PREAMBLE
In the 21^st century, youth face challenges in different spheres of life. But the educational challenge which they faced as compelled me to write this. The youths attitude towards education is just due to the challenges they face. That is while they resolve in acquiring the certificate by hook and crook means.
They are educated to be job creators but they now seek jobs... jobs which they are mearnt to create. Because of their nonchalant attitude to their education, they have lost that training which they can create jobs.
UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF EDUCATION
"Much are the precious time of youth misspent in climbing learning's steep, rugged ascent". The truth of this words of Winston Churchill is seen in the youths of today. The concept of the word education is coined from the Latin word "educere" meaning "to train" or "to mould?" Education is a process of learning and training which people undergo to acquire skills, habits, values and attitude. It is done in two forms : formal and informal education. The first form of education a person undergoes is the informal education. Mans education starts in the home where he learns from parents and siblings. Formal education, in the other hand, is done in schools.
To a mere man, education means going to school to acquire knowledge. But it meaning surpasses this. The training involves character foemation and acquisition of knowledge which, if not taken seriously, could harm the individual. It is disheartening that the youth of our contemporary society are putting up a laizssez affairs attitude towards learning and education as a whole.
YOUTH ATTITUDE AND THEIR CHALLENGES
What is the attitude of youth toward education?
Youths have developed various laissez-faire and negative attitude to learning: negligence, lazzinees, malpractices, pessimism, just to mentuon but a few. The level at which education activities have been neglected is at its apex. Students no more care about home works and research works. This laziness has eaten deep into the fabrics of the educational system of the society. Even in tertiary institutions students pay people to write thier term papers, or hurry at the eleventh hour.
Another negative attitude of the youths is procrastination. An adaged says: procrastination is the thief of time. The juveniles prefer procrastination to hard work because most lecturers have made themselves so cheep that student can easily bribe them. This also account to the high rate of curruption in the country.
In addition, malpractice to examination is another challenging attitude of the youths towards education. Aristotle says "The root of education is bitter, but the fruit is sweet". Youths find it difficult to sit tight and study. They, instead, spend time preparing expo. The consequences of such action is a 21-year jail term as stated in the Nigerian constitution. This attitude has affected the youths adversely. If they cannot endure the bitterness of education, how sweet will be the fruits which they will reap?
Furthermore, the youths who claim to be the future leaders are very pessimistic in thought and behavior. Benjamin Franklin said: Resolve to perform what you ought and perform without fail what you resolve. The juveniles do not keep to this saying. For instance, a youth was involved in accult activities and he was caught and prosecuted for some years in prison, he never thought he will be free because he was pessimistic. He lost everyhope of leaving. Our youths apply same attitude to their education.
RESOLUTION
Philosophical problems are only slightly removed from everyday happening. Indeed, they indicate that as soon as one begins to reach beyond the obvious confronting situation, he finds himself face to face with its analysis. Kinsley Price writes. " The young species cannot survive to maturity unless they assimilate some beliefs about the world, some attitude towards it and some skills in solving the practical problems it presents, and the only form which they can drive this minimum wisdom is culture of their elders. The negligence of reading by youths can be solved, first, building interest and concentration in school activities, "in season and out of season". Laziness could be curbed through creativity and hardwork. Strict laws should be made and implemented to prevent examination malpractice. Teachers can stop this by ensuring that they are encouraging students on good morals and effective study methods and by rejecting bribes. Teachers should be paid well so that they can say "NO" to bribe from students. Optimism is a "condition sine qua non" for proper and positive development of attitudes toward education.
CONCLUSION
Vita sine libris mors est life without books is death. My advice to youth is that they should spend time reading and spend money on books and not on things which do not contribute to their academic and moral growth. Indeed, an educated man is not the same as a trained man. Training alone does not make on educated; neither does the mere acummulation of knowledge make one trained. They both go together. They equip one for life, for understanding life in it's totality. As Sydney Hook would say, "It's the scheme of life which develops the power of critical, independent thought in an individual and makes available important bodies of knowledge concerning nature, society, ourselves and our history.