A group identified as Pure Youth Organisation (PYO), on Wednesday, said the need to stimulate personal development of secondary students, formed part of its strategies to change the growing narrative in some quarters that education is a scam.
The group said all stakeholders, including government must be involved in creating enabling atmosphere and providing necessary wherewithal to encourage the youth in acquiring education needed to prepare them for the future and halt the trend among some of them that education is a scam.
In a statement signed by its chairman, Board of Trustees (BoT), Dr Abiodun Egbetokun, which was forwarded to the Nigerian Tribune, PYO, which organised essay writing competition for 15 secondary schools in Ife East Local Government Area of Osun State, expressed its commitment to the development and empowerment of young Nigerians.
It maintained that changing the narrative that education is a scam through educational competitions were targeted at providing a platform for young minds to express themselves and to encourage critical thinking and writing skills among students.
According to the statement, “this maiden edition is a pilot for a progressively larger initiative. The competition, which enlisted the cooperation of the most relevant regulatory authorities and interest groups, including the Osun State Ministry of Education and the Local Inspectorate of Education in Ife East Local Government and the Ife East Local Government Chapter of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, revealed the thought patterns of the participants.
“The thought patterns indeed showed that there is hope for Nigeria in terms of using education as a veritable source of sustainable development.
“The assessors of the essay writing competition, led by Professor Ayoola and ably assisted by Dr Bunmi Oyebode (both of the Department of English Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife), commended the winners and all the participants for a job well done and advised that they should not rest on their oars.
“They encouraged government at all levels to support initiative such as this so as to have quality minds as leaders of tomorrow.
“The winners of the junior category of the competition with the topic “What are the pros and cons of thinking that “Education na scam”? are: Ejiyode Gloria of Oladimeji International School, Mokuro/NTA Road, Ile-Ife (1st position), Oladipo Adedamola of Unique Minds International College, Opa, Ile-Ife (2nd position) and Idris Aliyah Omobusolami of Primack High School, Idiroko area, Oranfe, Ile-Ife (3rd position),
“Winners of the senior category who interrogated the topic: What are the causes and consequences of the perception that “Education na scam” include Osupala Gold Samuel of Unique Minds International College, Opa, Ile-Ife (1st position), Adebayo Adunola of Ambassadors College Iloromu, Ile-Ife (2nd position) and Aminwale Aanuoluwapo of Unique Minds International College, Opa, Ile-Ife (3rd position).
The organisers expressed hope that good governance that will lead to human and socioeconomic development is a collective responsibility, which must be sustained on a long term.
and then