Shun immoral acts in college

Former US President Theodore Roosevelt once remarked, “To educate a person in mind and not in moral is to educate a menace to society.” The 2022 KCSE candidates who excelled in their exams will be reporting to their respective colleges and universities soon.

Unlike secondary schools where students are restricted in the school compound, university opens wide doors of freedom. And as the saying goes, there is nothing like freedom without responsibility.

As “freshers” join universities, we urge them to remain disciplined. It is said that indiscipline is the leading cause of dismal performance in national examinations and at the higher institutions of learning, the same case applies. Due to lack of self-control and self-discipline, some students skive lectures and abandon their studies.

Sadly, most parents abdicate their responsibility of nurturing their children once they are in tertiary institutions. The lure of filthy lucre and quick bucks coupled with adventurous and experimental lifestyles can trigger a student to abandon studies.

 The issue of “sponsors” has also continued to wreak havoc on many a girls’ education, resulting in drop-outs or unwanted pregnancies. Peer pressure and promiscuous heterosexual relationships can adversely affect a student’s academic performance and mental health.

University students should have self-discipline and integrity. The new students must abhor and shun immoral activities and parents should not abdicate their responsibility by sitting on the fence. Otherwise, moral decay in campuses is a harbinger of widespread indiscipline. Let the newly admitted students heed Aristotle’s statement: “Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.”

Mr Muthama is a business and strategic management lecturer at JKUAT. [email protected]