Essay Writing in English: Theory and practice

Types of Essay Writing

1.     Expository Essay: This is a piece of writing that explains, exposes, investigates, informs, analyses an idea, experiment, topic or factual incident with a precise presentation of convincing arguments and evidences. This kind of essay is devoid of prejudice, hence, it's based on verifiable facts. The tone of the writer should be direct and unapologetic. The hallmark of expository essay is “objectivity”. The paragraphs should be developed in a chronological order to achieve coherence and unity of points. The structure of expository essay are introduction, body and conclusion. Sometimes, some articles are examples of expository essay. Ex; The effects of mother tongue interference in learning English language, do school provide enough skills for students to be creative? etc.

A Typical example an of an expository essay is “Importance of Education”

 

                            IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION    

            The importance of education is too numerous to mention and too vast to encompass. The importance of education cannot be overemphasized. Its importance cannot be watered down by pens of history and cannot be finished in this single publication or write up.

             It is a general fact that there is need for education for all and sundry but the young people need it the most. As things stand in the modern era and contemporary world today, the world is becoming more modernized and civilized- a global universe. Fafunwa (1982) in Eugene Okoli (2007) attests to the crucial nature of education when he asserts thus: 

Although the educational objectives cannot be neatly delineated, seven aspects can be identified: (a) to develop the child’s latent physical skills; (b) to develop character; (c) to inculcate respect for elders and those in position of authority; (d) to develop intellectual skills; (e) to acquire specific vocational training and to develop a healthy attitude towards honest labour; (f) to develop a sense of belonging and to participate actively in family and community affairs; and (g) to understand, appreciate, and promote the cultural heritage of the community at large.

The universe is rapidly changing and the source of this modernization and civilization is education. This has therefore come to make education an indisputable program for every youth that has the golden opportunity for it. To make a good move into the world, education is paramount because, it is a master key that unlocks the doors of enlightenment, accomplishment of potentials, fulfilled employment, dignified life, to mention but a few. Education has a crucial function of drawing one to the tree of knowledge. It isolates one from the vice of ignorance and serves as a barrier to the advancing soldiers of ignorance. Education filtrates, transforms and challenges one crudity. The shut eyes of ignorance can be opened by the vast hand of education. 

It is a wrong perception to view education as a program chiefly designed for the attainment of ‘white collar’ jobs. Obasi (2000) in Eugene (2007) holds thus:

… In its 21^st session of the committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (UNESCO, 1999a), the members emphasized that education is both a human right in itself and an indispensable means of realizing other human rights. As an empowerment right, education is the primary vehicle by which economically and socially marginalized adults and children can lift themselves out of poverty and obtain the means to participate fully in their communities. Education has a vital role in empowering women, safeguarding children from exploitative and hazardous labour and sexual exploitation, promoting human rights and democracy, and protecting the environment.                                       

            Also, education is important to everyone. Both the young and old need it, but specifically, the youths need it most because, they are the future adults and leaders of tomorrow. They are the fathers, mothers of the future posterity and future adults and leaders of a nation. They are the future forebears of a state’s mantle of leadership. Therefore, education for them is quite indispensable. For our nation and the world to have decent, indispensable and responsible future leaders, the youths should either be educated or made to be educated. Sequel to this, a philosopher, Plato, has this to say, “A leader should be one who has been fully educated, one who has come to understand the difference between visible and intelligible, between realm of opinion and knowledge, between appearance and reality.” He maintained thus: “Only knowledgeable men should govern the state” in his ideological views in his “Ideal Republic”.

            World Bank (2003) in Eugene Okoli (2007) asserts that in Nigeria, there is a great emphasis on education by the federal government. As such, the government has adopted education as an instrument “par excellence” for effecting national development. The constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria clearly articulates the educational needs and objectives of her citizens. The Constitution, in principle, ensures equal and adequate educational opportunities, striving to eradicate illiteracy, and when practicable, provide free, compulsory, universal primary, secondary, and tertiary education. Well-articulated plans to sponsor free adult literacy programs, promote indigenous languages, and as well provide education that is more equitable, more accessible, and meaningful to the people interspersed the text (Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999).  Eugene (2007) discovers that despite all the arrangements, the goal of reaching equitable education for all is far from being realized.  

             It is said that education is the key because of what it has enabled people accomplish in life. For me, it is the master key. The usefulness and necessity of education is vividly captured by the statement of Dr. Raymond Obieri (President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange and Chairman of international Bank Plc) in the Daily Champion of the Thursday, April 8, 2004, pg.36 “… Education as we all know is the bedrock for nation building and individual road to self-actualization. Literacy level has since become benchmark for human development index while a nation’s literacy level goes a long way in determining its level and pace of socio-economic development.” It is a universal fact that no nation can develop above its educational needs, hence, the COOU (The then Anambra State University, University) slogan says: “Education for Development”).

            World Bank Group (1997) argues that education…is a catalyst that increases the impact of other investments in health, nutrition, family planning, agriculture, industry, and infrastructure. McPherson (2005) argues that education of some minimum quality enhances individual capabilities to stay healthy, earn a livelihood, have an effective voice in the community, and be socially, economically, and geographically mobile.

            One of the gains of education is confidence and human empowerment. Mary, a participant in Eugene (2007) doctorate dissertation reported that “Even a blind person could smell the benefits of education.” She continued: “Education is light; and by light, I mean transformation, not just economic or social, but total in the sense that you increase in self-awareness and it gives you confidence.”

