A Social and political philosophy Lecturer from the University of Abuja, Dr Godwin Okanemu, has charged parents to desist from choosing courses for their children but allow them to fashion their lives through mentorship.
Okanemu, a guest speaker at the 2023 Graduation and Send forth Ceremony of the Holy Rosary Girls College, Gwagwalada in Abuja on Saturday.
Speaking on the theme: “Excellence is a choice, you too can excell”, he called on the graduands to critically fashion out the way forward to impact their life, community and the nation.
According to him, we must at this time allow children to go into the profession they have capacity for.
” Time has come when we should allow our children to fashion their own life. Those of us in the university have seen a lot as parents come to choose courses for their children and wards.
“Parents has failed to teach their children the virtue of hard work but keep requesting for courses of their choices for their children.
” To the graduands, do not allow this but ask yourself what you want to be in life. If you desire to be an engineer, doctor or lawyer .
“It is good to desire but the question is do you have the capacity to do these profession.
“Do not allow you parents to push you into courses you don’t have capacity for because talent is costly and can propel and when you are talented, people will look for you,” he said.
The Principal of the college, Revd. Sis. Anastasia Ukwueze commended the graduands for making outstanding performances in the recent JAMB and WAEC examinations in spite of daily school challenges experienced by them.
Ukwueze called on parents to keep on modelling good characters in the children as well as stop interfering in the school’s formation through exposure to the media.
She called on government to intensify in its awareness creation to encourage girl child education as well as put in place laws that would encourage the enrollment of girls child and practically follow it up.
“We tried to focus on our educational goal and to teach the girls to love, to serve and to know God so that they can impact lives.
“The college uphold holistic formation of young girls through affordable education so they can impact positively in the entire creation.
“I am confidence the girls will be good ambassador of the school because they have the basic ingredients to cope with life out there in their future career,” she said.
Also speaking, the Senior Prefect of the school, Emmanuella Okafor blamed the menace of fake professionals on parents who forced their children into offering their own choice courses.
“The reason we have fake professionals is as a result of parents choosing courses for their children and they end up killing innocent souls because they do not have the zeal to study the courses.
“The decision of children must be respected in this area. Many children today offer courses their parents forced them into. Most parents forced their children into the science courses failing to realize the children have areas they can do well,” she said.
She, however, advised other graduands not to use their freedom as a means of misbehaving but portray the good image of the school and country.
Highlights of the graduation is the presentation of academic awards and principal awards to outstanding students of the school.
Benita Onyema clinched the best students in sciences, Mmesoma Udonye came best in arts while Chinora Okeneme came best in commercial, among others.
