You know what they say, "The best investment to make, is to invest in people". This investment can go both ways, either investing in good moral values or bad morals.
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The Holy Scripture also admonishes that children should be trained in the way to go and when they are old they will not depart from it. ( Provs 22: 6). The upbringing of a child is a collective effort of parents, teachers, religious leaders, and the society generally. Parents are saddled with the responsibility of providing food, clothing, and shelter, registering and paying the school or tuition fees of the children or wards, providing medical services when ill, and also instilling moral values.
It is very unfortunate and sad to know that the sole responsibility of bringing up a child is left to parents or guardians only, although it is expected that parents do about 70% of the work while the remaining 30% from society which includes schools and religious leaders.
Today, the story is different, a large number of parents have left their responsibilities to the cold hands of society especially one that has little or no tolerance for moral values. Children and youths are misled and wrongly advised to choose the easy way out.
Hard work, diligence, and honesty, are no longer celebrated. Evil is on the high side and sometimes it can be traced back to the kind of upbringing a child gets when growing up. A child who is neglected or paid little or no attention is on the verge of becoming a villain, causing destruction rather than improving the state of his society.
Education may be expensive but ignorance is life threatening and one of the most costly mistakes one can make. The way parents neglect their duties of enrolling their children or wards in formal schools or vocational schools and giving them the quality education they need is heartbreaking.
I lived in an environment and taught in a secondary school where some parents take payment of school fees for granted. You would agree with me that one of the geographical locations where education is easily affordable is the Northern part of Nigeria.
Tuition fees range between eight thousand Naira and sixty thousand Naira on average for secondary schools and universities respectively. In fact, Education especially formal education isn't made a priority in some parts of the northern state, students venture into businesses or apprenticeships without proper knowledge of how to deal with the daily runnings.
Sadly, during examinations most especially external examinations like the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO), parents and guardians of these children, the school authority, and management opt to engage in examination malpractices in order for students to make good grades, the higher institutions are not left out, students sort their lecturers for grades either in cash or kind. Sometimes it is even very difficult to stand out especially when society makes it seem like a norm.
Spiritual or religious leaders who are expected to also incorporate moral values in the hearts of believers, helping them become better persons to one another and the society at large, now take advantage of their followers, they extort financially from them. So many families have lost their resources to these fraudsters dressed in suits and Babban-riga or kaftans... They have been thrown into untold hardship and miseries.
Last Sunday, my parish priest shared a story during his preaching, he spoke with so much pain and bitterness as he narrated how some parents and even society celebrate evil social vices these days. He asked, how can a mother go all out to seek spiritual protection for her son who is into fraud activities? The said mother is in full knowledge of her son's criminal activities and the only help she can render is to seek spiritual protection against the authorities.
Just imagine what is becoming of our society, parents no longer encourage hard work and honesty but add pressure with that of society to push and make their children successful illegitimately, at all costs. Also, imagine how many more parents are aware of these kinds of situations or others unmentioned and do nothing about it.
On a daily basis, more potential is lost to evil vices because parents, guardians, and society failed to do the right thing. The society can become a better place if everyone does what is expected from him or her. Parents, grandparents, and role figures should take up their duties without shifting responsibilities. It is very important to plan along with your wards and invest your time, patience, and resources, giving them every form of support and encouragement needed. It is advisable for a parent to properly invest in their child or children and that is the best you can do.
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