Old Students Association asks Tinubu to not just talk about education

The St. Finbarrs’ College Old Boys Association (SFCOBA), Akoka, Lagos State, asked President Bola Tinubu on Friday to not just talk about education when addressing the many issues facing the country.

The group made the recommendation during its 25th Anniversary Reunion Celebration, which featured a novelty match, Grand Gala Night, and the opening of Class 98 in Lagos, a historic initiative.

Chairman of the SFCOBA ’98 Set Mr. Eshiomomoh Ifoga stated that the new administration must prioritise investments in the education sector and close the “yawning gap” between private and public schools in his speech.

The Federal Government needs to allocate more money to education in the budget to stop this decreasing trend.

Nigeria has not yet achieved the UNESCO criterion of 26% of the national budget and 6% of GDP.

Ifoga advised the FG to support a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) in order to reform the educational system.

He claims that after the missionary schools were handed back to the Catholic Church, St. Finbarrs’ College, Akoka, has chosen a self-funding model and through time, the school has established a relationship with the Old Boys Association.

The Old Boys Association has worked on numerous fundraising initiatives for the school, and this time we are creating Luminous Signage for our alma mater.

The SFCOBA’98 Set would cooperate with the national organisation and provide financial aid (in the form of scholarships) to pay for the education of students who cannot afford it, he declared.

After hearing from several graduates, the chairman noted that the SFCOBA’98 Set has previously given financial awards to students who performed remarkably well in external tests like WAEC and NECO.

According to him, the SFCOBA’98 Set is dedicated to making these donations a regular practise.

We firmly believe that providing financial incentives for great performance will encourage students to ace all of their tests.

“At the federal level, the government could reserve funds to provide financial incentives to deserving students who performed very well on their exams.

Such actions will encourage healthy rivalry among these kids, in large part. In my perspective, the only kids who should directly receive such honours are poor secondary school students, Ifoga stated.

The SFCOBA’98 Alumni Association periodically organises seminars to expose students to practical and real-world applications of the disciplines taught in the classroom, according to Ifoga, even though the school curriculum is under the control of the Ministry of Education.

Ifoga criticised the recent cult activity and pervasive drug usage among secondary school pupils and encouraged the government to act more forcefully to eradicate the problem.

In order to free students’ minds from cultism and drug misuse, he declared that the SFCOBA’98 Exco will have seminars featuring specialists from a variety of professional sectors.

Ifoga also said that current secondary school curricula could not be producing kids who are competitive on a global scale.

He claims that only kids at wealthy private institutions have access to and exposure to these contemporary teaching aids.

“Extending a handshake of collaborations with the private sector still represents the best course of action in this situation. Many businesses are handled by seasoned edupreneurs,” he remarked.

In his welcome speech, Mr. Desmond Okoro, the chairman of the 25th Anniversary Reunion Committee, requested that everyone pause for a moment of silence to remember their late coworkers, professors, and administrators who had a significant impact on their lives.

Okoro acknowledged the Principal Emeritus, Pa Alloysious Kpotie, for his contributions to their development and success while also paying respect to their teachers.

Former Commissioner for Environment and Physical Planning in Lagos State, Mr. Kayode Anibaba, reflected on his experiences as a student and a maths teacher in his remarks.

Anibaba praised the cast for their contributions to the growth of the school.

The Set is one of the well-known old boys associations, according to the school administrator, Mr. Victor Biyibi.

According to Biyibi, the current pupils’ exceptional performance has drawn students from the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, and Vietnam. (NAN