Moral Crisis In Private Schools: Why Beatle That Rolls Faeces Should Be Hidden Away From Rich Parents -By Sandra Ijeoma Okoye

If there is any question which many Nigerians, particularly parents have been asking in the recent time, it is unarguably “Are private schools under Siege?” The question, no doubt cannot be said to be ill-advised as evidences abound for anyone to answer the question in the affirmative. From evidences on ground, not few private schools, if not all, are now battlefields for teachers and students with persistent scandals between forces within and without. Without doubt, the paralysis of the education system, particularly in private schools, is due to the terminal disease of moral decadence that is eating away at the heart of our society.

In fact from Sylvester Oromoni’s death, Deeper life school saga, alleged throat slashing at El-Kanemi College, death inside federal government college, among other cases recorded since last year, and now Chrisland college, there are enough reasons to accept the fact that not few private schools, particularly those that are classified to be Ivy Leagues have degenerated with their inherent classrooms into an intractable nightmare. Parents and their children are running wild in some of these schools, while the poor teachers and principals watch helplessly sending the signal that return to the good old days in teaching is nothing but an elusive wish.

n fact, the myriad of problems that is presently bedeviling private school system can be attributed to the infiltration of an imported culture, technological advancement in internet and communication devices, increase in the number of young parents, lack of clear and coherent policy governing the operation of private schools and lack of sanctions for delinquent parents and children.
Others are run-of-the-mill behavior and performance by members of the teaching fraternity, lack of concrete support for teachers by the policymakers in most of the private schools and dysfunctional homes affecting studies.

There is no denying the fact that the mentality of the children is shaped at home, and the overall breakdown in discipline and family life is wreaking havoc in the school and the wider society. Because of this social problem, the education of these children is severely hampered and the leadership of the school is compromised. There can be amelioration among the students if the government applies stringent measures to repair the breaches done by irresponsible parents. One such measure that could be contemplated is a mandatory sentence for fathers who have abandoned their children and families.

Teachers are saddled with a difficult task in instilling good values to a set of students whose background determines the way they behave. Law and order are ignored in this country so much because of lack of teeth in them. It takes people with guts of steel to run private schools now, as well as imparting knowledge to students who are undisciplined and parents who are uncooperative ostensibly due to “Too-much-money” in their possession.

At this juncture, permit me to be categorical by saying that rich parents are to blame for most of the scandals that have in the recent time been emanating from private schools. That the proverb that says, “Beetles that roll balls out of human faeces demand to be hidden away from the rich man, because there is nothing he wouldn’t buy” is in these days finding expression cannot be waved aside.
Did I hear you say “Rich men do not buy shit?”

Anyway, the foregoing proverb can only be interpreted and understood by those that are versed in African Culture. Proverbially put, the 10-year-old girl that was allegedly ‘gang-raped’ by four of her classmates who filmed the sexual escapade, and leaked it on social media when they were in Dubai from 8 March to 14 March for the World School Games is a typical example of how rich parents buy faeces for their children. For instance, reportages made online by various news platform have further revealed that the 10 year old girl owns a dance account where she was seen to have shared her self-recorded videos on the short video social networking app ”Likee”. Could it be that the parents, particularly the mother, were unaware of her untoward social activities, since all the recordings were made at home?

Instead of the mother to see what can be done to reprimand her daughter for her to refrain from such act, and probably find a way of rehabilitating her, said her daughter returned home as normal, with the school treating the hotel room incident as a disciplinary issue involving all five children. But when she was shown the graphic video by a fellow parent, she realized it was somewhat consensual but still insisted that her daughter was raped.

The mother said today: ‘My daughter was dying in silence and she couldn’t speak.’

The girls’ mother said: ‘To crown it all, because we have started confronting them and started telling them we are aware of what happened, they now sent her a suspension letter.’

Unarguably urging parents not to be buying faeces for their children, the Lead Pastor of the Salvation Ministry, David Ibiyeomie, has advised parents against buying their children’s phones until they are admitted into higher institutions.

The anointed man of God, in a message shared on his Facebook page, said, “Don’t buy a phone for any child who has not gone to the university. It may sound very awkward. I know you are too civilized, but don’t do it.

Don’t buy a phone, it is not civilization, phones and tablets, many things pop up, they can use your own, let them use your own phones. Buy a landline to put it in your parlor.

To this end, the rich should refrain from spoiling their children in school with their money as such young minds have a future of their own. Without envying them, are there no other recreational activities within Nigeria that could been chosen rather than flying to Dubai where each parents of the 76 students were said to have paid. According to the girl’s mother, a lot of money was paid for her daughter embark on the trip at the request of the school. Proverbially put once again, faeces should be hidden away from rich parents.