- Maduagwu said that public school students, who had benefited from the training had started showing signs of improvement in the public outlook and perceptions as well as their performances.
Seven hundred students in secondary schools in Lagos State have received training on etiquette, soft skills and other related virtues, to make them function better in society.
The facilitator of the training, Miss Glory Maduagwu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview in Lagos on Thursday that the training was necessary because of the worsening ethical issues among the younger generation.
She disclosed that there was an apparent low self-esteem crisis plaguing many students in public schools that needed to be redressed by experts, to make young Nigerians to have a better view about life.
Maduagwu, the founder of an outfit, called Royal Teen Initiative, said the training had been restoring self-esteem into youngsters and positioning them to compete with their counterparts from privileged backgrounds.
According to her, most students in public schools lack self-esteem because of a feeling that their counterparts in expensive private schools are generally better than those in public schools.
Maduagwu said that public school students, who had benefited from the training had started showing signs of improvement in the public outlook and perceptions as well as their performances.
“I finished at a public school. I contended with low self-esteem when it came to competitions with private schools.
“This is why I want to build children in public schools to be responsible and to take responsibility for their actions as well as to have strong self-confidence.
“Sometimes children that come out from public schools turn out to cause havoc in society, due to their low self-esteem and a lack of confidence.
“I want school children to be upright and believe in themselves and not feel inferior when they come in contact with children from private and expensive schools.’’
The education entrepreneur, however, pleaded with the government to support her initiative to do what she can to change children’s lives for the better.
Maduagwu said that she planned to extend the training to teachers for them to extend the soft skills to their students and in their homes to build a better society.
Beneficiaries of the training were drawn from public schools in Ikosi-Isheri, Apapa, Agboyi-Ketu and Kosofe Local Council Development Areas.
