Nigeria must regulate admission age of pupils in secondary schools ― Oyo ex-commissioner

A former Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General in Oyo State, Barrister Adebayo Mutalubi Ojo has called on all stakeholders of education in Nigeria to regulate ages of admitting students into secondary schools in Nigeria, noting that it is doing more damages than good to both the pupils and the society.

Ojo made this known recently while delivering a paper titled “sustaining personal and society grow through Alumni: Beyond the school environment” during the inauguration and first general reunion party of Methodist Secondary Grammar School, Elekuro, Ibadan.

The former Commissioner, himself, the current National President of the Alumni, Urban Day Grammar School, Elekuro, Ibadan, now converted to Technical college, Orita-Aperin, Ibadan, said the latest idea to rush pupils through their academic pursuit right from the secondary is uncalled for.

According to him, “we were grown, matured during our secondary school days Unlike now where school children are being admitted to school at the age of 10,11, it is uncalled for. It is abnormal.

“In all developed countries of the world, in fact in South Africa, they won’t admit you into secondary school until you’re 15 years old. You can now see that those things we are getting wrong in this country, are not helping us.

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” I remember during our time, the standard is to bend your arm across your head to touch the other shoulder, nobody could cheat or beat the standard then.

“It is either you’re of age to be admitted or you’re sent back home. But in this country today, a lot of things are upside down.”

Ojo then urged the alumni is all secondary schools to take care of their former teachers and give back to the schools.

He said “It is best that after years of graduation to have a union like this because it is an opportunity for us reminisce, bring up the memory of those yesteryears to rekindle it and to network among ourselves.

“The primary objective of a body like this is to give back to your alma mater. This school has trained you, impacted knowledge in you, but no matter what you do, you can never repay back.

“We must take very good care of our former teachers and the school so that posterity will judge us right.”

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Represented by Mr Gbenga Ayoade, Director of Public Enlightenment in the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, the Commissioner, Dr Wasiu Olatubosun, promised that the government will continue to promote education, give priority attention to education budget for the benefits of both the parents and the students, while also promising government’s support for the Alumni and the school.

According to Ayoade, “Parents and students should support the government so that at the end of it, everybody will be proud of Oyo State.

“Language is a major tool of culture. The era of not speaking vernacular is gone. Parents should encourage their wards to learn to communicate in their native language so that Yoruba does not go into extinction”, he said.

One of the alumni of the school and a member of the Oyo State House of Assembly representing Ibadan North East Constituency 1, Hon. Olagoke Akinajo, while commending the organizers for putting together the reunion programme, promised his continued support, as well as, that of the government towards the development of education in the State, coupled with assistance to the association “to make this school the best”.