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| The Forbidden Fruit (Aka ‘Dale-Mosu) now rampant in Nigeria’s educational syllabus for kids |
Christian clerics currently raising
hell over the subsuming of CRK under
another subject in the school curriculum could not be said to have a full view of
the bigger sharp razor grating the soft underbelly of the nation’s education
system.
hell over the subsuming of CRK under
another subject in the school curriculum could not be said to have a full view of
the bigger sharp razor grating the soft underbelly of the nation’s education
system.
Far more lethal, in my view, is the
subtle but sustained sexualization of the curriculum at the secondary level.
subtle but sustained sexualization of the curriculum at the secondary level.
This existential threat, more than
the fixation on CRK and IRK, ought to rouse both Christian and
Islamic faiths into urgent action.
the fixation on CRK and IRK, ought to rouse both Christian and
Islamic faiths into urgent action.
Before we proceed, perhaps a quick
word of caution is still auspicious against the backcloth of the growing
fire-storm over the “downgrading” of CRK. Given the sensitivity of religion in our environment, the
subterfuge by the officialdom and its enablers in a section of the
intelligentsia that the policy was inherited from the Jonathan administration – that a “Christian President”
actually initiated it – is quite unhelpful indeed.
word of caution is still auspicious against the backcloth of the growing
fire-storm over the “downgrading” of CRK. Given the sensitivity of religion in our environment, the
subterfuge by the officialdom and its enablers in a section of the
intelligentsia that the policy was inherited from the Jonathan administration – that a “Christian President”
actually initiated it – is quite unhelpful indeed.
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| Goodluck Jonathan….The President who ruled without clue |
Agreed that Jonathan was clueless. If the man was also reckless enough
yesterday to sow land-mines on his trail, common-sense should prompt the
succeeding administration to clear the death trap, not showcase same any
further. Faith is fueled by passion, not reason. Only fools would then have
imagined that there would be no consequences if adherents of one religion feel
– rightly or wrongly – that their totem is being displaced to the upliftment of
another faith.
yesterday to sow land-mines on his trail, common-sense should prompt the
succeeding administration to clear the death trap, not showcase same any
further. Faith is fueled by passion, not reason. Only fools would then have
imagined that there would be no consequences if adherents of one religion feel
– rightly or wrongly – that their totem is being displaced to the upliftment of
another faith.
What a wise leadership then does in
the circumstance is exercise utmost caution. In any case, the nation’s
prevailing weather is already inclement enough with heavy political turbulence.
Let no one add sectarian grenades to the mix.
the circumstance is exercise utmost caution. In any case, the nation’s
prevailing weather is already inclement enough with heavy political turbulence.
Let no one add sectarian grenades to the mix.
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| President Muhammadu Buhari….Can’t he correct Goodluck Jonathan’s foolishness? |
Now, to the darker iceberg looming
ahead. In our own days in the secondary school, the authorities paid more than
casual interest to the texts we were exposed to and the sort of
characters we made heroes.
ahead. In our own days in the secondary school, the authorities paid more than
casual interest to the texts we were exposed to and the sort of
characters we made heroes.
For Literature in English in the
junior class, we read “Passport of
Mallam Ilia” by Cyprian Ekwensi,
“So Long A Letter” by Mariam Ma Ba, “Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway and so on.
junior class, we read “Passport of
Mallam Ilia” by Cyprian Ekwensi,
“So Long A Letter” by Mariam Ma Ba, “Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway and so on.
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| Cyprian Ekwensi’s Drummer Boy….Books that shaped the Louis Odion’s education era |
Later in senior class, Peter Abrahams’ “Mine Boy” opened our eyes to the evil of Apartheid in South Africa. Kenneth
Kaunda’s “Zambia Shall Be
Free” fired our patriotism instinct.
Kaunda’s “Zambia Shall Be
Free” fired our patriotism instinct.
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| ‘Zambia shall be free’ One of the books that fueled the Louis Odion era of Education in Nigeria |
Beyond the riveting plots, each of
the novels referenced was meant to impart on our young
minds the virtues of patriotism, honesty, forgiveness, piety,
patience, endurance and so on.
the novels referenced was meant to impart on our young
minds the virtues of patriotism, honesty, forgiveness, piety,
patience, endurance and so on.
