A Professor of Veterinary Surgery, Yemi Akinrinmade has said that the quality of education of a country determines the success of the country in terms of development indices.
Akinrinmade, who is the national president of the Methodist High School (MHS), Ibadan, said this at the 57th Founder’s Day Anniversary of the school.
He said the success stories of developed countries are linked to their commitment to providing quality education.
“It is sad to say that Nigeria has low commitment to education as seen in the poor funding of the education sector at all levels of government. For instance, just seven per cent of the budget was allocated to education in spite of the 26 per cent recommended by UNESCO.
“It is clear that government at all levels cannot alone cater for education, hence the reason the sector is being faced with many daunting challenges. The poor performance of students in external exams is there to prove it,” he said, and charged stakeholders to rise to save the education sector from collapse.
The don appealed to the government to return mission schools to their owners, and said MHS had every right to celebrate.
“The level of decay in schools is not associated with MHS alone; it is the outcome of the country’s neglect towards the sector.”
However, he said that a forum had been setup to monitor the activities of the association in order to encourage other sets to give back to the school.
In his exhortation, the chaplain of Lead City University, Ibadan, Rev. Olugbenga Olagundoye said that God deserves the praises for preserving the lives of both young and old boys of the school.
Olagundoye, himself a former student of the 80 Set, admonished his colleagues to seek purpose-driven exploits.
Principal of the school, Mr Abimbola Idowu, commended the old students, and told them that the school would continue to require assistance from them.
“Right now, the school needs computer units for the students to experience real life situation with it; as you know, the world around us is daily becoming computer-driven.
“The school has been a source of blessing to you and has contributed to whatever you have become today. MHS is the source of it all.
“This present students should, therefore, be groomed to bring glory to this school in future,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the event was hosted by the 87 Set of old boys of the school.
