MUST RELIGION AND EDUCATION BE MIXED

This article is based on personal examinations and critical assessments. It postulate and oversees the implications derived from the conjugation of religion and education.

*********** Caution ********

This article mean no harm to any religious affiliations nor denegrate and crucify any religious beliefs but rather based on a critical thinking and assessment. In other words, an objective analysis of this issue.......



***************************


It is evident that religion has been with man for almost so many years. In this vein, man has constantly involved in the practice of various religious traditions. Religion itself has played an important role in the society and has able to provide answer to some ultimate questions.

However, people tends to misunderstand education from schooling. There are much difference between Education and schooling.

Education is the process of inviting truth and possibility. It can be defined as the wise, hopeful and respectful cultivation of learning. In this context, the critical assessments of this article will be carried in a lay man sense. In other words, Education will be used in a loose sense and interchangeably with schooling. The background of education in Nigeria is no doubt a product of religion. In 1842, Christianity came to Nigeria and education was established primarily to propagate the religion. Schools and different centers were established solely for the aim of ensuring religion propagation.
It must however be noted that Nigeria is a heterogeneous society composed of diverse ethnic groups and tribe with different religions, there is a change and dynamic character in religious beliefs and views of these various religious practitioners. In Nigeria, there are three main religious traditions which includes Christianity, Islam and African Indigenous Religion. These three principal religion varies in their dogmas, creed, beliefs and conceptions. They all accept an egocentric appellation of their faith.

***********


DISCUSSION


The fundamental inconsistency is that education is a liberal enterprise, and religion is a conservative one. They simply don't go together. Religion bring people of the same faith and belief together and create a kind of collective effervescence and consciousness among themselves. They tends to understand one another and tolerate themselves because of unison in religion belief. While Education brings people of diverse group and tribes, and of different religion belief under one roof for the purpose of learning.

A critical look will give the impression that the way educaion operate is delicate and thoughtful which must not be handled with carelessness and trifling. The fact that Nigeria is a multi religious society must not be over emphasize and the truth remain that despite the preaching of religious tolerance and understanding, there cannot be any mutual agreement and consolidation between these different religion because each religion is subjective to its own faith and they treat their religion to be above and real than others .

African Religion is real to its practitioners , Islamic religion is real to its adherents and Christianity is real to its adherents. So, therefore the issue of tolerance can be problematic.



In other to ensure tolerance, one will prescribed equal distribution of rights and freedoms across all religious affiliations but the fact remains that there should be a limited right and privileges religion can enjoy. Education and religion seems to succeed and prevail only in a mono religious society, not a multi religious society like Nigeria because there is always a problem. The following are the possible outcomes:





1. In the school, there are set of rules and regulations set aside to govern the day to day activities of the students. These set of codes is set mainly to amend the exponential spread of moral decadence among students these rules involves wearing compulsory school uniforms, sandals, socks , assembly and coming before time due e.t.c. these rules are secular laws which must be abide by all students no matter religious affiliations. However, incident such as wearing religious emblems such as hijabs, Barrets, garment has now become the other of the day. I strongly believe that the school authority is capable of setting the dress code for the students to ensure uniformity among students. When this is done there should be no disruption in the dressing code of the students. If the Muslims wear their hijabs on the school uniform and the Christians wear their robes on the school uniform ,the African traditionalist can also put on their costumes and when this is done a school has turn to any object of ridicule and disgrace



2. It has create segregation and hostility among religion beliefs. Today, the number of schools owned by churches today is alarming and appalling . The church has ignored the sacred evangelical ministries but obsessively establishing exorbitant schools because of financial aggression which can be found in any nook and cranny of any state. There are also Islamic schools where Admission is strictly for Muslims. This act has create segregation and depredation amongst religious beliefs.



3. Fear and Conflict : A similar incident can recounted from the incident that happened in university of Ibadan where a Christian lady Miss Seun Olubunmi Adegunsoye, a 400l law student was mob for propagating and preaching her religion in mosque vicitnity. The most funniest thing was the school activities was disrupted by the Muslims brothers for failure to expel this student by the school management.

Another sensitive issue like this can be as well traced to Obafemi Awolowo University, when a statement of caution was published and pasted in all Hall of residences on campus, the release directly cautioning the Christian students to refrain from wearing Islamic attires such as hijabs, jalamia, e.tc on the campus . This release has generated intense argument and hot tensions amidst students because of the threats in the release. The intellectual mind and rationality of Great Ife Students must be commended as they treated the issue with care and mindfulness if not, a libel and prosecution might become the order of the day.. However, this was able to ensued among students because of diverse religious beliefs .




Conclusively, religion and education can only survived in a homogeneous society where One religious ideas is shared. The need to be objective must be not be disflowered and one need to call the spade by its natural outlook.



***************************
© 2016
O'SHEGE


*******Your view is highly respected*******

If you don't get the argument on hijab clearly, use this opportunity to grab it.

As a Muslim female, you must not be seen going around With your natural hair open except when you are within the confines of your home (this is Allah's commandment). Then, as parent who should train the young ones to grow with this culture, it is incumbent on you to ensure this happens right from school age, you can not afford an Islamic school where such practice is non contestable, then the question emerge that public school which is been maintained by taxes which you are part of payers does not allow this practice because the dress code was formulated without your input and you could not immediately challenge this because you did not embrace Western education at inception when the rules were formulated. Now, when it becomes imperative that everyone must go through Western education to fit in to the present day society, is it wrong to ask that this request (born out of necessity) is granted to ensure that every female child get accustomed with this commandment while also getting the necessary education at her age? or would you rather wish that the parent wait till she complete her Western education when it would have been practically impossible to have her tow this line?
Let us be reasonable in our thoughts especially those that affects the feelings of others and TOLERANCE is the key word to our mutual coexistence. If hijab is allowed in public schools in other multi ethnic & religious societies including the Western nations, there is no justification for its denial here where Islam is in the majority. It is certain that hijab/veil usage would have been part of school dress code if it is part of commandments in Christian doctrine.

Thank you.