Earlyface

ANSWER ONE (1) QUESTION FROM THIS SECTION
(2)
Recent findings have revealed that students have lost the culture of reading. The reading culture among youths has been said to have waned away. This is unfortunate. In fact, the rate by which, Nigeria recorded failure by Nigerian students in the West African Examination Council WAEC, and National Examination Commission NECO including, other examinations taken in Nigeria is quite glaring that this is true.
My first suggestion on how to go about improving the reading culture among students will be to organize trainings for youths and workshops for students.
There should be series of such training programs for young people in the country on reading culture, and course of study counseling, and Parents Teachers training, including, child development workshops across the country.
For instance, government and corporate organizations and non-governmental organizations should volunteer in hosting students of public secondary schools and students of private secondary schools across Nigeria, for instance, all for the purpose of enlightening the students on the important of imbibing the culture of reading, because this approach will help make these students brilliant and best brains, and subsequently make them responsible citizens in the future, that will contribute outstandingly to nation building.
Another way that I think will improve and promote reading culture in among students will be in the area of students’ debate and students assay competition.
I must tell you that this is one of the key factors that will actually help in achieving an improvement in the area of reading culture among youths and students.
Therefore, there is need to organize inter school debate competition and inter school essay writing competition for both students in public secondary schools and students in private secondary schools across the country.
While organizing for these student competitions, prizes must be given to the best performing students in the competitions, as well as the participating schools.
This gesture will encourage Nigerian students, as well as, their teachers to put more efforts, so that they can stand a chance of winning the prizes next time there is such competition. By so doing, there is all indications that, the reading culture among students will improve.
Again, if free books can be donated to pupils and students in both private primary and secondary schools, as well as public primary and secondary schools it will contribute towards improving reading culture in among students.
That is why it is important and necessary for Nigerian government and other government agencies, including, non-governmental organizations and corporate organizations to take upon themselves the running of campaign programs, where free books can be donated to students in both private primary and secondary schools and public primary and secondary schools.
Good enough, some students particularly, those ones in private schools are privileged to study in environments that have well equipped modern library facilities with books that even promotes reading culture and promote research but unfortunately, students have been carried away by those set of things that do not add value for their studies, for example, Facebook, and WhatsApp, and Twitter, as well as, other social media platforms which have distracts them from studying.
In fact, some of those students, whose parents are wealthy and influential believed that, with their parents wealth disposition, they will sort their way out.
These behaviours and attitudes on the part of students should be discouraged, and they should be redirected to path of being book friendly, as well as imbibing the culture of reading.
Examination malpractice has remained one of the evils that have bewitched Nigerian students, to the extent that, the students have lost the culture of reading, let alone to read and prepare for examination.
In my opinion, I will be suggesting that, there should be campaign and advocacy against examination malpractices. This platform can also serve as a forum, where issues concerning the role of stakeholders in investing their time and resources and energy towards eradicating examination malpractices in Nigeria can be discussed.
It could also serve as platform, where members of the public can be sensitized on how they can collectively work to assist in complimenting the efforts of the government in eradicating examination malpractices in Nigeria, and promote reading culture.
There is need therefore, for Nigerian government to rise up and be committed in making sure that it promote better education philosophy in the country and as well, restore reading culture for the purpose of eradicating the problem of examination malpractices in Nigerian schools.
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(1)
In April 1993, at a young and irresponsible age, I found out I was pregnant. With much prodding, I reluctantly and regretfully terminated the pregnancy. I struggled with what I had done and went through several years of feeling unbearably guilty. As a Catholic, I went to confession, but after a brief, tearful session, I figured the priest must not have heard me through my sobs because God couldn’t possibly forgive me with a couple of Hail Marys and Our Fathers.
After dealing with several years of depression, I found myself on a different path of self-destructive behavior. I was motivated enough to go to college, but not for all of the right reasons. I did okay at school and attended class regularly, but I partied extensively and dabbled in drugs. Once again, I found myself pregnant. This pregnancy was the motivation I needed to get my act together. I moved home and finished the one class I needed to get an associate’s degree, and I picked up additional classes at the local technical college.
After graduating from college with a couple of two-year degrees and then a bachelor’s degree, I felt like I had my act together. Still, two dates continued to haunt me: April 26th, the day I’d terminated the first pregnancy, and
November 22nd, the day the baby was due.
In July 2005, I got married to a wonderful man who was willing to accept me, my son and all of my baggage. We were fortunate to become pregnant that August, with a due date of May 23rd. We were ecstatic, and two ultrasounds at the beginning of the pregnancy revealed a
healthy, growing baby. It wasn’t until our routine ultrasound in late December that we found out we were having twin boys. They pushed up my due date to the week of April 26th.
I didn’t want to have the babies on that day. I had always vowed that I would think of my unborn baby daily, to somehow repent for what I’d taken away from that child. I felt like I needed to leave April 26th as a day of mourning. It was sacred in my mind.
At a routine checkup on the morning of April 26th, my doctor found that I was five centimeters dilated. It was time to have my babies. As much as I was ready to meet my boys, I choked back tears and confided in her about the irony of the date. She held my hand and offered me different options, but I decided that God had His hand in this, and I needed to do what was intended. Although I am ashamed to admit it, despite the fact that my faith in God is true, I couldn’t get it out of the back of my mind that this was His opportunity to take something away from me as I had done thirteen years ago.
Eleven hours later, I pushed out the first baby—a four-pound, eleven-ounce miracle. We knew the second baby was breech, and the plan was to turn him around and deliver him normally. After the expert medical staff turned him around and all was going as planned, he stuck his arm out in one last attempt to enjoy some space to himself. In their efforts to push his arm back in to deliver his head first, the cord got pinched between his arm and his head. With no vital signs on the delivery room monitors, my mind raced with the penance I must be paying now. Surely, the Hail Marys and Our Fathers had been enough. Surely, the guilt I’d carried with me for thirteen years had signified my repentance.
My second baby was born via emergency C-section, all five pounds, fifteen ounces of healthy baby boy. After a very brief stay in the NICU, the babies were released to our care. For weeks after I had the twins, amidst the feelings of being overwhelmed and ecstatic, I could not help but question why God had not allowed me to keep that day to mourn and remember every year. I swear Prevention is better than cure.
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Completed