Ethics and Moral Education as a Way for Zaar Community Development
African Scholar Journal of African Sustainable Development (JASD-2)
VOL. 21 NO. 2 ISSN: 2010-1086 JUNE, 2021
*Samson, I. M & **Wadam, Z. S
*Department of Religion and Philosophy, University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.
**Department of Arts Education, Faculty of Education, University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria.
Abstract
Morals and ethics are closely related in meaning. The term moral comes from the Latin word “moralis” and ethics comes from the Greek word “ethos” both terms meant custom or way of life Barclay (1971). According to Joseph (2011), there are tendency of using the term morals and morality to refer to the conduct itself and ethics and ethical to refer to the study of moral conduct or the system or code that is followed. Ethics and moral are code of thinking and behavior sounded by personal cultural grades of what is right though right varies with circumstances and culture. Inculcating ethical and moral education in the heart of people in the community will reshape the people thinking and thought that can lead to community development. The paper focus on ethics and moral education as a way for Zaar (Sayawa) community development. It aimed at providing a means through which Zaar (Sayawa) people can inculcate ethical and moral education in the mind of its people among which are: through family; peers; religious institutions; schools; and mass media. The researcher uses sociological analytical method to guide the research. Based on the discussion, the researcher made some recommendations among which are: parents must see installing moral and ethical values in the mind of their children as their sole responsibility; there should be trained group of mentors mostly people of matured both in chronological and mental age from the society who should be in places that young people gather to correct and mentor their behaviors; radio/TV show talk particularly children/youths programs and all related communication areas should carry programs that will promote good moral and ethical education in the mind of the children and youths; there should be character molding courses at both level of education in schools; and lastly, religious leaders should be encourage to reinforce their teaching which will promote ethical and moral education in the mind of its followers.
Keywords: Ethics, Moral, Education, Zaar (Sayawa), Community, Development.
INTRODUCTION
Morals and ethics are closely related in meaning. The term moral comes from the Latin word “moralis” and ethics comes from the Greek word “ethos” both terms meant custom or way of life Barclay (1971). According to Joseph (2011), there are tendency of using the term morals and morality to refer to the conduct itself and ethics and ethical to refer to the study of moral conduct or the system or code that is followed. Ethics and moral are code of thinking and behavior sounded by personal cultural grades of what is right though right varies with circumstances and culture. Inculcating ethical and moral education in the heart of people in the community will reshape the people thinking and thought that can lead to community development. This paper is a scholarly work targeted to Zaar (Sayawa) community in Tafawa Balewa and Bogoro local government area of Bauchi state. The paper suggested an alternative means for Zaar (Sayawa) community to develop through ethics and moral education.
METHODOLOGY
The study was guided by sociological analytical method. This methodology is also common in other related field of studies which education is inclusive. The method is concerned with explaining of community level facts such as typical belief and common way of acting. The method explains such fact not merely by relating them to other community level facts but by detailing in clear and precise ways the mechanism through which they were brought about. The sources which were used were library documents both published and unpublished books, articles were also used.
CONCEPT OF ETHICS AND MORAL EDUCATION
Moral education is the process through which an individual develop proper attitudes and behaviors toward others in the society based on social and cultural norms, rules, and law (Ezeanya2004). Moral character of someone act is based on action that is right and wrong. That is why it became important to mentor children in every society on how to make right decision from the early stage of their lives, encourage them to display the freedom in a responsible manner. Moral education also helps children to begin to appreciate common value such as honesty, justice, fairness, and respect for others. It helps children acquire those ethical and moral habits that will help them individually live good lives and at the same time become productive to the community. It therefore contributes not only standards as individual but also to the society putting them together of a community (Eliade 2007).
Education is a lifelong process that begins at birth, and end at death. It transforms the helpless infant into a matured adult. Looking at Zaar community, which comprises Christian, Islam and African traditional religious followers. The questions that came to my mind were: can we enact law for moral? If moral law is to be enforced, whose morality will be? Christian morality, Islamic morality or African traditional morality? No doubt Christians may perhaps wish their morality be enforced but will the other faith agree? For instance, law forbidden early marriage for girls below 18years of age. If then it becomes difficult for morality to be enforced then how can it be enforce and be inculcate into the society?
Below are possible ways through which ethics and morality can be inculcated in the community:
Through the family:
The life of the child begins in the family, where the parent nurtured and develops it character. Family is made up of the father, mother and children and it is regarded as the primary agent of education (National Teachers Institute 2000). Family is considered as the most important agent of socialization and parents are responsible for teaching the children Samson (2020). The better way to inculcate moral and ethics in the community is family to take their responsibility of parenthood to inculcate moral and ethical values of the society in the mind of the children in their first contact with them. This is possible because infant survival is completely dependent on others to survive and members of the family are those who they first have contact with. According to Akinloye (2001), family lays the moral and spiritual foundation for the child to build upon in later life. Parent along with other family members are to teach the children about close relationship, group life and how to share resources. The family also is to provide the first system of moral and ethical value, norms, and beliefs to children. These ethical norms and values reflect their religious, ethnic group and social status.
Through Religious Institutions
Religious institutions are a good means of educating the individual. They seek to nurture the behaviors of it members desirably and permanently, till Eternity, since any departure from the approved teachings is believed by the adherents to be capable of leading them to danger. All the three religions (Christianity, Islam and ATR) preach tolerance, honesty, love, humility and other virtues to members. They attempt to correct what they deem to be detestable attitudes, Values, and opinions. Religion plays an important role in the life of an African man; precisely Zaar community which the paper is targeting on. The community is predominantly occupied by Christians and Islam religious worshipers with few African Traditional worshippers. As stated by Akande (2001) Religious organizations count in a nation’s quest for better socio economic and intellectual order. Religious institutions such as Churches and Mosque can serve as centres for impacting moral and ethical values to members of the community. As stated by National Teacher’s Institute (2001), church and the mosque are “the custodians of the spiritual needs of the society which teach children to love God and humanity (p.154).