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| Kenneth Kaunda….An Educationist Elder Statesman of Africa |
So, it should be of grave concern
today to anyone who cares about the nation’s future that a great number of
books being imposed on Nigerian kids
are, at best, soft porn in text. This sort of hemlock spares neither Christianity nor Islam. True, modernity demands that writing mirrors it, but not at
the expense of morality. It is already bad enough that environment is
contaminated for the contemporary Nigerian
child with the explicit contents of music, radio, television, newspaper etc.
today to anyone who cares about the nation’s future that a great number of
books being imposed on Nigerian kids
are, at best, soft porn in text. This sort of hemlock spares neither Christianity nor Islam. True, modernity demands that writing mirrors it, but not at
the expense of morality. It is already bad enough that environment is
contaminated for the contemporary Nigerian
child with the explicit contents of music, radio, television, newspaper etc.
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| ‘Can Daddy & Mummy see what they are reading?’ (The title different from the content) |
Adding a steamy syllabus to that
atmosphere of obscenity will be an overkill indeed.
atmosphere of obscenity will be an overkill indeed.
Already, a strong case against this
worrisome development has been marshaled by an advocacy group, Project For Human Development (PHD), and
the Parents/Teachers Association of a
Lagos-based school, The Crescent School,
alongside the school management.
worrisome development has been marshaled by an advocacy group, Project For Human Development (PHD), and
the Parents/Teachers Association of a
Lagos-based school, The Crescent School,
alongside the school management.
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| The Author, Louis Odion FNGE….Very Angry with the sluggishness of Nigeria’s Education System and the laxity of Government |
In an online campaign seeking
signatories to its petition, PHD
seeks the outright repeal of the COMPREHENSIVE
SEXUALITY EDUCATION (CSE) “smuggled into school curricula”
without parental consent. Reason? Explains PHD: “It is aimed at luring hapless school children into sexual perversity.
The students in open classroom are taught the various techniques of ‘safe sex’.
signatories to its petition, PHD
seeks the outright repeal of the COMPREHENSIVE
SEXUALITY EDUCATION (CSE) “smuggled into school curricula”
without parental consent. Reason? Explains PHD: “It is aimed at luring hapless school children into sexual perversity.
The students in open classroom are taught the various techniques of ‘safe sex’.
They
are told to touch their genitals and turn to one another and say ‘I like you’.
Students are taught how to wear the condoms and how to give oral sex,
‘hanky-panky’, ‘blowjobs’ and masturbate in open classroom. This is CRIMINAL.
It is devilish. It is unlawful. It is unconstitutional. It is not African. It
is imported from the West. It is destroying the character of our school
children. Therefore you must rise up now and say NO to Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE). You must stand up
and be counted. It is your right as parents/ guardians/citizens to be
heard.”
are told to touch their genitals and turn to one another and say ‘I like you’.
Students are taught how to wear the condoms and how to give oral sex,
‘hanky-panky’, ‘blowjobs’ and masturbate in open classroom. This is CRIMINAL.
It is devilish. It is unlawful. It is unconstitutional. It is not African. It
is imported from the West. It is destroying the character of our school
children. Therefore you must rise up now and say NO to Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE). You must stand up
and be counted. It is your right as parents/ guardians/citizens to be
heard.”
In their own petition already
delivered to the Federal Ministry of
Education in Abuja, the concerned
parents of the Crescent School frown
at the new “raunchy policies” of Joint Admission Matriculation (JAMB) and NECO.
delivered to the Federal Ministry of
Education in Abuja, the concerned
parents of the Crescent School frown
at the new “raunchy policies” of Joint Admission Matriculation (JAMB) and NECO.
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| ‘I like you i kiss you’ according to Nigeria’s New Education Syllabuses |
In the case of the former, the
parents wrote: “(T)he tradition of
literary immorality has recently graduated to the level of … blame-able content
of its recommended Use of English text for the 2017 UTME, In Dependence. The
book is succinctly described by the author, thus: It is the story of two
people struggling to find themselves and each other – a story of passion and
idealism, courage and betrayal, and the universal desire to fall madly, deep,
in love. Nothing short of this enamored description of love is depicted by the
storyline. In fact, our students who sat for the current UTME found it morally
distasteful, to say the least”.
parents wrote: “(T)he tradition of
literary immorality has recently graduated to the level of … blame-able content
of its recommended Use of English text for the 2017 UTME, In Dependence. The
book is succinctly described by the author, thus: It is the story of two
people struggling to find themselves and each other – a story of passion and
idealism, courage and betrayal, and the universal desire to fall madly, deep,
in love. Nothing short of this enamored description of love is depicted by the
storyline. In fact, our students who sat for the current UTME found it morally
distasteful, to say the least”.
