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MORALITY AND EDUCATION: THE PRECURSOR FOR SOCIAL 
RECONSTRUCTION

Justus Isaac Ph. D 
Interim Joint Matriculation Board Unit University of Jos

Plateau, Nigeria 
justusisaac33@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

The focus of the work is to analyze the relationship between morality and education, and its 
implications for social reconstruction. In order to achieve this, qualitative research method was 
adopted which involves a philosophical analytic technique used to analyze the data collated 
through secondary sources. It was discovered that education enlightens one to distinguish the 
'good' from the 'bad' clearly, for his/her benefit first, and then that of the society. Thus, morality is 
embedded in education both in principle and practice. If society is to experience reconstruction, 
citizens should embrace cognitive restructuring, to expel all negative thinking patterns that 
frustrate individual and social development.

Key words: Education, morality, society, reconstruction    

INTRODUCTION

Every human society, no matter its historical circumstances of existence, has its own unique and 
peculiar ways of transferring morals, skills, knowledge, and values to its future generation. This 
does not in any way imply that, any educated person is a moral person. It simply means that 
morality can be acquired in the process education. However, education is not the ultimate source 
of morality. Man is a moral creature, conscious of what is good and bad (Daramola, 2015). 
Education is not the same as morality. Yet, education and morality are so related that one cannot be 
considered without the other. Therefore, education in whatever fashion cannot be treated in the 
society without making reference to morality. Education enlightens one to be in an advantageous 
position, to recognize and even distinguish 'good' from 'bad'. The core of education tends to build 
the personality of an individual, to make one good, useful and beneficial to him/herself first, then 
to the society.

Unfortunately, the link between morality and education is not very pronounced in our faulty 
educational system in Nigeria. The study opines that our contemporary society needs 
reconstruction, and if nothing is done urgently, it may collapse beyond repair. Nevertheless, social 
reconstruction remains a mirage if the mental structure of Nigerians does not change. Of course, 
the physical reconstruction of the society is the by-product of the constructed minds of the people 
in that particular society. It is on this background that prompted the study “education and 
morality: the precursor for social reconstruction”.    

RE-CONSTRUCTIONIST VIEWS OF SOCIETY AND EDUCATION

The re-constructionist views the future as part of the present, contending that if we speculate on 
what the future might be like and then take these future possibilities into account in planning the 
present, the future becomes a force and takes on genuine reality. This view holds that there are 
ends higher than and beyond the mere process of living in a given society at a given time. The 
premise on which the re-constructionist bases his assertions is that civilization now faces the 
possibility of self-destruction. Education must therefore lead men to a profound change in their 

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minds so that the enormous technological power at our disposal may be used to create rather than 
destroy. Hence, deducing from this view point, the curricular should contain only those areas of 
study that are capable of transforming the human mind so that he can transform his society. It is 
therefore, the human mind that the curriculum should be focused upon and in terms of value 
character or the conservation of age long heritages (Ezewu et al., 1982).

However, the re-constructionist maintains that our civilization has reached a point when we direct 
our technological advancement to self-annihilation. For Thomas Hobbes reconstruction is the 
state of perpetual war all against all. Contrary to this point, John Lock argues that the structure 
men found themselves is in a peaceful state, men decide to reconstruct it because it cannot meet all 
their needs. The result of this decision is the formation of an organized society under a civil 
government through a social construct (Uduigwomen, 1995). Man needs therefore a different or 
his mind should be reconstructed so that he can gainfully direct the technological advances. For 
this, the re-constructionists emphasized character building to be what should be pursued by our 
schools and vigorously too. No wonder John Dewy says education is the reconstruction or 
reorganization of experience which adds to the meaning of experience and increases the ability to 
direct the course of subsequent experience (Uhie, 2015). We need to reconstruct our experiences 
as bases for re-organizing the society. If societies can stop destroying themselves, world peace 
could be attained and a kind of world democratic state could be expected (Ezewu et al., 1982).

