LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Way Out Of Students’ Unrest On Campus

 

Of recent, the growing unrest and indiscipline among students have become matters of great concern. Students’ unrest is not confined to Nigeria alone, it is a worldwide problem.

There are agitations, strike, boycotts of classes etc in schools, colleges, polytechnics, universities and other educational and training institutions now and then, Osun State Polytechnic, Iree is a case study.

Students’ unrest is a great threat to our education system, training programmes and development, as the students gratify in violence, arson and destruction of valuable property. They use unfair means to get through tests and examinations, insult their teachers, threaten their invigilators and abuse other staff members of their institution on any pretext. They want more freedom, rights, be it legitimate or illegitimate.

These undesirable activities and indiscipline seem to have been allowed to go on unchecked, case study of what happened recently in the Osun State College of Technology, Esa-Oke where some members of a confraternity struck and took lives of innocent persons.

If the security agencies refuse to check the activities of these groups, the whole education sector and training system would soon be paralysed. It would penetrate into the very vitals of our national ethos and development, as unrests among students reflect the prevailing dissatisfaction, disillusionment, frustration, dejection and hopelessness.

The students, the serious one with proper orientation and guidance are now frustrated, they feel insecure as far as proper learning environment is concerned.

There are many factors contributing to this dangerous occurrence, ranging from out-dated and defective system of education and examination, rampant corruption among teachers and other members of staff through nasty factors like nepotism, favouritism and bribery.

Therefore, the way forward is that our youths should be kept busy with creative, truthful, relevant, social and academic activities and their minds should never be allowed to remain idle.

Proper employment opportunities should be created for them and there should be no political interference in educational matters, just as the legitimate demands of the student community should be met promptly without any delay.