Out-of-school children: Octogenarian educationist tasks govt on education reforms
An octogenarian and former Chief Education Officer, zonal education headquarters, Bauchi State, Mr Sangowole Amos Ayo has urged government at all levels to take steps towards reforming the education sector.
Ayo who made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Saturday shortly after a Thanksgiving Service organised to mark his 80th birthday said such reforms were necessary to boost school enrolment across the country.
He said with the increasing rate of school drop out, it had become necessary for government to take urgent steps that would help reverse the trend as well as boost the quality of education.
He said with that the negative impact of out-of-school, the future of the country may be threatened if government does not initiate measures to encourage enrolment and make primary and secondary schools more attractive to children.
According to him, part of the reforms should include the re-introduction of the benefits that pupils and students enjoyed in the 1960s.
“With the hardship being experienced by Nigerians today, if nothing is done in terms of reforms and conscious efforts to encourage enrolment, students will continue to drop out.
“ The future of the country depends on the education of these children and if they don’t get proper education then our challenges would be worse than what we have now.
“Those days we enjoyed free education, government paid us stipends and we got regular supply of beverages and toiletries.
“With the level of hardship today, if such measures are re-introduced, they will provide opportunity for more poor parents’ children to be in school and not drop out at least until they finish their secondary school,” he said.
The veteran teacher said the reforms should also include training teachers regularly, building more schools and equipping them with the modern innovative and technological tools.
Amos-Ayo said such would provide an environment conducive for students to compete favourable with their colleagues globally.
The educationist also advised parents to make more sacrifice towards ensuring that their children get the best education possible.
“Education remain the best tool to reforming our children and making them better citizens for the benefits of the nation.”
Our correspondent reports that Ayo has served as principal of various secondary schools including Misau in Bauchi State; Dadin Kowa, Kaltungo and Gombe all in Gombe State.
Ayo is the pioneer principal and director of Bethany Int’l College, Gombe who also thanked God for giving the grace to attain the octogenarian age said “It’s been God all through this journey; I owe Him everything I am today.
“I have been able to impact positively in the lives of children because I see them as children that God and their parents have entrusted in my hand and I can’t afford to fail them,” he said.
The thanksgiving service which held at Bethany International College was attended by people from all walks of life, many of the guests who spoke at the event described Ayo as a devoted child of God and lover of education, humble, hard working and committed teacher as well as a lover of football.
