Who Is Responsible for Teaching the Next Generation Values?

When a child misbehaves at home,parents usually ask that child "IS THAT WHAT THEY TAUGHT YOU IN SCHOOL". In school, teachers will ask the same child if he/she misbehave in school, "DO YOU HAVE HOME TRAINING AT ALL". Everybody is playing the blame game, running from the responsibility of teaching the next generation moral values and decadence.In our society today, everybody is too busy to teach the next generation moral values. Parents are too busy chasing money, religious bodies are busy fighting each other, schools are too busy dancing to the tune of their customers ( Choosingto please their customers than doing the right thing ). which is, teaching the next generation the right values and enforcing them. This is the state of our world today. Unless someone, somewhere will do something about it, and who is that someone?If we must answer the above question, we must first look at the different institutions in our society and their function. Which institution in oursociety today is responsible for this daunting task, is it the family, school, religious organization, our neighbors, the government or who? In my own opinion the answer should be all mentioned above. If it is their responsibility, why are they not doing it?The family is the smallest unit in the societal structure, it use to be the custodian of moral values and decadence, but the story is different now. As an incurable optimist, I don't want to believe that the moral values the previous generation had, is better than what we have today, but that is the sad truth. The funniest part is that most young people don't even know what moral values are. During one of my leadership class with my students. I asked them to define family values, the best I got from them was that, family values; are those values that families have.I went further, and ask them, what those values are, it was like getting water out of a stone. Though they were taught about these values at home or in school, but they were not well educated about them; like telling them its benefits, that good moral values are one of the things that can get them ahead in life. Because as human beings we attach great importance to things that we believe, can get us great benefit now or in the future. So we need to let the children know that good moral values like, honesty, love for hard work, love for others, diligence, courtesy, self control and integrity, if formed at a young age will influence their behavior, priorities and relationships. And help them form solid characters as adults.Take a look at the number of broken families we have today, you are bound to wonder where the world is heading to.The parents that raised our generation were God-fearing and upholders of good moral standards. And they raised this kind of thugs we have in the society today as"PARENTS". Imagine the kind of generation (children) these lawless and Godless parents we have today is going to raise.Parents today do what would have been an abomination if done some years back, Imagine a father telling his nine years old daughter to lie to people about his whereabouts, even telling obvious lies on phone in the presence of his children. Someone, ones told me, how he confronted a woman, who went to a video club to buy a pornographic movie in the company of her child. No wonder parents now sexually abuse their children, what a shame! Ask children about their relationship with their parents, 80% will tell you that their parents don't have time for them. Parents hardly sit down at home these days with their children, they are busy chasing money, fashion and entertainment/sports. At the expenseof teaching their children moral value.Family values have declined, something need to be done. If the family abandoned its role of teaching moral values, it will affect our society. The family is the foundation; we must get it right from the foundation. I remember a story about a man "sexting" on Facebook with his young daughters classmate and friend, unknowingly. Hegot the shock of his life the day the young girl came to visit her school friend, (the man's daughter) and the man couldn't find a place to hide his face.Let us forget our excuses why things are not the way the are suppose to be, and find the solution. We should stop blaming the media, the western culture and our neighbors, yes they may contribute in one way or another, let us forget about who is responsible and face the challenge for the sake of the next generation.If the family gets it right,it will spread to the other institutions like, schools, churches, and our work places.Schools today don't want to inculcate morals into their pupils/students, to avoid been tagged archaic or cruel, and through this tags lose their customers. Everything has been brought down to"monetary value". There is no more discipline in schools, because the school authorities don't want to offend their customers. Schools are now run based on marketing principles, "the customer is always right" many schools are no longer an institution meant to teach moral values and shape the future of the next generation.What of the religious bodies? They are busy fighting, criticizing each other and pursuing material things. That they don't even see the needto raise a generation of people with good morals. Only few of them have the courage to speak up concerning issues that bothers on moral values that can affect the next generation. Religious bodies are now conforming to the trend of the day, anything goes as long as it will help them keep their,customers,(members). They prefer to be branded as, being on point, than having a moral standard. Issues of outright condemnation like homosexual ism and gay marriage, are given a second thought. I always ask myself, how did we get here? I may not have the right answer, but I know how we can get out of it. It's by becoming the change we want to see in the world.The reason why so many people do what they do, is because they don't see themselves as role models, everybody is living for themselves. No matter the size of your office, you are a role model to someone out there watching you closely. Though our political class had refused to see themselves as role models, we must not join them and fail the next generation. In one of my leadership class,a student behaved in an unruly manner. I cautioned him and asked,"is that how leaders behave?" One of them replied, "yes some leaders behave that way" and I asked the student"what type of leaders behave that way?". His reply did not surprise me, he said, "some political leaders". Immediately I told the class that you don't do the wrong thing just because every otherperson is doing it.Children are like wet cement any imprint on their young mind stays, and will take a long time to erase. Mind your conduct in the presence of children. Even if you have to change for their sake, do so. They are the next generation, it is ourresponsibility to lay the foundation they have to build their structures on. Remember, you can tell them what to do, but they will always do the things they see you do. They are always watching,just be your best and God will take care of the rest.Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Benedict_Okole/2322769