The Need for Standardized Chaplaincy Education in Nigeria

                The Need for Standardized Chaplaincy Education in Nigeria

Introduction:

From the mere look of things, chaplaincy has been bastardized in Nigeria, the nobility and the dignity of chaplaincy profession marred due to erroneous teachings and orientation given to chaplains that in turn present the profession in more disruptive ways to the general public.

In Nigeria today, chaplaincy is seen as a threat to national security because of the way it is been practice and the desire of chaplains to be like the military and the paramilitary. Chaplaincy, our noble profession is not supposed to be a threat but a problem-solving-care-giving profession that gives meaning to people’s life and inspiring hope in the people who are hopeless because of ugly life situations and challenges.

All of these misconceptions about chaplaincy boils down to erroneous teachings passed to chaplains by the chaplaincy stakeholders who claim to be trainers in chaplaincy with little or no knowledge of what chaplaincy entails.

But no matter how things have gone awry, there is always a remedy. In chaplaincy practice, there are three categories of problem-solving, they are preventive measures, remedial measures and curative measures. So, there is still opportunity that chaplaincy in Nigeria will attain its desired status in this nation, if a standardized chaplaincy education is embraced and maintained by all chaplaincy institutions, organizations and by all chaplains.

Definition of Terms:

Need: Is defined as circumstances in which something is necessary. A thing that is wanted or required. Something that is necessary for an organism to live a healthy life. A condition or situation in which something must be supplied in order for a certain condition to be maintained or desired state to be achieved.

Chaplaincy as a profession cannot attain its desired status and position in the scheme of things without a standard being set chaplaincy education in Nigeria; this will help in changing the misinformation about chaplaincy among chaplains and as well as the misconception about chaplaincy among the general public and our government.

Standardize: Is to bring to or make of an established standard, size, weight, quality, strength or the like. To change (things) so that they are similar and consistent and agree with rules about what is proper and acceptable.

Standardized chaplaincy education in Nigeria will help to equip our chaplains to be at par with chaplains in other nations of the world in the practice of chaplaincy and as well will help them to practice chaplaincy in the most appropriate professional way that is proper and acceptable world-wide. We dream and struggle for chaplaincy that is well recognized and integrated into scheme of things in this nation, standardized chaplaincy education is the first step because without conforming to any known and given standard may be an impossible task.

Chaplaincy: Chaplaincy is a profession and a vocation with its own practice and uniqueness that seeks to put smile in the faces of people despite the challenges and circumstances before them. Without standardized education in chaplaincy, the professionalism, uniqueness and specialty in chaplaincy will not be harnessed and our suffering world will remain in their sufferings. If the uniqueness in chaplaincy is unlocked we will be recognized and become “Beulah” (people that are sought after by all).

Education: Is said to be the process of receiving or giving a systematic instruction. A process of facilitating learning or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, value, beliefs and habits. Education is the wealth of knowledge acquired by an individual after studying particular subject matter. Education requires instruction of some sort from an individual or composed literature. Education is a process in which and by which the knowledge, characters and behavior of human being are shaped and molded.

Through standard education, chaplains will acquire the needed knowledge, skill and value to practice chaplaincy that meets the demands and needs of people. They say that education gives knowledge, knowledge gives power, while power gives the strength and authority to function optimally and effectively. Education is said to be life and all about life is education, if chaplaincy profession will survive and see the test of time in Nigeria; chaplains must embrace the standard chaplaincy education, humbly give themselves for quality study in their chosen profession order than matching and parading to meeting peoples’ need.

The word “Education” was derived from Latin words “Educare, Education of Educare,” Education and Educare means to train, to bring and to nourish while Educare means to lead out, so we can say that education is to bring up, to developing and shaping up the individual’s talent and his/her inner potentials. Through standardized chaplaincy education Nigerian chaplains discover their hidden talents and potentials in them and harness them effectively for the benefit of mankind. Read what these intelligencias said about education:

“Education leads to enlightenment of mankind. It is a process of creation of sound mind in a sound body – Aristotle.” This will enable sound mind in the practice of professional chaplaincy in the sound body Nigerian chaplains already have for parade and matching, which will showcase the greatest beauty of chaplaincy profession.

