THE ROLE OF CHURCHES IN CURBING SOCIAL VICES

The role of churches in addressing social vices

Churches play a significant role in curbing social vices by providing moral
guidance and education to their members and the wider community. The preaching
of the church has a strong impact on curbing evil and restoring sanctity in society
[1]. Churches have the opportunity to use media education and communication
advocacy to promote moral values and discourage social vices [2]. By providing
moral education and guidance, churches can help individuals develop a strong
moral compass and make better decisions, which can ultimately contribute to a
more virtuous society.

Churches also support vulnerable members of society, including the poor, the sick,
and the marginalized. The church has a responsibility to seek and promote the
protection of citizens and respect for different religious customs and beliefs [3].
The church's social teaching emphasizes the importance of building a just society
and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society [4]. Churches
can provide support to those in need, including through charitable works,
counseling services, and advocacy for social justice and equity.

Advocating for social justice and equity is another important role that churches
play in curbing social vices. The church's social doctrine suggests a systematic
approach for finding solutions to problems, including discernment, judgment, and
action [5]. Religions have a powerful role in shaping ideas of social justice and
legitimacy, and responding to perceptions of injustice and illegitimacy [6]. The
church's ultimate aim should be social justice, and new models of change involve
innovative advocacy to affect public policy [7]. By advocating for social justice
and equity, churches can help to create a more just and equitable society, which
can ultimately contribute to the reduction of social vices.

Churches play a significant role in curbing social vices by providing moral

guidance and education to their members and the wider community. The preaching
of the church has a strong impact on curbing evil and restoring sanctity in society
[1]. Churches have the opportunity to use media education and communication
advocacy to promote moral values and discourage social vices [2]. By providing
moral education and guidance, churches can help individuals develop a strong
moral compass and make better decisions, which can ultimately contribute to a
more virtuous society.
Churches also support vulnerable members of society, including the poor, the sick,
and the marginalized. The church has a responsibility to seek and promote the
protection of citizens and respect for different religious customs and beliefs [3].
The church's social teaching emphasizes the importance of building a just society
and living lives of holiness amidst the challenges of modern society [4]. Churches
can provide support to those in need, including through charitable works,
counseling services, and advocacy for social justice and equity.
\CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Academic disciplines are created to help mould us understand the universe,
problems surrounding us and to proffer solutions to the prevailing problems. There
is a fairly concrete agreement on the basic objectives of social studies towards
achieving good citizenship in the society.
The cause of failure in achieving social studies objectives among students of
tertiary institution has great effect on the society and the demand of modern life.
These demands of modern life brought about constant modification of the young
discipline social studies curriculum to suit the emerging social changes in the
society.
In view of the fact that social studies is seen as a young discipline by many
scholars which is still in the process of organizing and re-organizing itself, social
studies has been with us since the existence of social science subjects like;
Anthropology, Philosophy, Psychology, Sociology, History, Government,
Geography, and some areas in vocational guidance.
Before social studies was institutionalized in the Nigerian school curriculum,
countries like Western Germany, Britain, United State of America, Sierra Leone,
Ethiopia, Japan, Thailand and Canada after the second world war introduced social
studies in their school curriculum in order to help build humane citizens. The aim
was to reform societies, believing that their improvement could easily be effected
through the proper development of individuals that compose the society through
subject like social studies Parks (2012).
Social studies in Nigeria kick start precisely in 1963 in the western part of Nigeria,
Aiyetoro Comprehensive secondary school Ogun state, after the many conferences
and seminars, preparing materials for the full take up of the subject in all the
primary and junior secondary schools in Nigeria by the Comparative Education
Studies and Adaptation Center (CESAC) presently in use. In 1964 social studies
was introduced in the Northern part of Nigeria through the Northern Nigerian
Teacher Education Project (NNTEP) sustain by the institute of education, Ahmadu
Bello University Zaria.
In 1969 a National curriculum conference was organized attended by eminent
scholars from different disciplines and geographical areas as well as the Aiyetoro
pilot project, resulting to the subject acceptance.
In 1973 in Alvan Ikoku College of education Owerri, Imo state commenced it at
the NCE level. While the Bachelor of education degree in social studies first
commenced at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria and Bayero University Kano
later follow in the year 1974 Jacob, Audu and Ndazhaga (2005). Record has it that
the reason for the introduction of social studies as a subject was due to the need to
make education socially relevant.
However, with the implementation of social studies, there are still some serious
problems among students and youths in the tertiary institutions of learning that are
at alarming rate; such as high record of examination malpractice, arm robbery,
falsification of credentials, prostitution, ethnicity, tribalism, cultism, electoral
violence, ethno-religious conflict, indiscipline, and religious intolerance, drug
abuse, kidnapping, child trafficking, bribery and corruption and the worst of all
insurgency in our communities, schools and colleges. All these social vices are
common among students in the tertiary institution.
It is in the light of this that the researcher intends to find out the causes of these
acts, people and materials that favored the repeated slavish and critical issues and
people perception and prejudice about the subject social studies. For instance, the
dissemination of information base on ethnic and religious peculiarities and
differences, it is good to note that any rational treatment given to the country as a
Nation must view its people as those who live, work, and play together.
Social studies has been highly instrumental in the formulation of its objectives and
implementation of policies that would produce effective students, but due to some
reasons that forced students to the conditions they found themselves, as a
researcher, I noticed among other needs of the society to include; education,
employment, and right leadership as a pressing demand of the society which the
study of social studies provide their basic foundation.
It is also worthy of note that as a department, in the institution of higher learning
like ours, cannot make any meaningful progress if the objective of social studies as
a course is not mostly achieved or reflected in the lives of its students in the
tertiary institution to an extend that one begin to wonder the kind of generation of
people in which these trainee and future teachers are going to raise after graduating
from school.
Today, illiteracy and ignorance has constituted major setback to participation of
citizens in Nation affairs and other civic responsibilities. This is not only peculiar
to those who did not have the opportunity to go through formal education, but also
many educated people who are best described and popularly known as “educated
illiterates”.
Gotep (2009) cited Atu (2005) it is a common knowledge that education must
serve a society by training generations, not only in the necessary skills and
knowledge but also in the required attitude. Once the objectives of social studies is
achieve, we will have productive students who are skillful in both trade and
academics, to protect public property, report crime, contribute meaningfully to
community development, appreciate each others culture, have religious tolerance,
participate in politics, maintain balance with the environment and its resources and
be expose to distant and immediate environment and the like.
The true image of Nigeria and social studies, in the higher institution has been
battered outside school and abroad, the existence of contemporary societies
depends on the nature and character of people. Parks (2012) in Zwarchir, Deborah,
Babaji, Nwosu, Pusmuut, Jacob and Wadak (2012). A community that is good has
a good foundation, so the bastardized image of Nigeria and social studies in the
higher institution can comfortably be polished through the objectives of social
studies and its broad goals. Social studies should portray, include and embrace all
aspects of school program towards improving human relationship with each other
so that students can build those competencies to enable them live as social studies
students of our great department in the our school of ‘excellence in service’ in the
“good people great Nation” Nigeria as a country.

