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Sunday, May 08, 2005

Good children's education starts at home

Provision of educational services is one of the fundamental basics any Government should deliver to it's citizens.

The private sector and religious organisations are there to supplement what any government is providing already. In this scenario, Government still maintains it's regulatory role.

The issue of whether education should be provided by religious organisations or Government, is neither here nor there. This issue is not debatable.

Certain persons have advanced morals as a major reason of sending their children to religious schools. Well, they may be right. But, you will realise that charity begins at home.

If there are no morals to talk about at home, then no matter how numerous religious schools such children attend, no reform will be forthcoming.

Parents should not abdicate their role, that of imparting morals into their children, to teachers at religious schools.

If you want your children to learn morals, start teaching them when young. In this way, it will always be "My dad and mum taught us that this in not good".

Children respect their parents more, if the parents show them good morals. If you don't, they will always be a disgrace to you in public.

I am not inciting a boycott of religious schools. To the contrary, all I am doing is reminding parents their obligation to teach their children good morals than leaving it entirely up to the teachers.

Certain religious institutions have a devastating effect on the children's morals in society. Some of them teach fundamentalism, which changes the line of thought of the respective children.

It makes them disrespect life in general. That's why after leaving such institutions, we have suicide bombers graduating. These graduates are causing havoc in world trouble spots.

The Government should endeavour to improve the quality of services delivered in educational establishment in order for the majority citizens benefit better tomorrow.

AUBREY CHINDEFU

LUSAKA