“Education is a process which enable an individual to distinguish between true and false, the good and the bad, right conduct and evil doing – Imam Ghazah.” The Christian Holy Writs says in Hosea, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge…” Standard chaplaincy education will help to put paid to mediocrity and ignorance we are witnessing today and enable chaplains to present chaplaincy in the most appropriate professional and acceptable way and as well help them to know and practice the right chaplaincy that will be beneficial to humanity.

“Education is a natural, progressive and systematic development of all the forces. It distinguishes human beings from other creations. The process of education is not only self-realization of individuals but it is also to bring into action the potentials in man – Pestolzi.” Standard chaplaincy education will make professional chaplains in Nigeria to stand tall high in the discharge of their duties and distinguish them from the quacks and the paras, just as Pestolzi said.

I don’t think you need more sermon here! Let’s give ourselves to quality education for what we believe and pursue.

The Necessity for Standardized Chaplaincy Education in Nigeria:

There are many reasons why standardized chaplaincy education is needed in Nigeria but here are few I can adduce.

1.    It will help to provide robust education and career paths for chaplains in chaplaincy profession and practice.

2.    It will help to minimize if not eradicate mediocrity among chaplains and raise the level of their self- awareness and self-worth in the practice chaplaincy.

3.    It will help chaplains’ advancement and development in life, in their practice and service delivery.

4.    It will help to bring a uniformed educational curriculum in chaplaincy profession that will facilitate the practice of chaplaincy in the most appropriate professional way as obtained in other nations of the world.

5.    It will help to raise chaplaincy to a more standard and visible profession that will be sought after by people of all ages, cultures, religions and every government.

6.    It will help in providing continued education for chaplains in order to be relevant to their situations and the practices in their chosen profession.

7.    It will offer a ground-breaking and more convenient way to fulfill requirements in the academic study aspect of chaplaincy profession for chaplains in the making.

8.    It will help in the production of employable chaplains that will with boldness compete with their counterparts in the labour market.

9.    It will help Nigerian chaplains to meet with international standards for chaplaincy practice.

10. It will give chaplains the needed unction and power to function in the discharge of their duties, thereby putting paid to the issue of dsyfunctionality that has been a challenge to Nigerian chaplains.

11. It will help chaplains to have a good insight and engage in research and development that will be of great value in the practice of chaplaincy to general public, take health care chaplaincy world-wide as an example.

12. It will help to restore the dignity of chaplaincy and that of chaplains in Nigeria.

In summary: An adage says that “Knowledge is power.” Education is one of the factors that gives knowledge which gives power. Standardized chaplaincy education in Nigeria will be of a great advantage to equip and empower chaplains with the needed knowledge for actual practice of professional chaplaincy.

The level of chaplaincy education of chaplains in Nigeria coupled with their shallow knowledge of what chaplaincy entails and it practice calls for the standardization of chaplaincy education. In the developed nations of the world especially UK and US, chaplaincy profession and practice has developed beyond imagination. This is due to the standard of education attached to it.

Days are gone when chaplaincy is limited to just a Minister of religion with little or no education about chaplaincy and its practice. In contemporary time, chaplaincy education has developed to a level where it is studied in universities as a discipline. This development also is what we need in our great nation, Nigeria. It is time to make chaplaincy education a priority. This is a forward-looking model that will modernize and professionalize chaplaincy in Nigeria and make it to be at par with the practice in developed nations of the world. This also, will help chaplains to maximize the potentials of chaplaincy care of the whole-person and service delivery.

I enjoin you all and sundry to join the move to advocate for standardized chaplaincy education in Nigeria if chaplaincy will attain its desired dignified status in the scheme of things and be recognized by all, in every sector of our economy and by our government. God bless you all.

Chap. Uche Joy David. PhD.

                                                Senior Consultant Chaplain