TRADITIONAL EDUCATION IS ROOTED IN MORALITY

Originally traditional education in Nigeria is rooted in the moral principles that control the social 
order. The indigenous Nigerian education is organized at the family level, the serious ties existing 
between the different family units renders the educational system a community affair. This is 
further strengthened by the fact that African education is rooted in the overall belief and traditions 
of the land. It is in this respect that the indigenous system of education in Nigeria is training for 
participation throughout one's life in the community into which one is born. It is a training of 
allegiance, mutual interest and interdependence on one another, the content of which is the 
community's values, beliefs, traditions and the vocations that have been cherished and practiced 
over the years.

The indigenous education in Nigeria, like in other parts in Africa, is to bring up children who 
should have respect for the ancestors, the elders of the community, appreciate and pursue societal 
values and keep strictly to the societal norms. To themselves, they should be people who can 
support themselves when they are of age and be able to show kindness and appreciation to their 
parents and the elders of the community for providing the education which equipped them to 
participate effectively as members of the community. Consequently, indigenous education 
system in Nigeria could be seen as a tribal conditioning, a pilgrimage in routine observation but 
stirs up the innermost feelings and loyalties of those submitted into it bringing individuals 
together through understanding and compassion (Ezewu et al., 1982).

WESTERN INFLUENCE ON EDUCATION AND MORALITY

African educational practices had for a long time been relegated to the background by the impact 
of colonialism. The consequences of which were that African ways of life and values were 
misinterpreted out of deliberate bias by westerners. It had been thought erroneously, even by 
some Western educated Nigerians that there was nothing like education before the coming of 
missionaries to Nigeria, yet it is known that Africans, Nigerians not exempted transmitted their 
cultural heritage and sustained themselves from one generation to another before now. Even now, 
African education is not dead. It goes side by side with Western education (Ezewu et al., 1982). 

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Western education contributed immensely to the success of the Christian enterprise and in some 
ways, to the practical execution of the colonial program. In pre-colonial Africa, there were no 
schools in the sense of separate institutions set aside solely to undertake the education of young 
people (Aguwa, 1987). The Christian mission established primary and secondary schools.

The missionaries at that time noticed and exploited this keen interest in education among the 
Africa people. One of the early missionaries had said, “If we go from town to town talking about 
God we know from experience that much of our effort brings no result. But no one is opposed to a 
school”. Shortly, the initiative rested with the natives. The missionary accounts have explained 
that, the impact of school on paganism cannot be overstated. The whole town became interested 
because it was their school built by their labour and engaged in training their children. The fathers 
never begged the people to take the school please, they just pointed out that it was a wonderful 
favour to have one and that if people wanted it, they would have to build and support it, and if they 
refused, they would be laughed at by other towns for their backwardness.  Despite the fact that 
Africans responded positively and actively to school education, it was observed to be a common 
defect of the mission educational policy that it did not truly reflects the interest in education as 
such. The central motive for educating the native people was to prepare the much needed 
manpower. According to Jordan (1948) that:

The gradual opening up of the hinterland to the administration of law and the 
opportunity of commerce meant that a considerable amount of office work in 
Government departments, and in the trading posts of commercial firms called for a 
large number of educated natives. The medical and the judicial as well as the army, 
police and prison departments needed Africans with knowledge of English.

At the initial stage many people were reluctant to send their children to the mission school for fear 
of their children opposing their traditional religion. At the same time some other people had no 
alternative because the changing environment demanded that to be at the right place in future one 
must directly or indirectly follow the white men and their activities (Chibundu, 2007).

The colonial lords were looked upon by the colonized African as the enemy, who gave inferior 
status to his person and his civilization, and distorted his true image and his personality in movies, 
literature, and television. Colonial existence was consequently “untrue existence” (Wright, 
1993).

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EDUCATION AND MORALITY

From time memorial, there exist an intimate relationship between education and morality to the 
point that virtually all the definitions of education one can find moral aspects in each. However, 
the questions that arose when considering the issues of education are: Is education good or bad for 
man?  Should the society expect good or bad from education? Who is the teacher? What are the 
benefits of the skills and abilities acquired through education?  These critical inquiries among 
other things, suggest that that the moral aspects of education are always questioned. When we 
conquer these questions, then personal and social reconstruction becomes a reality.

