Manipulation of perfect scores, first class, impediment to education - Folayan Ojo

A retired Don, Professor Folayan Ojo, has bemoaned the dwindling standard of education in the country, saying over manipulation of perfect scores and first class degrees are major causes.

He made this assertion at the launch and review of his second autobiography at the University of Lagos, titled "A Dream Fulfilled", five years after he wrote the first one, "My Biography".

Highlighting his educational journey from birth as well as his experiences as a father, husband, scholar, traveller and academic who has taught in several higher institutions within and outside the country, the professor of economics said education is no longer what it used to be.



Prof. Folayan said compared to the current crop of lazy students and lecturers, first class honours used to be harder in his days as an undergraduate when students were more studious.

He said: "In our days, to have a first class was like (being) a perfect human being; second class upper, also. But today, you have ten first class from a university... Most times, you have 33 to 73, it is nonsense! Who are the teachers and who are the students?

"Is it the teachers who don't want to teach or the students who don't want to learn? How do they get the first class? That is a problem."

The former Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Lagos, having taught in Swaziland for nine years, also said that there are too many tertiary institutions in the country which is unnecessary.

He advocated for the merging of universities saying this would reduce running costs and still afford more individuals the opportunity to get university education.

Citing an example, the retired academic said South Africa has more fund, more teachers, and more facilities than her counterpart, Nigeria.

"That is why today, we Nigerians, both staff and students, rush to that country because of that innovative merging of universities", he said.

Meanwhile, Professor Emeritus, Olorunfemi Adeniji, while delivering the opening remarks, said Nigeria is losing its values, institutions, and history.

He said in order to salvage the situation, history should not be an option in our primary and secondary schools, adding that the documentation of the author's life is a right step in the right direction.

Showering encomiums on the author, Professor Kayode Oguntuase, who reviewed the book, said since the author founded the Folayan Ojo Foundation in 2003, he has continued to reward very bright students and those not so bright through his scholarship scheme.

Don Harps on War Cessation, Advocates Peace Education



A university don has called on the Nigerian government to include subjects that teaches peace in the curriculum of the country's educational system.

Dr. Babatunde Oni, an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Lagos, made this call while delivering a speech at the Faculty of Law, UNILAG, with the theme: "Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War - Implementation of the Sustainable Development of DPCW," organised by Heavenly Culture World Peace and Restoration of Light (HWPL), a non-governmental organisation.

He said to do this, government must ensure that subjects on peace education are not only taught on the grassroot level, but must encompass all levels of education in the country.

He however, said that teachers must be trained, first of all, and then a total transformation and review be followed on the primary and secondary school curriculum to include peace education.

"As Nigerians, we believe that we need peace. There's also need for us to maintain peace. So in order to start telling people about peace, we believe there should be an introduction of what we call 'Integration of Peace' into the Nigerian curriculum.

"We don't have peace education as a course of study except in masters degrees as being run by some universities (in Nigeria)

"So we are trying to bring in peace education so that from elementary and primary school up to secondary school, they (children) will imbibe the culture of peace," he said.

Also, Mr. Lee Man-Hee, the chairman of HWPL, said in a message from Korea, that there's no need to fight war as war doesn't bring positive changes.

Speaking at the seminar, Kingson Uwandu, the Legal Officer of Dataflex Nigeria Limited, stated that peace must coincide with justice.

According to Kingson, "positive peace advocates just behaviours", and sees to it that the right thing is done and that no person is treated unfairly.

Mr. Kingson also observed that there cannot be meaningful development where peace is lacking.

He said war torn countries and communities experience high level of backwardness, citing Nigeria during the civil war and northern states ravaged by insurgency as excellent examples.

Meanwhile, Mr. Olorunfemi Franklin, while delivering a paper titled, "The Golden Thread of peace From Now Into Generations Unborn," said creating a peace life, municipally and internationally, would engender peace in the long run.

He said this can be done by making peace legislations locally and internationally so that including peace education would help pass the barton to coming generations.