What takes the mind away from a positive course embarked upon is simply termed a distraction. This affects the thinking, emotion and what a man gives his attention to, wholistically. It causes a change of direction from what promises to be beneficial to what portrays itself to be such. There is no gay saying the fact that distraction is as old as human race and that it is even now more predominant, prevalent and pronounced than ever but the joy is that every man has the power of choice. Every man has the power to make or mar his God ordained destiny by the strength of his decision. Decision determines destiny.

Vital decisions of a man’s life are taken at the age of accountability or better still, at the adolescent stage. This calls for a serious caution! Do you deal with distractions or you are being over-powered by this dreadful monster? Do you dogmatically follow the band wagon of mediocres? Here is a call to be different. You have got to discipline yourself to avoid all forms of distractions so that your in-built potentials can be brought to bear. Roy L. Smith opined that ‘Discipline is the refining fire by which talent becomes ability.’

At this juncture, I wish to unveil some of these distractions and acquaint you with the possible ways to deal with them.

• Wrong use of mobile phones. Good as it is, mobile phones have been abused by the generality of the students. They find a way of smuggling these phones into the classes and browse for unprofitable materials even as they are supposed to listen to the teachers as classes go on. The school’s advice to parents is that their children should be prevented from bringing their handsets to schools. It is better to leave the sets at home. The schools, on their own part, have directed that the sets should be submitted at the appropriate quarters before entering the school. They are to collect them while going home.
• Another prevailing distraction among students is premature relationship. This particular vice is endemic and proving difficult to control. Regular consultation and counselling coupled with strict monitoring, I believe, would reduce the influence of this vice on students’ education.
• The influence of peer pressure on students cannot be underestimated. The idea of ‘if you can do this, I can do it better’ is ever gaining momentum among them. Even the most quiet among the students have the tendency to be coerced, encouraged, menacingly harassed and even stigmatized by their peers to commit themselves into what is the most abominable for them to do. While the school will continue to do the utmost to reduce the ugly phenomenon, parents and guardians are urged to monitor their children at home against negative influences.
• Wrong use of internet facilities is a thing that occurs especially (at home). Students are no longer using the internet facilities for the purpose for which it was designed. They browse for pornographic films, use the social media for unprofitable chatting, among many other things. It is also imperative for parents and guardians to keep a close eye on what their children surf for on the internet. What they need to browse for should be clearly spelt out for the students at home so that they do not abuse the opportunities provided by the internet.
• Civilization has eroded many of the good-aspects of our culture. Students no longer have regard for our culture, instead they believe much in what is now our adopted culture, the European civilization. The aspects of respect for teachers, elders and even parents are gradually becoming a thing of the past. This is the real issue in discipline. The concerted efforts of all stakeholders are required to nip all social vices in the bud.

All afore-mentioned are just the few compendia of the so many contemporary distractions among students but they are advised to follow the right path. The future is embedded with what is being done today.

Bamigbade I.O (Mr)
Principal

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