Peters R. S. (as quoted by Ezewu, 1982) asserts that education as basically initiation; that is, 
initiation into the values of society and the young ones are from time to time initiated into these 
values. This implies that initiation is a continuous process from birth to death. It promotes the 
values and adjustability of people in the changing society. In addition, Jeffrey M. V. (as quoted by 
Ezewu, 1982) opines that education is the community's means of nurturing personal growth. In 
other words, education, according to this view is each community's method of preparing its 
members for the community life. Education is the process by which an individual born into a 
human society, learns the way of life, which include knowledge, skills and values of the society, at 

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home, community and schools, so that he can function effectively as a member of the given 
society. Milton (as quoted by Ezewu, 1982) said “I call, therefore, a complete and generous 
education that fits man to perform justly, skillfully and magnanimously…” That education should 
prepare the individual to perform justly and skillfully in the society. Education trains people to be 
just and objective in their dealings with others, irrespective of their diverse religions, ethnic and 
regional affiliations. 

Education produces sound character; by respecting father, mother, obedience and live an orderly 
life (Ezewu et al., 1982). The fruits of education manifest first in the good and admirable character 
that individual's exhibit at home and secondly, in the society. To support this view, Plato maintains 
that education is that training which is given by suitable to first instincts of virtue in children when 
pleasure and pain are rightly implanted in rational souls. He sees education purely as a means of 
character development (Ezewu et al., 1982). This implies that the behaviour of people is an 
evidence of the degree of education they acquired. The degree of educational expositions and 
dispositions definitely affects their character, in the relationship with others and the society.  

True education is directed towards the formation of the human person in view of his final end and 
the good of the society to which he belongs and in the duties of which he will, as an adult, have a 
share (Flannery, 2004). Education prepares and equips people in achieving their dreams and 
aspirations in life. It enlightens people towards their human rights, and the need to vigorously 
express their distinctiveness and dignity ascribed to them by God. However, Pius XI (1939) 
asserts that education should be suitable to the particular destiny of the individuals. That implies 
that, due education is crucial for human development, but the content should be prepared 
accordingly to suite the different careers people aspire to pursue respectively in the society.  

FORCES THAT IGNITE SOCIAL RECONSTRUCTION

1. Discontent: Discontent is a feeling of being unhappy and dissatisfied with the situation 
you are in. When people begin to be dissatisfied with their life style, social status, and economic 
condition. The discontent about a system of government has been known to produce individual 
and societal anomie. The individual experiencing anomie feels socially isolated and anxious. As 
such in a larger societal context, generally accepted beliefs and standards of conduct are 
weakened or disappear (New Encyclopedia Britannica, 1998).

Discontent is one of the major forces that ignite social reconstruction mentality. Although, 
discontent usually manifest in diverse manners depending on the system of governance in a 
particular country. In the democratic system, citizens have the right to freedom of speech, 
through which they express their discontentment. On the other, military system of governance, 
citizens are usually dictated what they are expected to do or not to do. In this dispensation, 
discontent may be expressed through isolation, resistance and even through dispositions.

2. Poverty and deprivation: It should not be necessary for one to have knowledge of 
statistics before one knows that many Nigerians are living in poverty and deprivation. This is 
another factor that ignites social re-construction. When there are high rates of unemployment, 
underemployment, inflation and lopsided distribution of wealth poverty is inevitable. The 
advantage of one becomes the disadvantage of the other. Then, some people would be deprived 
of the common wealth. Deprivation leads to poverty. As such individuals suffering from the 
fracas of poverty may at a point react against the established order. Kaunda (1974) therefore, 
maintains that, they have not will rise against the haves whether the haves like it or not (p. 20). 
Hence, the immediate and pragmatic need for social reconstruction is to promote equal 
distribution of common wealth and opportunities for the underprivileged in the society. 
According to Greinacher, (1973) the concern must be to assist the individual person less well off 
than his fellows, and under privileged group, and to eliminate altogether situations in which one 

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man can lord it over another. 

