Thinkers DIARY

5 Ways To Make 2020 A Year Of Vision and Inner Clarity
Excited to usher in 2020? Ready to tackle new challenges and explore fresh opportunities? These 5 tools from Sadhguru will ensure that you meet 2020 with inner clarity and a 20/20 vision.

#1 Choose Three Things That Will Make You A Wonderful Human Being.

Everyone can strive to become a wonderful human being. No one can deny that to you. There is a simple process you can do for this. Write down three things that you think make a human being into a wonderful human being, and make them a reality in your life.
If you do not do what you want in your life, this will become a wasted life.
You do not have to do what someone else wants. Do what you want, do what you think is the highest. If you do not do what you want in your life, this will become a wasted life. Three things that you think will make a human being into a truly wonderful human being, make them a reality.

#2 Smile at Three Strangers
To bring light around you, make it a point to smile at at least three strangers on the street. Just give them a big smile. Please do this and bring some light to the world around you.

#3 Live Such That People Should Miss You When You Die
You may not be able to drop wholesale and at once, all your limitations, prejudices and the nonsense that people around you suffer. But you can start by dropping at least one. Please make some transformation happen so that when you live, people enjoy living with you, and when you die, they will miss you. That is how you should live. When you live, people should enjoy your presence. When you die they should miss you.

#4 Every Night, Sit On Your Deathbed
Time is slipping away for all of us at the same pace. You may think, “I went to the movie”, “I went shopping”, “I went on a holiday.” But as far as your body is concerned, it is going straight to the grave. With every step and every breath, your body is getting closer to the grave.

Look back at whether what you have done today is worthwhile.
This is not about becoming paranoid. If you are conscious that you are mortal, you will want to make the best out of this life. If you forget that you are mortal, you will start doing absurd things that do not mean anything.

Every night, do this simple exercise. Before you go to bed, sit on your bed and think this is your deathbed – you have just one more minute to live. Look back at whether what you have done today is worthwhile. “Today, the way I handled these twenty-four hours, is it worthwhile because now I am dying?” If you do this, you will live a worthwhile life.

#5 Loosen Up. Don’t Be So Dead Serious
Bertrand Russell once said that if you are beginning to think that what you are doing is very important, you need to take a holiday. You must take a holiday from your seriousness. Seriousness has essentially come because of your self-importance.

In this micro speck of a planet, the city you live in is a super-micro speck. In that, you are a big man! This is a serious problem of perspective.
But please understand, in this vast existence, you are like a speck of dust. In this vast cosmos, this solar system is a tiny speck. If the solar system disappears tomorrow, it will not even be noticed in the cosmos. In this tiny speck of a solar system, planet Earth is a micro speck. In this micro speck of a planet, the city you live in is a super-micro speck. In that, you are a big man! This is a serious problem of perspective.

Loosen your life up a little bit. Laugh a little more. Involve yourself with people around you. Do things that you think are not so important. Do not do things which are very important. Do simple things. It is very important you do simple things.

One reason why the whole world is not naturally spiritual is because they are dead serious about their lives. If they could relax a little more, if they could look feel life a little more joyfully, if they could see the joke that they are, then they would be able to see themselves and the situation around them a little more clearly. If you have a little more clarity about yourself and the world around you, that would naturally make you more capable in whatever you wish to do in the world.

Thank You, MOE Teachers

This picture is that of a public school, not a private one. It depicts the new face of education in Bauchi State and portrays the renewed commitment of its teachers and educators to the suucess of their students.

No more loitering of students like before. No more principals calling teachers on phone to remind them of their periods. No more class monitors going out to call their teachers to lessons. Teachers can be seen patiently waiting on the corridors for their turn in the next period.

Wallahi, I never thought this level of commitment can be achieved in our public schools in less than 2 weeks. It is possible only because our people are naturally good hearted. They only need the leadership that will guide them to realizing their full potentials by appealing to their conscience, monitoring and registering their activities, appreciating their effort and acknowledging their work.

Thank you, our teachers. This picture from Government Day Secondary School Tilden Fulani has made me proud of you. Your turnout in all schools across the state has been fantastic. Continue and never relent.

Upstream

I understand that my function as Commissioner of Education is not only downstream - appealing to you and coercing you if need be - but also upstream. I am the bridge between you and government. I must convey your feelings to it and fight doggedly for your rights and those of our schools. I will fail if I do not carry out that function as effective as is humanly possible under our circumstance.

On this, I will ensure that government plays its part. The era of schools being abandoned to fend for themselves in mundane requirements like chalk, teacher texts and notebooks is over. A father has responsibilities beyond feeding his children. If he does not buy their clothes and pay their school fees - he has opened a gate for their truancy and prostitution. Likewise, governement must endeavour to provide some basic needs of learning in pubkic schools beyond paying salaries promptly. Otherwise, it would open the gates of corruption by administrators and extortion of parents. I will plead with the His Excellency, our Governor, to ensure that. Luckily, he is the Kauran Bauchi, who does not shy away from challenges. He will face this one head on. Sure.

I have already directed that the stores of Ministry be combed and every essential material be carted to schools. We have enough chalk to go round, for instance. What are these materials doing in the store? What we do not have we will press on government to provide immediately. I assure you the Governor will be willing to keep his own side of the bargain. Just continue to keep yours.

Promotions and Incentives

I also note from the complaints and suggestions which I have been receiving in the past three weeks since I reported on my desk that there have been pending cases of promotions. I assure you that this will be addressed as soon as our database in the Ministry is completed. However, as I told the Nigerian Union Teachers' congregation yesterday, not all staff may deserve promotion. Those that absconded from their duty posts and abandoned our children for no approved reasons do not deserve to be promoted, just like those whose godfathers gave them undeserved accelarated promotions while their hard working colleagues remain for ten or so years unattended. The system we are putting in place now and which we will complete in the next one week, God willing, will be egalitatian and will treat each according to his effort. There will be no godfather.

Digital Monitoring

Part of that effort is the high degree punctuality you are exhibiting now. By 10am every morning, the Ministry will be in a position to know who reported at his school and who did not. In a month time or so, we will be able to know by closing hours of every day the lessons that were missed in the entire state, in which school and by which teacher. The situation room is ready with brand new computers in place, waiting. This is even before the digitization of the whole process that will make much it easier.

Every activity of education administrators and teachers will be captured, analysed and used in appraising their performance, which in turn will form the only basis of their promotion, appointment and reward in form of prizes at the end of each academic year. I will not forget to say that those found wanting will be properly sanctioned accordingly.

So, our teachers, let us continue to be positive and hard working. We can plan and execute a great future for our younger ones today. The change of attitude exhibited by you already has reaffirmed the hope I have in you. I promise that you will always find me by your side, in every step we take on that path.

Thank you, our teachers. Thank you all.

Dr. Aliyu U. Tilde
COMMISSIONER
Ministry of Education
Bauchi.

7 October 2019