EDUCATIONAL VALUE ORIENTATION AND RESPECT FOR PERSONS IN NIGERIA

This paper explores educational value orientation and respect for persons in Nigeria. Education is seen as a transformative tool for instilling core values in learners. There are cases of declining value orientation or what has been described as loss of values in the society. Majority of the citizens have abandoned the accepted values [dignity of labour, integrity, respect for elders, respect for human life and blood, religious tolerance and self-relience among others] and wrongly embraced negative values associated with “get rich quick syndrome”. Consequences is that the young generations are denied of the appropriate value system. The values embedded within the school curriculum, aim to produce responsible citizens who contribute meaningfully to both personal and national development. Values are highly informed and influenced by cultural and social context. Virtually nation counts on education as a veritable instrument for proper orientation of values. Every nation has its own sets of values which it considers to be catalytic to its development if given the best orientation through education. The paper recommended that, government should make values education compulsory at all levels of education.