Character counts.........yes it does. What is character? It is the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. I attended a training at AISL some years ago and encountered the program called 'Character Education'. Character education includes a broad range of educational approaches such as service learning, social-emotional learning and civic education. These share a goal to helping young people become responsible, caring, and contributory citizens. We have a semblance of this with our Moral/Civic Education and Social Studies but Character Education is based on six ethical values that everyone can agree on - values that are not religious, political or culturally biased. It is taught with fun activities so that it's enjoyable. Take a look at this: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring and Citizenship. These six pillars are a measure of the qualities children learn to lead and imbibe as they form their personalities. I recognize that the effort expended on this type of endeavor requires sustainability. It is my understanding that a character-based society could begin from establishing such curriculum in schools. Down the road we can confidently say good bye Oga Boko & Co. More to come...