Many teachers from primary level to tertiary level of education complain that their students repeatedly fail to meet the deadline of assignments as they shun writing.

If you are a teacher you must have seen assignments pour in only after you set a number of deadlines. Moreover, what leaves you unduly perturbed is when you find most of the writings are either badly composed or contain plagiarism.

Have you ever realized that your pupils face myriads of difficulties with writing?

Firstly, since our educational activities and students’ intelligence markers are solely based on rote learning and a three-hour written exams, students tend to take writing for granted.

Secondly, though there are some positive symptoms visible in the current curriculum of schools, colleges and university focused on writing, imposition of writing theories, as part of rhetoric, on learners have significantly discouraged them from writing.

The criteria involve specialized audiences and convention of different academic disciplines, and technicality of their writings.

Thirdly, at a time when students are grappling with the understanding of the concepts of their subject matter, those writing in a second language encounter a language barrier to translate their thoughts into written expression.

Lastly, we have obdurately commanded our students to write but lagged behind in helping them combat obstacles with other communication skills of listening, speaking and reading.

We should honestly take the responsibility to assist our students to hone such a prerequisite skill for both academic excellence and career prospects.

We must be aware of the fact that students’ difficulties with written expression do not surface in a single day but have a long standing history. Our positive feedback and motivation remain supportive of their attempts to write.

Hurdles relating to it can be overcome through their dedication and perseverance. Teaching composition craft, therefore, entails a role model writing instructor in place.

Equally important are strategies we should come up with in exposing the students to adequate audio-video materials of real life situations and ask them to write what they know about these and what their assimilation is.

Moreover, ample reading materials, writing workshops, drafting, peer editing, and a number of revisions will eventually allow them to have a penchant for writing.