As for NECO, the worried parents
contend that the curriculum for the junior secondary school only glamorizes
acts of indecency such as rape, violence, kidnapping, girl defilement and
sexualization of knowledge.
contend that the curriculum for the junior secondary school only glamorizes
acts of indecency such as rape, violence, kidnapping, girl defilement and
sexualization of knowledge.
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| Shall they start to eat the forbidden fruit now? |
Specifically, attention has been
drawn to one of NECO’s recommended novellas entitled, The Precious Child, by Queen
O. Okweshine, which leaves very
little to the imagination about the female anatomy. On page 56, the author’s
rendition of a male’s lust for a “sweet
16” is rather too explicit to be restated here.
drawn to one of NECO’s recommended novellas entitled, The Precious Child, by Queen
O. Okweshine, which leaves very
little to the imagination about the female anatomy. On page 56, the author’s
rendition of a male’s lust for a “sweet
16” is rather too explicit to be restated here.
There is another entitled, “The Tears of a Bride” written
by Oyekunle Oyedeji. The author’s
steamy muse apparently reaches a climax on page 91 where he, without care for
the sensibilities of the young readers for whom such novel is meant,
graphically paints the picture of a rape with the predator coming out “of his house bare to the waist and readjust(ing) his wrapper” and “Romoke (crying) weakly as she comes out from the house
holding her wrapper to her chest to prevent it from falling off her body”
by Oyekunle Oyedeji. The author’s
steamy muse apparently reaches a climax on page 91 where he, without care for
the sensibilities of the young readers for whom such novel is meant,
graphically paints the picture of a rape with the predator coming out “of his house bare to the waist and readjust(ing) his wrapper” and “Romoke (crying) weakly as she comes out from the house
holding her wrapper to her chest to prevent it from falling off her body”
Ha!
By the way, could this partly
explain why, with zippers of their shorts drawn, a group of male students of a
public school in Lagos decided to
chase after some visiting female students like aroused he-goats recently as the
new normal? Perhaps, the naughty boys drew stimulants from Oyedeji’s “Satanic
Verses”.
explain why, with zippers of their shorts drawn, a group of male students of a
public school in Lagos decided to
chase after some visiting female students like aroused he-goats recently as the
new normal? Perhaps, the naughty boys drew stimulants from Oyedeji’s “Satanic
Verses”.
Overall, what is invariably exposed
is the failure of gate-keeping at the education establishment. Just like every
other sector of our national life, it is now possible to smuggle any contraband
past even the eye of the needle. Ideally, texts only get recommended on their
own merit after undergoing rigorous screening by the relevant academic board
for depth, relevance and wholesomeness.
is the failure of gate-keeping at the education establishment. Just like every
other sector of our national life, it is now possible to smuggle any contraband
past even the eye of the needle. Ideally, texts only get recommended on their
own merit after undergoing rigorous screening by the relevant academic board
for depth, relevance and wholesomeness.
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| The book Sex-for-Child according to Oyekunle Oyedeji |
But the story we hear these days is
that publishers/authors now lobby and will give arm and a leg to have their
products listed – the short cut to selling more copies and smiling to the bank.
Regardless of whether it is garbage or graffiti!
that publishers/authors now lobby and will give arm and a leg to have their
products listed – the short cut to selling more copies and smiling to the bank.
Regardless of whether it is garbage or graffiti!
It will, therefore, not be out of
place to link such compromising curricula to the death of morality and the rise
of junk values in our society today.
place to link such compromising curricula to the death of morality and the rise
of junk values in our society today.
In conclusion, let it be made known
to the relevant authorities that, on account of its gravity, official response
should not be limited to merely halting exposing the Nigerian child to the
corrupting verses referenced above.
to the relevant authorities that, on account of its gravity, official response
should not be limited to merely halting exposing the Nigerian child to the
corrupting verses referenced above.
Additional steps should be taken to
ascertain how such texts and others with lurid contents found their way to the
curriculum and all those found culpable along the chain by acts of either
commission or omission should be rounded up and tried under relevant sections
of the Child Protection Act.
ascertain how such texts and others with lurid contents found their way to the
curriculum and all those found culpable along the chain by acts of either
commission or omission should be rounded up and tried under relevant sections
of the Child Protection Act.
No abuse could be more cruel and
indelible on the Nigerian child or more toxic and terminal to the nation’s
future.
indelible on the Nigerian child or more toxic and terminal to the nation’s
future.