Through Peers
This is the social relationship between people who fall within the same age range. Moral and ethical education can be promoted among peers. Peer according to Musgrave (1979), is a group in which the child spends more time with, other children interacting closely both at home and the school. In the course of their interaction, children emulate themselves exhibit especially those of their interest. Peer in group relationship, both parties want each other above all to be morally good and so their common ideas may lead them to feel responsible to each other for how they behave. Their lives become like open books, they admit to each other failure and points at each other’s faults they discuss about the kind of persons they want to become, and how each might help the other to grow. Such relationship encourages self examination, strengthens moral resolves, clarifies vision and builds habits (Joseph 2011).
Through the School:
The school is an institution where the behaviour of individuals is shaped to prepare them to be effective and functional members of their society. It is the school that can be regarded as a factory where members of the community are processed into a refined personality that can cope with the increasing complexity in labour market. Like the family, the school is an institution where the culture of the society is transmitted it also help the members of the society to develop skills necessary for survival in the society.
Farrant (1980:24), defines curriculum as “all that is taught in a school including the time tabled subjects and all those aspects of its life”. For a curriculum to be design, the need of the society is first put into consideration and those needs includes society’s values and norms which determines the standard of behavior in a given society and thus influence how effective the morality will be. No wonder there was a popular saying by school “certificate is based on character before learning”.
The purpose of establishing school is to transfer subject knowledge and teach life skills, such as following directions and meeting deadlines. Apart from those purposes, there are other things which the school transfer or are learn in school through interacting with teachers, staffs and other students. For example the importance of obeying authority are learn in school and the students also learn to be quit, to wait and sometimes to act interested even when they are not.
Through the Mass Media:
The mass media distribute impersonal information to the wide audience via television, news papers, radio and internet. The government in collaboration with the mass media can play role in putting certain programmes across its citizens, during this period, mass-media serves as agent for the propagation of government programe. Mass media through improved communication technology has reduced the whole world into a global village. Programmes propagated by the Mass Media helped members of the community to have ideal of the nature of other People’s culture. It also helps members of the community to have broader knowledge and understanding of the lives of other people.
People learn about subject materials culture as well as non material culture. It is on this basis that people should be expose to programmes in the mass media that will enrich their moral and ethical values and avoid those that will demolish them. The government should control or monitor the kind of materials which these media gives to the public only those that promote the values of the society should be allowed.
DISCUSSION
This scholarly work is presenting a means through which Zaar (Sayawa) community can use ethics and moral education as a way to develop its community. The researchers provides ways through which ethics and moral education can be use by the community to inculcate those moral and ethical values. Among the ways through which ethics and moral education can be use are as follows: through the family, peers, schools, religious institutions, and mass media. Inculcating moral and ethical values in the heart of people in the community will reshape their thinking which will lead them to sociological development.
CONCLUSION
It has been made clear from the above discussion that ethics and morality is fundamental tool for Zaar community to develop and family, religious institutions, schools, peers and mass media are tools through which can be used to impact those ethical and moral values in the life of people living in the community.
RECOMMENDATIONS
At the end of the research, the researchers made the following recommendations:
1. Parents must see installing moral and ethical values in the mind of their children as their sole responsibility.
2. There should be trained group of mentors mostly people of matured both in chronological and mental age from the society who should be in places that young people gather to correct and mentor their behaviors.
3. Radio/TV show talk particularly children/youth programs and all related communication areas should carry programs that will promote good moral and ethical education in the mind of the children and youths.
4. There should be character molding courses at both level of education in schools.
5. Religious leaders should be encourage to reinforce their teaching which will promote ethical and moral education in the mind of its followers.
References
Akande, J.O (2001). The Role or Religion and Voluntary Organisations in Poverty Alleviation in Nigeria in Fasanmi F.O Ogunsanya and Ogundare S.F (Eds). National Rebirth and Poverty Alleviation in Nigeria Challenge for Social Studies Education in the Twenty First Century (178-184) Ile-Ife Institute of Education, University of Ife. Fasco Enterprises.
Akinleye. G . A (2001). The Role of the Home and Family in the Development of Positive Social Rebirth and Poverty Alleviation in Fasanmi F.O et al (2001) (Eds). National Rebirth and Poverty Alleviation in Nigeria Challenge for Social Studies Education in the Twenty First Century (pp.115-122) Ile-Ife Institution of Education. University of Ile – Ife Fasco enterprises.
Barclay, William (1971). Ethics in a Permissive Society. London Collins clear type press.
Elaide, M. (2007). The Encyclopedia of Religion. New York: Macmillan publishing company.
Ezeanya, S. (2004). Christian Education for our Children. Onitsha: Tabansi press Ltd.
Farrant, J.S (1981). Principle and Practice of Education. Singapore: Longman.
Joseph, A. I (2011). The Role of Morality and Ethics in Nation Building. Journal of Christian Religion and Education. Vol. 7. Pp. 1-6.
Musgrave, P.W. (1979). The Sociology of Education (3rd edition) New York. Menthem and Co. National Teachers Institute (2000). Pivotal Teachers Training programmes for University Basic Education Course Book on Education (modules 1-4) Kaduna National Teachers Institute.
Samson, I. M (2020). Introduction to Sociology of Religion Lecture Notes, Sarkin Yamma Community College of Education Tilden Fulani, Toro LGA, Bauchi State. Unpublished
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