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By Okechukwu Onuegbu
Awka
The Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Most Reverend Paulinus Ezeokafor has urged the government to moderate the primary and secondary schools academic and extracurricular activities so as to enable students balance their studies with home training and other engagements.
Ezeokafor, who stated this in an interview at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Awka, Anambra State capital, argued that this became necessary since the current education system makes it almost impossible for parents to spend time with their wards because they either live in boarding schools or engages in lessons from 7am to 6pm.
According to him, boarding and overstaying in schools for whatever reasons neither make the students to learn better nor faster but rather prevents them from gaining good parental guidance, societal norms, and Godliness, as well as exposes them to depression, confusion and vices.
The prelate specifically urged the government to stop primary schools from establishing boarding schools because according to him, pupils within the age brackets were too tender to be detached from their parents even as teachers lacked the requisite skills to teach them all they need to grow in wisdom within that tender age.
He said "The government should ensure that teachers teach students all they need to know as provided for in their curriculums. Sometimes these teachers used to keep the most important part of the class till lesson hour just to ensure that everyone must participate in the lesson. There is no need of reserving any topic or part of the curriculum or syllables for lesson.
"This new way teachers are making their money by forcing all students to participate in the lesson is very wrong. We were not taught this way to become who we are today. Lessons shouldn't be made mandatory to all. Teach your students all they need to know as provided in the syllables during the class. The normal school activities should start from 7.30am and end by 1.30pm so that students will return home, have time to rest, do their house chores or acquire some skills.
"It will also create opportunities for the students to attend church programmes, among others. Besides, there is nowhere teachers will have enough time to teach you everything. This will also make them to be disciplined, morally and ethically sound. When you have a disciplined child, he or she will behave well even in the class. For those whose parents return home late because they are working class, the government and other stakeholders need to come together and brainstorm on how best to proffer solutions to their challenges."
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