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
