Infusion approach to moral education in Nigerian tertiary institutions: Towards curbing cultism

Michael Muonwe

Abstract


The damaging effects of the anti-social phenomenon of cultism on
learning and character formation of students in Nigerian tertiary
institutions are no less than shocking to an average mind. In
some of the institutions, it is dangerously ravaging the
fundamental structures and principles of the academia and
beyond. Many cases of armed robbery, kidnapping, disruption of
school programmes and public peace, thuggery, and the like,
have been linked to cultism in our tertiary institutions. Some
students have dropped out of school on account of this. This ugly
scenario could be causally linked to poverty, lack of proper
parental care, peer group influence, bad leadership, etc. Without
neglecting these, this study considers that the most fundamental
cause, which lies underneath them, is the decline and erosion of
moral values. This paper proposes that, unless in-school
promotion of infusion approach to moral education complements
the efforts of the family, religious bodies, and the State, the
problem may remain unabated. Infusion approach, being a
pervasive and engaging approach to moral education, allows
moral values to permeate the entire school curricula and
programmes, be they academic, administrative, social, or
cultural. It embraces the contents and methods of instruction, the
personality of the lecturers, relationship among students, between
them and the lecturers, and between the school as an institution,
her students and other relevant bodies. This is because thisapproach touches the hearts and minds of persons, it also enables
students to look beyond the immediate and ephemeral trappings
of cultism and acquire the requisite lasting moral values for a
positive change of character.

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