Christian education panacea to societal ills, say stakeholders

To curb the rising spate of moral decadence in the society, Director, Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), Africa, Dr. Samson Makhado, has challenged school managers to optimise the benefits inherent in Christian education.

Christian education, he explained, when ingrained in general teaching and learning, enables young people to see and understand the world through the perspective of God’s truth.

And when students are made to realise and understand the principles of God early in life; every form of immorality, he added, including greed and love for riches by all means are eradicated from their psyche, thereby giving room for a safe society.

Makhado was the guest speaker at the 2015 Dansol High School Symposium, themed, “Raising Godly Leaders for Global Relevance Through Christian Schooling.” The forum was part of activities to mark the 20th anniversary of the school.

He said, “The whole point of Christianity and Christian education is to tell, teach and learn God’s grand story which is the story of the whole world. Christian schooling would produce students who are principled and transformed in character.

“As our children face the world, it won’t be a question of how well protected they have been, but how well prepared and equipped they are for service in the world. It would shape them to transform their societies and engage the culture as light engages the darkness and salt engages the food. With this, they will grow to be godly leaders that would continually remain relevant to the world in all spheres,” he exhorted.

Corroborating Makhado’s view, Vice Chancellor, Caleb University, Lagos, Prof. Ayodeji Olukoju, stressed that if students, as future leaders were well groomed with the Christian principles, they would ultimately become good leaders and lead aright.

He said the society lacks good and responsible leadership due to rising cases of immorality, greed, indiscipline, self-centeredness, and above all, the lack of fear of God.

Since academic and moral go hand-in-hand, Olukoju said efforts should be doubled by parents and teachers in ensuring that students are exposed to godly behaviours early in life, as it would help in producing “incorruptible leaders of our dream”.

On his part, Chief Executive Officer of Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), Mr. Laoye Jaiyeola, who also spoke at the event, informed that introducing the students to Christ and bringing them to realise that there is God to whom they owe allegiance and obedience, would help a great deal in raising godly leaders.

He said the society would be better if the majority of students build their foundations on solid virtues like discipline, knowledge of God, perseverance, brotherly love, humility, self-control over physical appetite, among others.

Teachers and parents, who children look up to, Jaiyeola added must be exemplary in words and deeds.

In her opening remarks, President, Dansol Christian Mission, Adun Akinyemiju, said the school was poised to “Raise Daniels, children that would stand out through the spirit of excellence, know and fear God through the word of God that is integrated with academics and other spiritual formation programmes of the school.

“Every child is led to Christ, counseled and given a direction in godliness. For us as a Christian school, God is brought into all that we do to fulfill the vision. We are deliberate and intentional about raising our students as a generation of children that will serve God.

This is what Christian schooling is all about,” she said.