             Greg Iwuchukwu wrote in the “Daily sun”, “To repeat the obvious, the world is becoming more and more knowledge-based and only people who appreciate the value of education and invest considerably in it can move with the rest of the world”, (Daily Sun, Tuesday, March 2005, Pg.9). During a presidential forum, the 13th president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr Olusegun Obasanjo stated that his former ambition was to be a vehicle mechanic. But when he started school by accident, his ambition changed from vehicle mechanic to a bar attendant. And now after his education, what happened? He became the president of Nigeria for almost three times. You see what education can do for a man. Olusegun Obasanjo said thus: “without education, my life would have been miserable.” Therefore, life of illiteracy is characterized with misery and quagmire. Education is the gateway to success and a pathway to greatness.

            Actually, this singular life story of Olusegun Obasanjo reminds me of what my father often tells me, “Education often times is the sole hope of the poor” but Obasanjo paradoxically said that education is not for the poor. This means that the poor should strive to acquire education in order to eradicate and change the ugly and unpalatable state of poverty in his or her life. It is not advisable for one to cling to the alibi that one is poor and therefore, cannot acquire education. Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Carnegie, Jay Richard Kennedy, as well as many of the great names in America and the world history, were often born in a low cabin of poor pioneering parents.

            It really baffles me whenever I see our youth giving up education for business trips on their own accord. This they do with the sole aim of making quick money or so called ‘quick cash’ or becoming rich quick. The Igbos calls it ‘ego mbute’ – amassing excess wealth quickly and easily. They leave education behind without the knowledge of the fact that education is the undisputed road to greatness. For them, does it mean that education is trivial or are they not cognizant that it is crucial and of paramount importance? One should not forget that “money rushed is money wasted” just like Cardinal Arinze once stated that “Beer rushed is beer wasted.”

            Frankly, business (trade) can fail you but education can never fail you in so far as you acquire the true and good one. An educated man is already a self-employed fellow. A Greek philosopher named Epictetus opines, “Only the educated are free.” Hence, one should acquire education if not for anything, but for the sake of knowledge in order to be on the safer side of life’s game.

            Besides, George Okpala (2008) in his book entitled, “Righteousness exalts a nation”, observed the problem kicking against the growth of education in our country Nigeria when he said:                                                                                                                     

Education is the most important factor in national development, second only to the fear and worship of God. It is indeed nation’s population are traders and utility people who ran away from the task of completing their educational career. A great number of them may be rich in terms of acquired money; but abandoning education for commercial activities is a wrong decision and those who did that actually missed the point. The riches they can boast of guarantees only transient comfort. Comfort that has nothing to offer the nation in terms of socio-economic revolution.”

             However, He goes further to assert that “it is even better that these school dropouts start adult education program to see how they could help the nation develop; if not for anything, at least for the appreciation and understanding of the true values of formal learning. This effort will expose them to wider possibilities and opportunities.”

            On a T.V Program concerning the issue of education in Anambra state, Nigeria, I captured and extracted this true and wonderful statement, “The future of our children can only be guaranteed today through quality education.” No wonder Diogenes once proclaimed in his message to the youths and nation thus: “The foundation of every state depends on the education of its youths.” And Bartholomew Amobi points this out when he states that education is the biggest asset a nation has and the nexus of human development.

            Also, Dr. Ndi Onuekwusi in the “Daily sun” of November 8, 2004, pg. 38, said, “The basis of development both individually, group and organization is education, education and education only. No matter what you want to be, whether you just want to loaf around and look at the sea and write poems, you should first of all, be very well educated. Education is the pivotal key to an individual development. Before an individual can contribute to the society, he must be adequately educated to make informed decisions.”

             Besides, the idea of relegating the necessity of education to a mere background is more or less an act of pursuing shadow and leaving the real object behind. It is purely a misplacement of priority which violates the law of scale of preference, hence, placing the cart before the horse. One makes no gateway when one abandons education and gives up learning to become somebody meaningful in life. The Chinese can boast of many qualified engineers because they developed their mathematical minds through education; the Americans rose as the most scientific and technological equipped country through adequate education system.

             In the words of John F. Kennedy, “Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resources.” Henry Peter opines thus: “Education makes people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern but impossible to enslave.” The importance of education reflects in its function as an edifying spectacle and to a greater extent, a way of changing behaviour.

             Moreover, education gears towards an integral human formation - a kind that brings together the three aspects of education and domains of learning namely; intellectual (cognitive), Affective and psychomotor. There is no achievement better than knowledge. And material wealth without education is an absolute intellectual poverty. The reason is because; learning makes the wise wiser and the unwise wise. Education as important as it can makes a person conscious of his rights and duties and gives him or her opportunity to demand for his or her rights or seeks redress when those rights are denied or toyed upon. It enables a person to distinguish his or her left from his or her right in the world he or she lives. Aristotle once said, “The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.”

            Meanwhile, Rajendra Pillai asserts that “if you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” It is noteworthy to strictly maintain thus: To whom education is given to, opportunities of enlightenment are expected from him or her.” Even the book of Sirach/Ecclesiastes affirms thus: “To a person without any sense, an education is like handcuffs, but to a sensible person, it is like gold bracelets” (Ref. Eccl.21:19-20). This biblical quotation justifies that illiteracy is an intellectual disease of the highest order and ignorance can be dangerous regardless of being cheap. Generally, education is crucial, vital and of paramount importance because it closes the doors of ignorance, poverty, disease, superstition, crudity etc and unlocks the doors of knowledge, literacy, affluence, skills etc. In fact, it is the best intellectual legacy in life.

            Finally, I urge my students and everyone to aspire to the zenith. Abraham Lincoln once cited, “I will study and wait and the opportunity will come.” France Bacon summarized the need and importance of education in these exaggerated statements thus: “knowledge is power.” However, I emphatically maintain that education is a sure key to climb the ladder of success; hence, no kidding with education for it is a potential power, reliable wealth and a glorified life.

 

By: Henry C.

ESL/EFL Teacher