3. Psychological satisfaction: The satisfaction gained from participation in a group seems 
particularly important, especially for people who lack significant attachment in their daily lives. 
People are generally satisfied to belong to a group that shares a common outlook on society. The 
need to belong in such group to satisfy their taste for the sense of belonging. Unfortunately the 
psychological satisfaction of people remains a mirage especially in our society that 
discriminates her citizens' base on social class, status, and social strata. Against this background, 
a lot of people are psychologically dissatisfied and displaced. This mentality is not only 
destructive but also ignites the desire for social reconstruction.

COGNITIVE RESTRUCTURING, SOCIAL CLASS AND RECONSTRUCTION

The cognitive structure, thinking patterns or the mind sets of people is critical aspect as long as 
social reconstruction is concern. Cognitive restructuring in this context means mental 
restructuring. It implies that at a point people may experience mental distortion due to complex 
social issues. The cost of living is very expensive, for a significant numbers of people are poor. 
Nevertheless, the deprivations of welfare breeds depression, anxiety, and relationship problems 
(especially between the rich and the poor), which are conditions that expresses mental 
distortions. Cognitive distortions are located in the individual experience or physical wellbeing 
of the mental ill person. People sometimes experience a cognitive distortion that is the thought 
pattern that creates a distorted view of reality. Examples of cognitive distortions can include; 
black and white thinking, catastrophizing, overgeneralization, and personalization 
(Stanborough, 2023). 

Moreover, cognitive distortion is not distributed randomly across the social classes. According 
to Roger Gomme (1996) (as quoted by Stanborough, 2023), for nearly every kind of mental 
illness, poorer people are afflicted more than richer people, more often, more seriously and for 
longer. Coming from another angle, fryer (1995) (as quoted by Stanborough, 2023) reviewed the 
evidence for the relationship between employment patterns and mental health and concluded 
that unemployment has a direct effect on the unemployed person's health, and also on that of their 
family. Children's school performance deteriorates, for example, and they are more likely to 
exhibit mental health problems. People in low-paid and insecure employment similarly 
demonstrate high levels of mental illness.

Cognitive restructuring refers to the techniques that help people notice and change their negative 
thinking patterns. Cognitive restructuring techniques deconstruct unhelpful thoughts and 
rebuild them in a more balanced and accurate way. Most people experience negative thought 
patterns from time to time, but sometimes these patterns become so entrenched that they 
interfere with relationships, achievements, and even wellbeing. Many mental health conditions 
are: depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, substance use disorders, personal disorders, 
relationship problems, and self-defeating behaviour (Stanborough, 2023).

Cognitive restructuring offers an opportunity to notice these maladaptive thoughts as they occur. 
You can then practice reframing them in more accurate and helpful ways. The theory is that if you 
can change how you look at specific events or circumstances, you may be able to change the 
feelings you have and actions you take. The techniques are: self-monitoring, questioning your 
assumptions, gathering evidence, and performing a cost-benefit analysis. In self-monitoring 
techniques, to change an unproductive thought pattern, you have to be able to identify the error 
you are making. Cognitive restructuring depends on your ability to notice the thoughts that spark 
negative feelings and states of mind. Questioning your assumptions involves learning to 
question your thoughts and assumptions, especially those that seem to get in the way of living a 
productive life. In gathering evidence, you may decide to keep track of the events that trigger a 

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response, including who you were with and what you were doing. Cognitive distortions are 
biased and inaccurate, but they can also be deeply embedded. Dislodging and replacing them 
requires evidence about how rational they are. The last technique is performing a cost-benefit 
analysis; this is the strategy of considering the advantages and disadvantages of maintaining a 
certain cognitive distortion (Stanborough, 2023).

