Why heroism should be promoted in schools

A hero deliberately and courageously overcomes obstacles for the benefit of others without regard to personal consequences. Conquered obstacles are only qualifying credentials of heroes and a measure of one’s true leadership. Perhaps the most celebrated academic hero is Ben Carson, who overcame many challenges ranging from poverty and fear of social rejection to low self confidence even in his astounding potential. We need inspirational heroes and heroines, maybe, in our schools. Many of today’s heroes are often sports figures, celebrities and rock stars whose lives are laced in controversy as. That is why we need exemplary heroes with proven values that the youth can emulate. Marianne Williamson once said, “Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous?’ actually who are you not to be? We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give others the permission to do the same. The quote that is used as the central theme in the movie, ‘Akeelah and the Bee’ widely used by the US embassy to promote English speaking in schools, is very handy for students who think they cannot make it. All students have unlimited potential to achieve in some way. Success in school is a choice. Some students choose to succeed while others don’t. Those who choose to former, of course tread on the bumpy road. They decide to have less sleep and leisure. It is difficult to tell today’s students to reduce Television time or Facebook chat time and concentrate on reading. Students who wish to succeed in school should demonstrate Achillis’ thunderous bravery in war in their academic pursuit. Achilles, a warrior with valor in Homer’s classic, ‘The Iliad’, is faced with a big dilemma. He has to choose to either live a short glorious life or a long blasé one. At the beginning of Homer’s tale, Achilles becomes disenfranchised from the rest of his fellow warriors and chooses to retreat back to his own ships. Ultimately, he chooses to fight. He knows that he must die in the heat of battle and gain fame for doing so.The kind of heroic determination demonstrated by Achillis is the kind students have to exhibit. They should not fail to try for fear of failure. Heroism involves risk taking. No one becomes a hero without big sacrifice even to a point of putting his/her life on the line.To sum it all, learners should understand the value of school ethics that leads to diligence and quality. It is by so doing that they will become heroes. znyamosi@yahoo.com