Still on the schools’ curriculum brouhaha

Our national discourse was charged recently with news about the purported removal of Christian Religious Studies from the nation’s education curriculum. Many Christian leaders described the move as a subtle way to Islamize the country. Th e National Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) whose responsibility is to design, draw and review subjects in the curriculum frantically tried to explain what the new policy entails but no one listened. Teaching of religions ought not to be the concern of government; parents and aff ected religious organizations should take up such arduous responsibility.

Our Holy Book advises that parents should lay a solid foundation for the training of their children so that they will not deviate from it when they grow up. Th e current socio-economic imperatives with their concomitant materialistic appeals make not a few parents guilty of dereliction of this divine command. Most parents including our clergies hardly have time for their children let alone preach to them. If you ask me, Nigeria is not in short supply of religious teachings. In fact, indeed, it is morals that is lacking and this is the bane of our development. Our defi cit here makes us a breeding ground for this ubiquitous monster, called corruption.

Th e level of ostentatious display of wealth in our clime makes looting and stealing more appetizing. When a supposed religiously conscious people cannot become a peaceful and corruptfree nation, then it is hypocrisy that is at work. Interestingly, some of the countries with the best standard of living and low corruption index do not place any premium on religion. In most of these countries religion is studied along with civic and moral education. Examples are France, Malaysia, Canada, United States, Mexico etc.

In Norway, for instance, Evangelical Lutherans parents are mandated to make private arrangements for religious training of their children. And in Scotland, religious education is called Religious and Moral Education in primary and junior secondary schools while in upper secondary schools, it is called Moral and Philosophical Studies. It is pertinent to note that the teaching of religions with no emphasis on morality will produce extremism and further polarize the country along religious lines. It is the absence of morality in our national psyche that would make a man or woman to steal so much than he or she ever has needs for. All these corrupt people if you ask me are extremely religious. Th ey are either devout Muslims, staunch Catholics or bon-again Christians. Th en how come their consciences never prick them when they cart away the national wealth and thus depriving our people and children yet un-born the right to have a decent life? What about decaying social infrastructure like schools, hospitals and power supply? Our country, yes indeed our dear nation bleeds in the hands of ruthless leaders. Itaobong Offi ong Etim, Calabar, Cross River state

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