How to curb arson in our High Schools

Institutions that should mould our young generation into dependable men of the future are being brought down by fire. The trend that was common in universities and colleges is now  in secondary schools; honestly something has gone wrong somewhere. Though we may burry our heads in sand that all is right and contained, a lot is yet to be done. The government has not come up clear to tell us the cause of these fires, but possibly they may have been caused by various reasons among them, poor parenting and parental guidance, poor school leadership strategies and routines, neglect of religion and the media.

1.       Poor parenting and parental guidance

Many parents are committed to their jobs than their children, at a very tender age, children are taken to daycares and nursery schools, moral values that would have been tought to these children are neglected as they are taken care of by unskilled personnel whose interest is money. These children are then enrolled to primary school where only  their academic life is mentored, leaving their physical, spiritual and social needs not taken care of; this problem then is re-carried in their entire primary and secondary school life.

2.       Poor leadership strategies and routines

Schools have been turned into financial institutions and businesses. Parents have been made to believe that it is only academics that matter. Students are exposed to routines that ensure that they are with books all the time: time that would be used for physical development (P.E and games) have been converted into remedial lessons so that the teachers can make an extra cent, time for spiritual growth (Saturday and Sunday) has also been structured in a way that only few minutes are used for worship then the students go back to class, in general these students do not grow wholly.

3.       Neglect of religion

Religion has been made to look like a waste of time with those insisting on it being given the least time possible. Those who also preach only focus on prosperity alone rather than the realities of life and how to tackle them; this fact leaves students with an excitement and after the realities of life down at them, they are not in position to accept the facts and move on. True religion focuses on success, failure and hard work.

4.       The Media

The youth are exposed to media programs that characterize demolishing rather than building. All the music, movies, soaps and comedies revolve around fashion

, love, drugs, money, crime and explicit (vulgar) language use, when at home and at school they are exposed to these programs in the name of EDUTAINMENT; I wonder what education is in kissing, or killing to a school going child.

In order to restore calmness in our schools, all the stakeholders should come together and revise the operation mode of the system. Parents, teachers, the government and the students all should play their part. Principals of education that will help students mature physically, mentally, socially and academically should be put in place. Life is not a theory but a practical lesson to be lived once.

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Schools Fire