the challenges children face when it comes to education and how we can desist from contributing to the challenges being faced. Below are excerpts of the interview.
HOW TO DEFINE EDUCATION PROPERLY AND HOW TO GET EDUCATED
Education is the sum total of exposure any individual gets that is capable of leading to a change in behaviors.
Education, both formal and informal, is gotten from everywhere around us. The home, School, Individuals and the society at large. The education gotten from these sources could be good or bad depending on the contacts made. Schools basically build on what the homes and society at large have imbibed in a child. For instance, Schools educate majorly in three areas:
- Affective skills: The teacher-learner bond that influences the emotion of the child.
- Cognitive skills: The teaching and learning of subjects-Mathematics, etc
- Psychomotor skills: More like the practical aspect of learning like sports, Skills acquisition and entrepreneurship.
CHALLENGES CHILDREN FACE IN LEARNING AND HOW THE SOCIETY KEEPS INFLUENCING THEM
Children face a lot of challenges as far as learning is concerned. We do not need to compare our learners because they all have peculiar strengths and weaknesses!
Infact, when we talk of these challenges, everyone is guilty- parents, schools and teachers, government Social media and content creators, environmental factors, fashion trends,etc.
Let’s consider these factors briefly.
(1) We have instances of parents that encourage lateness to school either directly or indirectly.Late school coming is not the fault of a child. It’s the adults that are to blame. Train up a child the way he should go and when he grows, he’ll not depart from it. But it’s a pity that some parents indulge their children to the point that children now go to bed very late and wake the next day extremely late.
(2) Schools and teachers that have failed to identify each learner’s peculiar weaknesses and academic needs and how to help such learner. Lack of controlled learning environment, lack of professionally trained teachers and Guidance counselors in schools. Comparison between learners is another ticking bomb that is being overlooked. What a shame!
(3) Parental irresponsibility to a child’s academic affairs! Some parents believe it is the sole responsibility of the school to do all for the learners once all due fees have been paid. Totally wrong!
(4) Lack of proper control measures in technology usage. The Internet is neutral but children need proper and adequate guidance on the use of social media. They’re so naive that they tend to mix fake things for reality.
(5) There are some substandard schools operating. Some even lack any standards because they operate without government’s license. These sets of schools do not have any tangible formal education to offer because they don’t even have it.
(6) The issue of school violence is becoming prominent these days. The truth is bullying starts from the home. A child that has not been given love cannot do so to others. Some children with a choleric personality may want to oppress introverts. A school without a properly trained Guidance counselor and controlled school environment will give better room for this to occur.
(7) Excessive preference for classroom learning is another factor that cannot be overlooked. Children need to unwind from rigorous learning. They need to do fun things, visit new places, Learn about history through cultural visits. They don’t need the classroom alone. Their psychomotor skills need to be developed especially for the academically challenged learners. We need to groom them to be responsible members of the society that’ll be useful to themselves and others.
(8) Fashion trends are now a major problem.The society needs to understand that children will remain children till Jesus comes and as such they need to be dressed as such. It’s good to be fashionable but these Gen-Z or baddies parents need to understand that a child’s dress sense is a major factor in shaping his/her future. Schools should not bend their rules in terms of fashion. They need to be strict and on the alert at all times.
(9) Discipline is one thing children are now made to see as hatred. Appropriate punishment needs to be given to offenders in the appropriate measures. Here, we condemn the bad act not the child and we’re always careful to keep our disciplinary actions in check taking into consideration, the safety of the child and how well the child has reflected on his/her mistake after discipline.
HOW DO WE HELP THEM OVERCOME SOME OF THESE CHALLENGES,
IF NOT ALL?
First, all the sources of education need to be cooperative. The learner should not see the home or school or the society as a hiding place from discipline.
Another way is to embrace Academic assistance programmes for learners. Learning is meant to be fun, not boring. Bring fun such as outdoor activities into learning. Give them academic puzzles and riddles too.
We should not overdo discipline. It’s not how long the duration of the discipline, it’s how well it has effected aproper change in behavior.
PARENTS/ SCHOOLS THAT ARE STRUGGLING TO IDENTIFY A CHILD/LEARNER’S CHALLENGE(S)
Keep on trying your best while seeking professional help. No one has it all. That’s an attribute of God that no one can ever possess.
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