Education as an Indispensable Tool for Youth Development

Abstract

It is observed that after about 55 years post independence and secondary education (having been reformed to be goals oriented), majority of Nigerian youths are idle while some are involved in various vices due to unemployment. A good number of students who have completed their secondary education but failed to secure admission into institutions of higher learning are in dilemma because they are not equipped with requisite skills for self or paid employment. However, if a nation fails to develop (or educate) its citizenry and make them efficient in carrying out some of the activities of life effectively, then that nation is doomed to weakness, destruction and obscurity. Education, therefore, is important to the growth and development of the society because of its power to fashion an individual to be integrated into his society, and to become a promoter of his societal culture, and development. Eight main sources of vices in the lives of youth identified were: peer pressure, lack of proper parenting/home training, curriculum deficiency, unemployment, economic instability, law enforcement/judicial inconsistency, undue emphasis on certificate and corruption. At the moment a good percentage of the youths is either not in school or trained but not employable; either under employed or have become school drop outs owing to high cost of education. The training of the youths especially at the secondary school level must be a top priority if the nation must get to the top also. We must begin to explore ways of harnessing the skills and talents of young people. The more we frown at extra-curricular activities, the more we give away the youth to these vices.