Ooni calls for emergencyin education

Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, has called for
a state of emergency in the education sector.
He spoke at the awards of St. John's Grammar
School, Oke-Atan, Ile-Ife, Osun State as part of the
school’s golden jubilee.
The monarch, who was represented by Atilade
of Fashina Ife, Oba Oladoyin Ogunwusi,blamed
the spate of violence in the country on the
collapse of the school system resulting in the high
rate of illiteracy, said he would rather all
stakeholders declare emergency in the country's
education sector.
At the event, a law maker, who represents Osun
East Senatorial District, Senator Babajide
Omoworare and three others were honoured by
the school.
The gesture, which formed part of the school's
Golden Jubilee was in appreciation of the quartet
for their contributions to the uplift of the
academic and infrastructural development of
their alma mater, according to the management.
The school, founded in 1962 by the late Rev.
Father Fabian Cloutier, a French Canadian
Catholic Missionary, was said to have contributed
immensely to the upbringing of many men and
women in Ile-Ife community and the
neighbouring villages. As a result, the school's
old students' association has remained
committed to reviving its old glory.
Senator Omoworare, Dele Alabi, an engineer and
the association's President, Chief Sunday Bolaji,
were conferred with the award of excellence.
Omoworare, who passed out from the school in
1984, recently renovated the administrative
block, which houses the staff room, school hall,
and sports store, among others. He equipped the
offices with furniture and supplied a borehole to
ameliorate the water scarcity that had one of the
school's albatross for years.
The lawmaker said reforming the school system
is a business for stakeholders, including parents,
guardians and philanthropists, as, adding
government alone cannot resolve all the
challenges.
"Like every other parts of the world, education is
too important to be left in the hands of
government alone for control. There is need for
us all to rise up to the occasion and bail out these
schools from their terrible status. When we have
a well-educated society, we can begin to talk
about crisis-resolution, job creation, war against
corruption and better governance," he said.
He canvassed support for education, assuring of
the state of good works and dividends of
democracy, especially quality of education for
youths. He reminded the gathering of the
education tablet Opon Imo, which is the recent
innovation from the Governor Rauf Aregbesola-
led administration to develop model schools that
would make learning and teaching attractive to
the students and their teachers.
Presenting the award plaque, the Atilade of
Fashina Ife, Oba Ogunwusi, thanked the
recipients.
The Principal of the school, Mr Femi Makinde,
also an alumnus, praised his colleagues for their
support, encouraging others to return to their
former schools and replicate same.
"With this gesture, we must understand that
alumni associations for schools are too
important to be neglected. We must also note
that it is not until we become senators or
governors that we can give back to our school. It
does not have to be in cash at all times, even if we
can just be visiting for inspection and we report
whatever we find to other old students who
might not have time to visit, we might just be
doing a great job. Without education, the crises
facing Nigeria cannot be resolved and the best
way to return the education sector to the old
glorious days is for us all to take the bull by the
horns," Makinde said.