Rushing kids through school predisposes them to vices, experts warn

Education and psychology experts have linked rushing a child through school amid mental stress and low emotional intelligence to factors that could lead to domestic violence, drug abuse and even suicide.

The professionals spoke at an event, organised by a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), A Mother’s Love Initiative, to the mark the 2022 Children’s Day at the weekend in Lagos.

They appealed to parents, guardians, teachers, school owners and critical stakeholders to celebrate every Nigerian child and allow him or her to grow steadiliy.

The experts also called on government at all levels and education authorities to intensify efforts in monitoring schools and creating awareness to ensure that the learning institutions in the country adhere strictly to extant curriculum.

The NGO’s Chief Executive Officer/Founder, Hannatu Ewenmadu, said psychosocial maladjustments are being inflicted on adolescents by way of hurrying their educational and developmental milestones, thus threatening their existence and wellbeing.

She said: “Based on the research we did, we are saying when you hurry children through childhood, it has an impact on their social and emotional development, and this goes back to affect them as persons, as they progress.

“Because we are hurrying our children, you see children around the age of eight in secondary schools after skipping a whole four years in primary school, and it has a huge impact on a Nigerian child, which also affects our country.

“Like we said earlier, we need to sensitise our people, we need to educate, we need to re-educate them on the implications on the verge of hurrying the children. We also call on the society to concentrate on child-focused interventions, since children are fast becoming endangered species in Nigeria, with the spate of abductions in schools and all manner of vices children are exposed to in Nigeria.”