The Akire of Ikire-Ile, Osun State, Oba Abdulazeez Olatunbosun and a former National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Lai Olurode, have called on government at all levels in the country to restore the glory of  public secondary schools as they used to be in the days of Chief  Obafemi Awolowo.

Olurode, a retired Professor of Sociology at the University of Lagos, and Oba Olatunbosun, a former teacher, made the call during the presentation of scholarships to some indigent Iwo students and a book launch at The Wing Schools, Iwo, Osun State.

The scholarships were sponsored by Najeemdeen Olurode, an engineer, and Mr. Sam Olumekun. The book titled ‘The Backbone of English Language’ was written by Mrs. Mariam Olodude.

Olurode, a former Dean at the University of Lagos, lamented that public schools in Nigeria have lost standards so much that no parents would want to send their children to study there.

The professor stated that many of his own generation attended public schools during the days of Chief Awolowo.

Olurode said: “I don’t personally feel comfortable by the way things are going in this country. I attended a public primary and a secondary school though private in its founding but it is a public school. Things have declined. There is a serious crisis of poverty and how to alleviate it.

“The Tinubu administration has been going without enough data, yet they say they want to give palliative to the less-privileged in the society, which include the unemployed. But without the right and enough data, the money may still end up in the wrong hands, thus failing to achieve what it was meant to achieve.

“Scholarship is meant to be awarded based on merit. However, how does it get to the people who are poor with the potential but cannot compete with their mates at the highest level due to poverty? How do we look for those kinds of students? I think we should try and work on this for the next scholarship award. It is not necessary that the student comes from The Wing Schools or other private schools. You can also try and look to public schools for students with potential but who need encouragement.

“Imagine, 16 schools participated and 14 were public schools but there are no public school students among the awardees – both the junior and senior categories. You see how pathetic our public schools have become.

“I know that some people may not like what I’m saying but I believe we should think and consider social inclusion. How do we include children from poor homes; students whose parents cannot afford to send them to schools that can make them compete at the highest level possible?

“In America, Europe and Asia, most parents send their wards to public schools though it is the same here. But it is so because people cannot afford to send their children to private schools.

“Look at the public schools around; they are not in good shape structurally and in educational standard. Private schools are still fair but they are not the best for any society due to certain criteria.

“The public universities are  where things are happening. The private schools are limited. Most of the private universities cannot compete with their public universities counterparts. But unfortunately, due to some factors, people would prefer to send their children to private universities. If you want to enjoy public money or your tax, send your children to public universities; there is a  subsidised fee there.

“Private universities are outside of the reach of the poor. They are not even meant to go there at all. It is not a place where you can build citizenship and nationalism because it is narrow. Participation is limited and the love for society is not very strong because it is meant for business.”

He lauded the author of the book, Olodude, describing her as a very diligent and hardworking person.

Also speaking, the royal father of the day, Oba Olatunbosun, lauded Olurode and Olumekun for the gesture, stating that what they did was far better than spending on frivolous activities.

The monarch urged the well-to-do in society to support the downtrodden and less-privileged, noting that the rich in a society are not those with huge money in their bank accounts but the ones who from the little they have helped others.

“On the deteriorating condition of our educational system and the solutions that it requires, we have to first look at the factors behind the deterioration. So the solution will come from these three quarters – the government, the tutor and the parents.

“On the side of the government, they should do everything possible to encourage the teachers by giving them good remuneration, paying their salaries as and when due, and ensuring that there is regular increase in their salaries and allowances’’.

The author of the book, Olodude, expressed gratitude to God and to Olurode, who also doubles as the proprietor of The Wing Schools, Iwo, for his fatherly role in the course of writing the book.