Businessmen have taken over varsity education —Jamb Registrar

The Registrar of Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, on Saturday in Osogbo, capital of Osun State, attributed poor quality in university education to corruption and establishment of tertiary institutions by inexperienced people.

He made a key note address on “Islamic universities: Integration of knowledge and sustainability”, in Fountain University, Osogbo.

Oloyede, who observed that corruption had gradually quality and value of university education in the contemporary world said, “the idea of the university in the contemporary world has become so corrupted that it is gradually losing its eternal and ethereal quality and value.”

While expressing concern over the way universities were being established like business organisations, the JAMB boss stated that “they are being established by those with little or no pedigree in regard to education as a whole and Islamic education in particular.”

According to him, “nowadays, the pursuit of knowledge for knowledge sake has become arcane and trite; nowadays, universities are being established just like companies and business outfits are registered and established.”

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Oleyede, however, tasked Islamic universities to improve more in the area of research, just as he advised them to collaborate with other institutions  for knowledge production.

He further emphasised  that “in the area of research outputs, Islamic universities should review existing but moribund memoranda of understanding which most of them have entered into over the years either with similar universities or with others that may be referred to as conventional universities.

“It has become more urgent than ever before that Islamic universities forge newer partnerships, explore and exploit areas of mutual advantages with the sole purpose of facilitating sustainable knowledge integration, knowledge production, knowledge distribution and knowledge consumption.

In his remark, Osun State governor, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola underscored the need to have a rethink on education, just as he described education that does not prepare the recipient to be efficient as “a waste”.