CHILDREN are naturally impressionable, as their developing brains are malleable.
Scientists believe in a phenomenon called “brain plasticity”, through which the brain undergoes significant changes, especially during adolescence, allowing it to adapt and learn rapidly, making teens more open to influence.
In simpler layman terms, and looked at differently, it means the formative stages are critical in modelling behaviour.
It is from an early age that children learn empathy and kindness, as well as healthy coping mechanisms.
Additionally, it is from an early age that children learn norms, values, rules, regulations and societal expectations.
So, the process of inculcating values becomes fundamental in moulding future citizens.
This makes us the monsters or angels of our own creation.
Our society and communities presently find themselves plagued by various challenges, including corruption, drug and substance abuse, and general uncleanliness.
This, to a large extent, can be attributed to the decay in our traditional norms and values due to disintegration of the traditional family and community unit, increased Westernisation and collapse of structures and guardrails that are used to define and protect our values.
We, thus, need to start the painstaking work of remooring our society to the same values that define who we are today.
First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, through her programme Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba, which is meant to reconnect young people with the country’s rich cultural heritage, traditions and values, has made a significant difference on that front.
This has to be commended.
Further, it is also heartening to know that corruption prevention studies are set to be incorporated into the primary and secondary schools’ curriculum by next year.
Research into the initiative has reportedly been ongoing since 2020.
“ZACC has participated in several curriculum review meetings,” said ZACC in its 2023 Annual Report.
“The curriculum review process is still ongoing, and the commission is envisaging that by the year 2025, anti-corruption content will be included in the education curriculum.”
“Since 2020, the commission has been pursuing mainstreaming anti-corruption content into the school curriculum . . .
“The commission has observed that the focus in schools has been mainly on skills development and has overlooked issues of ethics, which are important in raising ethical individuals who will be the future workforce of the public service.”
Asian countries like Hong Kong, Malaysia and South Korea were highlighted as some of the jurisdictions where similarly structured programmes have proved successful.
Singapore, for example, is considered one of the greenest and cleanest cities in the world.
This is hardly surprising.
Its schools actively promote cleanliness and hygiene among learners through various initiatives such as the “Buddy Clean Workshop”, which educates the young people on the importance of keeping their institutions clean and trains them in teamwork and communication.
It also includes hands-on cleaning activities.
Further, schools start teaching good hygiene practices from a primary level.
The learners participate in cleaning classrooms, corridors and canteens, fostering a sense of responsibility and stewardship.
So, as critically observed by ZACC, our education system should incorporate teachings designed to educate the whole person.
Put simply, it should also help produce the model citizen.
Volunteerism, patriotism, etiquette and cleanliness, among many other values that are fundamental in national-building, should be taught in schools, where children spend most of their time in their formative years.
We owe it to posterity to begin building the scaffolding of the future we want.
Success of the heritage-based Education 5.0, which has begun producing innovative learners with problem-solving skills, gives us comfort that equally prioritising teaching ethics in schools will have the intended result.
In Malawi, there is a Chichewa proverb that goes, “M’mera mpoyamba”, which simply means catch them young.
This is exactly what we need to do to solve some of the challenges facing our society today.
Virtue and cleanliness: Let’s catch them young
CHILDREN are naturally impressionable, as their developing brains are malleable.
Scientists believe in a phenomenon called “brain plasticity”, through which the brain undergoes significant changes, especially during adolescence, allowing it to adapt and learn rapidly, making teens more open to influence.
In simpler layman terms, and looked at differently, it means the formative stages are critical in modelling behaviour.
It is from an early age that children learn empathy and kindness, as well as healthy coping mechanisms.
Additionally, it is from an early age that children learn norms, values, rules, regulations and societal expectations.
So, the process of inculcating values becomes fundamental in moulding future citizens.
This makes us the monsters or angels of our own creation.
Our society and communities presently find themselves plagued by various challenges, including corruption, drug and substance abuse, and general uncleanliness.
This, to a large extent, can be attributed to the decay in our traditional norms and values due to disintegration of the traditional family and community unit, increased Westernisation and collapse of structures and guardrails that are used to define and protect our values.
We, thus, need to start the painstaking work of remooring our society to the same values that define who we are today.
First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa, through her programme Gota/Nhanga/Ixhiba, which is meant to reconnect young people with the country’s rich cultural heritage, traditions and values, has made a significant difference on that front.
This has to be commended.
Further, it is also heartening to know that corruption prevention studies are set to be incorporated into the primary and secondary schools’ curriculum by next year.
Research into the initiative has reportedly been ongoing since 2020.
“ZACC has participated in several curriculum review meetings,” said ZACC in its 2023 Annual Report.
“The curriculum review process is still ongoing, and the commission is envisaging that by the year 2025, anti-corruption content will be included in the education curriculum.”
“Since 2020, the commission has been pursuing mainstreaming anti-corruption content into the school curriculum . . .
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“The commission has observed that the focus in schools has been mainly on skills development and has overlooked issues of ethics, which are important in raising ethical individuals who will be the future workforce of the public service.”
Asian countries like Hong Kong, Malaysia and South Korea were highlighted as some of the jurisdictions where similarly structured programmes have proved successful.
Singapore, for example, is considered one of the greenest and cleanest cities in the world.
This is hardly surprising.
Its schools actively promote cleanliness and hygiene among learners through various initiatives such as the “Buddy Clean Workshop”, which educates the young people on the importance of keeping their institutions clean and trains them in teamwork and communication.
It also includes hands-on cleaning activities.
Further, schools start teaching good hygiene practices from a primary level.
The learners participate in cleaning classrooms, corridors and canteens, fostering a sense of responsibility and stewardship.
So, as critically observed by ZACC, our education system should incorporate teachings designed to educate the whole person.
Put simply, it should also help produce the model citizen.
Volunteerism, patriotism, etiquette and cleanliness, among many other values that are fundamental in national-building, should be taught in schools, where children spend most of their time in their formative years.
We owe it to posterity to begin building the scaffolding of the future we want.
Success of the heritage-based Education 5.0, which has begun producing innovative learners with problem-solving skills, gives us comfort that equally prioritising teaching ethics in schools will have the intended result.
In Malawi, there is a Chichewa proverb that goes, “M’mera mpoyamba”, which simply means catch them young.
This is exactly what we need to do to solve some of the challenges facing our society today.
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