However, cognitive restructuring is crucial for social reconstruction. For social reconstruction 
can only be implemented by human beings. These human beings must be mentally healthy, to 
execute the business of reconstruction and repositioning the society for the benefit of humanity. 
The social class of the people also matters in social reconstruction. If the society is made up of the 
poor and the ignorant, then social reconstruction may be a mirage. For the poor and ignorant are 
bankrupt of critical ideas and resources to rebuild the social fabric. The people in this class are 
shielded from the light that can help them distinguish the wrong from the good. As such 
education enlightens people and it is crucial to social reconstruction.       

THE CONDITIONS OF SOCIAL RECONSTRUCTION

1. Hard work: Everybody wants social reconstruction, especially considering our 
economic conditions of today, but not everybody understands and accepts the basic requirements 
for social reconstruction. Nigeria, as a developing country, we need to put more hours in work. It 
is not normal for a young country to start with such a short working week. The normal thing is to 
begin with long working hours and decrease them as the country becomes more and more 
prosperous. One cannot estimate the amounts of energies of the millions of men in the villages 
and thousands of women in towns are at present wasted in gossips, dancing and drinking, are a 
great treasure which could contribute more towards the social reconstruction than anything we 
could get from rich nations.

2. Intelligence: The second condition for social reconstruction is intelligence. Unintelligent 
hard work would not bring the same good results as the two combined. Knowing your time and 
season, knowing the steps to apply in any given situation, knowing the tool to use for efficient 
work output, all these things shows the use of knowledge and intelligence. And all of them 
combine with hard work to produce more and better results. Intelligence is the by-product of 
knowledge, knowledge increases through education, and the kind of knowledge by which we 
conquer nature and use it to our own advantage. All societies have the ability to develop, but not 
all of them reach their fulfillment of an accomplished growth (Nyerere, 1974).     

SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF MORAL EDUCATION

The act of educating people to acquire moral virtue in order to build or rebuild their lives and the 
society at large is known as moral education. Nevertheless, the experiences of life gave room to 
the misconception of the term 'moral education' to sexual relationship. It is an error to think that 
moral education is limited to the area of sexual relationship. Morality is concerned with all 
relationship between people in the human society and it constitutes moral confusion of our times. 

Moral education is a universal concept, even though the meaning and applications remains 
relative to each society. What is acceptable in some cultural settings are under questioning in other 
places. In examining morality the non-material aspect of culture need to be emphasized which is 
rooted in attitudinal values. It is universally accepted that negative attitudes, characters and 
behaviours are condemned in the homes, schools, religious houses and the society. Values like 
honesty, loyalty, patriotism, faithfulness, obedience, respect, truthfulness, love, unity, 
cooperation, and so on need to be properly taught and stressed in the school and society. These are 
essential for personal and social development.  In the contrary, pupils need to be taught to abstain 

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in totality from prostitution, raping, homosexual, lesbianism, smoking, terrorism, kidnapping and 
so forth.

However, moral values have no relevance except in terms of real life. It is after all through actual 
conduct that moral character is developed. Though laid down general principles of conduct can be 
applied deductively. It is only through experience of real and relevant situations that children can 
learn their application. The inductive process is a greater value, for it starts with experience and 
from analysis of specific moral actions builds up general principles. The sources of such moral 
situations are many and varied, ranging far beyond real life and actual experiences. Folklores and 
legend, fable and proverb, parable and allegory, drama and role playing, all may be used as 
vehicles for moral learning. Such experiences involve the shaping of attitudes and the 
development of moral skills. It is not the reason alone that motivates action but emotion and moral 
attitudes too (Daramola, 2015). 

CONCLUSION
Western education was not the original form of education in Nigeria. The advent of Western 
education was motivated either to advance foreign religion or colonial administrative structure 
within Nigeria, contrary to the ideal of education which is to build and empower one first such that 
he/she can positively contribute to building social structures. However, the derogatory state of our 
contemporary society intrinsically calls for social reconstruction. Moreover, for any society to 
experience reconstruction, her citizens need not to only pursue the 'good' enshrined in education 
but also to avail themselves towards cognitive restructuring both in principle and in practice. This 
will definitely lead to productivity and new discoveries virtually in all human endeavours

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