The Universal Peace Federation , an interfaith organization, with other stakeholders in the education sector, has called for the promotion of peace, character and moral education in schools.
They made the call at a stakeholders’ preparatory meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Education, Universal Basic Education Board and National Orientation Agency, among others, in Abuja.
Rev. George Ogwurie, Sub-regional President of organization, said the meeting was aimed at positioning teachers and youth leaders to become resource persons in peace and character education.
“The brief summary of this programme is that this is a peace- building project directed at Nigerian youth leaders and educators.
“It will train teachers and youth leaders to become resource persons in peace and character education in their communities and states as no fewer than 4,560 persons will be trained.
“Participants will learn the meaning of character education and come to understand and appreciate its importance for the development of young people relationships in their family, workplaces and in their communities.
“They will see this education as a way of helping young people avoid careless and self destructive behaviours, violence, substance abuse, promiscuity and crime.
“They will be able to use character education as a capacity building tool for people they work within their own areas of endeavour.
“This education is urgently needed to address the current degradation of character and moral values that is characteristic of our time,” he said.
Dr. Garba Abari, Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), said the agency was concerned about the moral decadence been experienced in the country.
Abari, represented by Mrs. Theresa Nnalue, Director, Orientation and Behavioural Modification of the agency, added that it was setting up integrity clubs in various secondary schools in the country to curtail the menace.
“The fall of moral standards have become a bane in the development of Nigeria; the negative impact litters the entire landscape of our national life.
“Violence has become rampant and corruption has become an everyday occurrence.
“Money and material well-being have become priority goals for millions of people who will easily give up their moral principles for financial gains or authority.
“This moral decadence has adverse effects on the society because it changes cultural, moral and social norms and send new but lower standard for appropriate behaviors.
“The agency is setting up integrity clubs in secondary schools across the country as a medium to interact with students and educate them on the right values to practice,” he said.
Sen. Abu Ibrahim, the organization’s Africa Chairperson, said it was important to educate the youths on the importance of promoting peace and moral values in the country.
“I think this is what we need in this country; we have to start from the primary school because as i said earlier, i come from an area that i can see the gradual degradation of the society.
“Our children have to be trained to understand the importance of peace,” he said.
Mrs. Dorothy Okwenu, a representative of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools in Federal Capital Territory, added that class placement based on a child’s age contributes to character development.
“We cannot separate character development from maturity in class placements in schools.
“We have age ranks for each class placements but it is not so in Nigeria with the rate at which parents place their under age children in schools and the child’s mind is not yet developed to take up these social vices.
“We keep exposing immature minds in the areas where they will be populated,” she added.(NAN).
