ABC Subjects should be introduced into our learning
As corruption and other unethical practices are indelible prints in the lives of many sierra Leoneans, it is high time educationalists and government introduce the ‘Attitudinal and Behavioural Change’ (ABC) Â into our learning curricula.
Quoting them, both Kabba and His Excellency Earnest Bai Koroma emphasize on the same phrases in most of their public speeches to the people of Sierra Leone. Former president Kabba always admonished patriotic Sierra Leoneans to refrain from ‘bad heart’ while Koroma reiterated that “attitudinal and behavioural change is everything†looking at both phrases, they almost drive home the same meaning.
Compatriots we Sierra Leoneans must learn to change our attitude if we are to be called a developed nation. 2010 is a new year; but not a new year just to be celebrated without incorporating and imbibing new attitudes towards one another and Sierra Leone as a whole. The New Year celebration should be seen as a positive direction towards attitudinal and behavioural change for a prosperous Salone.Â
Attitudinal and behavioural change is not about having plenty of money; either the type of clothes we wear or the type of food we eat, but attitudinal change is all about having a positive mental attitude and civilized behavior towards your fellow Sierra Leoneans as a nation.
By changing our attitude is a sign post that signals our own development, as it shapes our behavior towards the right direction.
In Paulo Frere’s book titled Pedagogue of the oppressed 1970 he had what he called praxis. Praxis in simple terms means reflection and further reflections. He explained this by purporting that by looking at a problem, you first and foremost need to identify the cause of the problem and by doing that you reflect and find solution to the crisis.
However, such a situation is not uncharacteristic to most government officials and citizens of Sierra Leone. The outstanding fact here is that they have failed to correct their mistakes because by boldly confessing our blunder is a crucial aspect to attitudinal and behavioral change.
Frere as a Brazilian indigene suffered starvation and oppression due to his poor family background. As somebody who had experience hunger himself he strove hard to salvage his compatriots from abject poverty by conscientizing them. Through the process of conscientization he was able to redeem his people which eventually led to attitudinal and behavioral change in Brazil.
Nonetheless, the Brazilian scenario can be likening to the Sierra Leonean situation. This is because Brazil too was a developing nation just like Sierra Leone today. We only need to borrow a leaf from Brazil until then we are would remain underdeveloped. Ours can be achieved through consistent introduction of attitudinal and behavioral change (ABC) subjects into both primary and tertiary institution curricula. Until ethics and ABC subjects are introduced we are yet to change our attitudes.
Since Paulo Frere noticed poverty and illiteracy were the major causes for the suffering of his people, he conscientized them so as to eschew future corrupt practices in Brazil. The attitudinal and behavioral change goal can be achieved at both formal and informal levels.
Formally, attitudinal and behavioral change can be achieved by ejecting ethics and ABC subjects into the syllabus of both primary and tertiary institutions.
Informally on the other hand, we can design conscientization programmes for adults and young people who dropped out of school at an early stage. The emphasis on ethics is because it is a discipline that teaches moral values. In essence, the compendium of all theses values, Sierra Leoneans will surely make attitudinal change a thing of the past. Only then ABC will be re-echoed in our history books. Fellow Sierra Leoneans, remember, our president says “attitude is everything†we only need a little effort to do that then we are developed.Â
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