The Paramount Ruler of Oginigba Community in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State, Eze G. B. Odum, has called for moral instructions to be included in school curriculum in order to help shape the behaviour of students and instill in them disciplinary habits.
Eze Odum, made the call during an exclusive chat with The Tide shortly after the 2019 end of year ceremony of the Old Students Association of Government Technical College (GTC), Port Harcourt recently.
The traditional ruler expressed sadness over the prevalence of decadent behaviour amongst young people, even as he blamed teachers for neglecting moral aspect of education.
According to him, “I have observed that boys and girls these days are not actually showing the way their parents started in life. Those days when we were in school, children are taught how to behave, what to do and what not to do among boys and girls and from there they grew up to become good parents in future.
“But today anyone does what he/she likes. Girls dress in provocative ways and boys also dress with their trousers sagging. I remember when Magistrate Odogu was in Rivers State, if they saw any person dressing that way that person will be apprehended and tried. It served as a check for boys and girls. Today those things are no more there.”
He further said, “I am even thinking that the best thing is to return all the schools to the mission. Let that moral education be part of the school syllabus. I blame teachers for most of these things that are happening in society today.
“They are no longer teaching moral education and that is why students today are cultists. They (students) do things their parents never did because of no moral education. Students, these words are for you, you put knife in your pocket, put axe in your bag.
“Those are not materials required for you to go to school with. By so doing, you are damaging yourself. Only one bullet from the Police will end your life,” the monarch said, just as he urged students and young people in general to see themselves as ambassadors of the State (Rivers).
“Also see yourself as an ambassador of your community. Don’t get yourself in cultism. Please if these are taken seriously, our children will come out to get a job where they will grow in life.
I am appealing, there should be moral education in the syllabus where boys and girls should know their limits in life.
“If you travel outside, Rivers State has no good name. It is not by our government, not by the parents, but our children. The left hand is nearer to the anus than the right hand. So moral education should be better handled by teachers in our various schools. “If that is done I think it will go a long way to checkmate children who are not behaving well,” Odum stated