Modupe Gbadeyanka
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
A call has gone out to parents to inculcate in the children, good virtues and godly characters that would make them stay off bad influences and shun other social vices in school.
The Tutor General/Permanent Secretary (TG/PS), Education District (ED) II, Mrs Margeret Sholarin, made the call recently during a sensitization programme held at Gbagada Comprehensive Junior High School, Lagos for students of public secondary schools within the Education District.
In her keynote address, TG/PS, ED IV, Mrs Lola Kudirat Are-Adegbite, noted that curbing the menace of cultism among school children starts from proper parenting, pointing out that a well brought-up child would not think of joining any cult group or indulge in any unscrupulous acts.
The TG/PS ED IV represented by the Director of School Administration in the Ministry of Education, Mr Oyeshina Oyebanjo, assured everyone that the school counsellors would ensure a continuous sensitization of all school children on the harms and dangers that could arise from involvement in cultism.
While imploring the students to resist any threat or gathering that may endanger their lives, the Permanent Secretary appreciated the initiative of the State Government and the Ministry of Education in particular for having the interest of school children at heart.
The Director School Social Work Services, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, Mrs ‘Foluke Anne Omotosho, who represented the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Hakeem Muri-Okunola, promised that the officials of the School Social Work Department are ready to work in conjunction with the school counsellors for the benefits of the students.
She assured the school authorities, parents and counsellors that the social workers would take up the responsibility of any delinquent student, stressing that there are prepared programmes by the State Government to rejuvenate such student as documented in the Lagos State Child Rights Law 2007 as amended for them to have a successful educational career.
Mrs Omotosho implored the students to be agents of change at all time as well as be good representatives of their Educational District and beyond.
The representative of the Parents’ Forum, Mr Adenrele Saliu, in a goodwill message urged the students to be careful of the company they associate themselves with and the type of peer group they belong to, saying that ‘the attitude of the company you keep would determine your altitude in life’.
He implored parents to create more time for their children and also bear in mind the need to rescue these children from the menace of cultism.
The facilitator, Mr Timmy Ivory said that sensitizing students on the vices and the negative effects of cultism is one of the major ways of curbing the menace of cultism among school children.
