Make known your requests!

Archbishop Desmond Tutu has slammed his own government for its incompetence. The bishop was attending a book launch of Father Michael Lapsley’s autobiography, Redeeming the Past, in Cape Town on Monday night, was quoted as saying: “How can we have children 18 years after apartheid who go to school under trees". The Nobel Laureate also asked how the country could have children go to school when their education “is being crushed as the children attend schools without textbooks and no one is held accountable? Have we so quickly forgotten the price of freedom?” The outspoken clergy was addressing the text book scandal where thousands of children never received their government-issued books. “People are going to sleep hungry in this freedom for which people were tortured and harmed,” he said, adding: “It is hard to believe people are getting such money and benefits, and are driving such flashy cars while the masses suffer in cramped shacks.”

So around the world, people, notable people speak out firmly about the issues surrounding their education. Speak up Nigerians, speak up! 

The Nature-Nurture Debate. Where do you belong?

How many of us battle with the nature-nurture issue? In my profession, it is one of those debates that have to come up when assessing children's performances. Nature refers to our biological inheritance while nurture refers to our environmental influences.
In my alter world, I would like to be a Genealogist because I am interested in understanding how the make-up of a person influences them.
'Nature' proponents claim that the most important influence on development is biological inheritance. 'Nurture' proponents claim that environmental experiences are the most important influence.

Human beings grow in an orderly way just like the sunflower grows-unless defeated by an unfriendly environment. The range of environments can be vast but nature gives a genetic blueprint that produces common-ness in growth and development and in education. Nature proponents acknowledge that extreme environments-those that are psychologically hostile or empty-can depress the development. However, they believe that basic growth tendencies and intelligence are genetically wired into humans.

But how about nurture? All our experiences- whether biological ( nutrition, Medicare, drugs, accidents) to social ( family, peers, type of school, community, media and culture).

Researchers have found that caring adults who provide a supportive and nurturing environment have a substantial positive influence on children's development. I suppose that given the right environment, whether your child is genetically wired to be smart or not, there will be a considerate percentage of improvement. Are you a ' nature' or 'nurture' proponent?