Sex Education and the Degeneration of Culture

By

Mohammed Bala

mohammedbala@hotmail.com

 It was quite disheartening and disgusting when I read in newspapers that the teaching of sex education is being considered for implementation in our Primary and Secondary Schools. The move, if it turns out to be true, then our governments are taking western orientation too far and dangerously. For one, we are Africans who are developing in many facets of survival and should first identify our priorities with the view to ameliorating them instead of taking on issues that hitherto have no bearing, whatsoever on us. I see the move as having some clandestine motives that we the parents have no means of knowing. All parents of decent know very well that the well being, and moral upbringing of their children rests squarely on their shoulders. If this is allowed, then the stage is being set to spiraling our children, especially girls, into a dehumanizing and shattering future. The very question we have to ask ourselves first, is whether sex education is a necessity for our children or not? The proponents are saying that principally it will curb the spread of AIDS, curtail sexual escapades and curb child molestation! The other question is that why have the governments not considered the matter for implementation all these years until now? Is it a convenient time to do so, when other aspects of immoral activities are going on unabated in our Schools? The unwholesome and unfortunate cult and cultists activity, exam malpractice and street hawking by kids, are still not solved and are waxing stronger by the day. Another negative aspect being experienced today in Schools is the lack of qualified and decent teachers as is used to be in the past when teachers were teachers! When the dress code was a must for teachers before even they go into class to teach. The issue of cultism in all our Schools has become a cankerworm that has defied solutions and appeared to be above the capabilities of governments to solve. It is daily being reported that cultists have clashed with rivals in this or that school. Sometimes the clashes disrupt lessons and in extreme cases, schools were shut. The issue is that even the School Authorities have lost interest in tackling the unfortunate development. Parents are blaming the teachers and the authority, perhaps giving credence to the allegation that the teachers themselves engage in cultists' activities! The exam malpractice syndrome has also defied solutions, even though the authorities are doing a great deal to curb it. The most unfortunate aspect of it all is that parents unfortunately are encouraging it by selling exam papers to eager students who have been given money by parents to do whatever possible to pass their exams. Sometimes even parents are said to be doing the bargain for illegal exam papers with the teachers on behalf of their children. If a father or mother can stoop so low and approach a School teacher for exam papers for their wards, is to say the least disgusting and an abomination of the highest proportions. Where are our manners and reputations gone? To even think that this type of behaviour is being done with the full knowledge of the child is even worst, as the impression being given to the child is negative.


Western culture, where a child says to his dad or mom, " you are lying, dad!" while in the cause of a discussion, cannot be accepted by any decent African man that has been breast fed and humbly brought up by two decent and reputable parents. It should also be understood, that our culture has never been the same with that of the advanced countries where our children are falling on one another to reach. We are encouraging the drift to the west by not taking the necessary steps to keep and enhance our rich culture. The sordid picture of Africans being shown on TV daily being caught by coast guards in Europe and carted back home, is very much disturbing, because we are giving a wrong impression that our Africa is no longer habitable. These type of people trying to illegally cross into Europe might be products of bad or careless parenting, as no decent son could contemplate abandoning his parents, friends, hometown and native country for a foreign land in such a way.


Sometimes ago, I come across a report announcing that the University of Lagos has banned indecent dressing by students in the School premises. A few days later I also read another report, this time from the University of Port Harcourt, also banning indecent dressing by students when in the premises. Honestly, I was highly impressed by those two reports I read. If we can realize that, that or this girl, is another daughter of someone and needs to be protected from lust craving chauvinists among us, then the better for us. Religiously, in both Islam and Christianity decency of dressing are emphasized and encouraged. Look at Nuns for example, how the dress by covering their whole bodies, except the face is a shining example to follow. Exposing the body of a lady in public through indecent dress mode, is giving the impression that the lady is either a prostitute or a result of an unfortunate, careless and unguarded parenting.


The African way and manner of bringing up children is rapidly being shirked and disregarded. The respect children have for their parents and elders have now been turned into disrespect and sometimes brazen disobedience. It might not be off course to say that whosoever leaves home, will never find home anywhere, unless they come back. Government has a responsibility of putting things in order so that the lure of better lifestyles elsewhere could be minimized among the teeming youths. The grown ups that lack parental supervision become easily susceptible to committing crimes and dull in class. The idea to of inculcating sex education in the tender minds of our children, especially girls, will be counter productive. It will crudely and wickedly expose them full blown act of coitus that result in curiosity to further explore. I believe that the matter is fully an act guided by nature, since ourselves and our parents were never taught how to, but some how learned the act. A very common example is on animals that live in the bush, but natural endowed with the prowess of performance and have been multiplying their species.


The idea therefore, is based on someone's personal whims and caprices, perhaps just for the gains that may accrue to him in terms of finance. The proponents are no doubt trying to make us swallow a bitter pill whose end result will be our kids becoming wildly molded and orientated in matters that they are only supposed to learn and comprehend better by the time they mature. Our Mosques and Churches leave the unnecessary bickering between them, and unite in this regard to persuade both the Federal and States Governments to relinquish the idea and perhaps gear energy towards standardizing the learning of subjects that are currently taught in Schools. We must all realize that "that girl" is also someone's daughter, therefore the responsibility of her good upbringing rests not only on her parents, but also on others. We should be our brothers keepers.
Mohammed Bala, Bajoga-Gombe-Nigeria.