1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY.

Rapid population growth in the tertiary institution of learning and social studies is
a thing of concerned to researchers and the kind of graduates being produce yearly.
The social studies department as a motivative factor for this researcher is to find
out “The causes of failure in achieving social studies objectives among students of
tertiary institution” has attracted the attention of the researcher Vis-a- Vis the
environment of the federal college of education Pankshin, plateau state.
Social studies department is one among the four (4) departments in the school of
arts and social sciences since the establishment of the college in 1975 taught as one
of the core subject in the National Council for colleges of education (NCCE)
school curriculum and the University level even before the introduction of the
degree program in the year 2009 in the college and its full and successful
accreditation in 2014 by the National University Commission (NUC) as a degree
course.
The department is now located in the south-north axis of Fungbis within the
college as it’s popularly called by social studies lecturers covering about a distance
of approximately one kilometer from the school main gate. So many students
nowadays view social studies as less important to other field of studies due to the
kind of students, attitude and behaviors among many issues that question begin to
raise among students, teachers, and lecturers in the field and those who are not
even in the field as to whether social studies have achieved its objectives or not
that led to the misfortunes and deviant behaviour among students and the like that
prompt the researcher to find out the causes of failure in achieving social studies
objectives among students of tertiary institutions
1.2. PURPOSE OF THE STUDY.
The purpose of this researcher work is to find out the “causes of failure in
achieving social studies objectives among students of tertiary institutions” and
equally want to know whether the failure is caused by the teachers, lecturers,
students, schools, materials, or structures and other students within the college who
are not even in the department so as to proffer solution to the seeming problem.
In the same vain, the purpose of this research is to point the aims and objectives of
social studies neglected by lecturers and students for re-visit in order to produce
productive would-be teachers who will contribute their quota to the development
of their community, state, country and the world at large

Advocating for social justice and equity is another important role that churches
play in curbing social vices. The church's social doctrine suggests a systematic
approach for finding solutions to problems, including discernment, judgment, and
action [5]. Religions have a powerful role in shaping ideas of social justice and
legitimacy, and responding to perceptions of injustice and illegitimacy [6]. The
church's ultimate aim should be social justice, and new models of change involve
innovative advocacy to affect public policy [7]. By advocating for social justice
and equity, churches can help to create a more just and equitable society, which
can ultimately contribute to the reduction of social vices.