Education Vs. Entertainment
This very write-up is not intended to debate over which is better between education and entertainment but to rather look into the trend that is attainable in our society. There is no arguing the fact that the Nigeria of years past- say early 90’s backwards- was not the same as what we have now. The changes abound- from technology to the polity of the state- but my focus today is the Nigerian educational system.
Back in those days, the educational setup stood out among the very best in the ‘world of excellence’; the products that emerged from different institutions- primary, secondary and tertiary- were very sound and capable of holding their heads high among other colleagues around the world. Moreover, the interest in education as at that time was really profound with students willing to work their socks off in order to churn out masterful results at the end of the academic sessions- though we are still witnessing such scenarios but the rate appears to have dwindled over time.
Now, what has become of our education system is the case of giving out substandard result as students tend towards looking out for shortcuts; wanting to succeed without being ready to pay the ultimate prize through diligent study and effective engagement of their mental faculty. Let me be quick to say here that education does not necessarily have to be about going to school alone; it is quite broad, and as the renowned physicist, Albert Einstein rightly puts it: “Education is what remains after one has forgotten what one has learned in school.”
But should entertainment be faulted for the drop in the interest of students in learning?
Well, wholly attributing the drop in interest or standard of education to entertainment would mean not being out of touch with reality; there are indeed many other factors that can be highlighted. However, entertainment being what it is, gets to attract the attention of these young individuals- the students to be specific- who would rather take great delight in getting entertained than adding more value to themselves. Also, the shift in the value system is another factor that has played a huge part in this regard; take for instance, the saying that ‘education pays’ could sound as fallacious as any other ‘misinformed’ proposition in the hearing of youths in this age we are living in…the reason? – The world, in general, is swayed towards the sphere where ‘things are happening’- or shall I say, ‘where the money’s at’- and with this, we can see a good number of young persons [in their teenage years] modelling their lives after celebrities whose affluence oozes out like a stream flowing with milk and honey. On the other hand, these established celebrities- musicians especially- do extend their generosity to young acts that show great promises of being the next superstars of our time- this, they do by signing the young lads to their record labels. However, this singular action could be deleterious to the future to that young child who is yet to come to grasp with the basics of learning.
Entertainment is not something that can be painted in bad light for through it, many have not only gone ahead to live a fulfilled life but also impacted lives, and learned a whole lot about life itself. The problem however, lies on what or where an individual sets his/her priority. Most individuals [whether young or old] appear to give more attention to getting thrilled by entertaining showpieces than learning and adding to their knowledge, and it is this shift that keeps affecting the interest students put into learning and/or education- whether formal or self-education.