CHALLENGES FACING THE YOUTH IN OUR
PRESENT SOCIETY
Globalisation
is a new historical reality that is propelled by knowledge and technological
advancement. The rapid expansion of markets across national boundaries and the
socio-political effects it brings, has grave implications for developing
countries including Nigeria. There is a consensus that less developed and
technologically advantaged countries shall be unable to take advantage of the
increased opportunities that globalisation provide and are to be increasingly
powerless and marginalised.
Evidently,
successful integration into the global economy shall be a tall order for
Nigeria, considering the perceived challenges that confronts majority of
Nigeria’s overwhelming youth population. These include; restricted access to
functional and qualitative education
Despite
enormous progress made in educational outcomes, there are still many young
people who lack basic skills needed to support their post-school life. Though high
enrolment are reported in many states under the UBE scheme, early dropouts,
grade repetition and poor education quality mean that many enter adolescence
poorly prepared and ill-equipped for work and life.
Early stage of life. It is the stage of constructing the self-concepts.
The self-concept of youth is influenced several variables such as peers,
gender, culture, economic, and religion.
Challenge: a demanding task or situation. Problems arising. Challenge is a contemporary word used
for “problem”, replaced with problem. As generations shifted from “industrial”
to “information” or “knowledge worker” age, every aspects of life change
alongside. Challenges facing the youth are never new to concerns but as change
remains the constant law of life, these challenges increase with varied
approaches. The paramount challenges facing the youth remain the same over time
age. Such challenges are termed “global” which are not subjected to time,
space, race, and religion. These challenges include:
Drug abuse Sexuality Poverty Single parenting Obesity Education disparity Materialism Violence in school Shifting economy Unemployment
On
other hand, challenges that are restricted to time, space, race, age and
religion are characterized “new challenges”. In the recent time, challenges
have evolved which never exist in the past centuries. These new challenges
include
Hopelessness Negative impact of ICT (media, social networks) poor educational system
YOUNG TREE THAT WILL BECOME STRONGER
THROUGH LIFE’S STORM
This
story is about a young tree. It faced many storms through its young life. The
powerful winds, torrential rains, famine, ice, and snow would lie across its
branches. At times, the young tree questioned its maker asking, “Why have you
let so many storms come into my life?” his maker whispered, “You will
understand one day, stand firm, you will make it through the storm of life.” “The
challenge will pass, keep this in mind.
The
tree questioned its maker, “If I go through one more winter the snow will
surely break my branches, if I face any more powerful wind I will surely be
uprooted and moved away.” Its maker whispered, “stand strong, dig your roots
deep into the soil, you will understand someday.”
Somehow
the young tree kept the positive thoughts in its mind and managed to survive
and make it through even the toughest of storms. Somehow, even in the toughest
of times, when the things it went through should have broken it down, it found
a way to stand firm even through the worst of storms. As the young tree grew
taller, stringer, and matured the tree realised the storms of life had made it
stronger.
Life
is not all about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning how to
dance in the rain.
Young
people are sure to meet these challenges in their quest for comfort, freedom,
and living. The motivation and encouragement is that the challenges only make
them stronger fitted for adulthood.
