The Alumni assocaition of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria have called on the Federal Government to make education a social service to enhance the quality of education in the country.
The 1997 accounting set of ABU made the call at the 20th Anniversary/Reunion of its Alumni in Abuja on Saturday.
Prof. Suleiman Aruwa, Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies, Nasarawa State, an alumnus, said that education should not be left for those who could survive the cost.
Aruwa said most leaders of today enjoyed social service as education was made free in their time and such should be replicated in this present time.
“There should be commitment on the part of the government to provide basic materials that people like us used to have when we were in school.
“I can recall that when I was in school, it is not difficult to have textbooks in all areas of studies but today students cannot afford them.
“Also, today school fees are on the very high side but education should be a social service.
“It should not be something that should be left for those who can survive the cost.
“If you notice today, the private schools are available but not the cheapest because people can hardly think of going to private universities to pay for the cost.”
Aruwa was optimistic that the country’s educational sector was not declining; saying that it was the motivation of those delivering the education that was declining.
He, however, called for government’s intervention to address the menace.
According to him, the major challenge in the sector is infrastructure and the inability to make it functional.
“Today, if you deliver educational curriculum without technology, you cannot make an impact.
“This is because students want to sit at home and engage their lectures and visual resources. They don’t want to see the physical textbooks in the libraries.
“Another challenge is power, if you go to schools now, there is no power for students to go for their evening preparatory classes and they will be under pressure to cheat during examination,” he said.
Aruwa said that specialised courses should be taught in the schools to give opportunities for students to begin to choose a lifelong career that would better their lives rather than depending on paid jobs after graduating from schools.
He also called on relevant agencies to make the curriculum in such a way to address some of the challenges, especially for specialised courses.
He said that the era of general courses should be over, rather the development of students’ capacity to make them relevant after their university careers.
Earlier, the Chairman of the 1997 set, Mr Kayode Ajiga said that the coming together of the set was done to celebrate their being alive and to contribute more to their alma-mater.
Ajiga said that the set had contributed toward empowering the masses as well as uplifting members.
He therefore urged other sets to emulate them so as to collectively project and promote the university.
Mr Bala Bello, the Executive Director, NEXIM Bank, an alumnus said it was time to give gratitude to God for those of them alive out of a class of 413 students.
Bello said that there was need for the rest to celebrate the journey of life and contribute to the society as many of them had died.
He commended the Federal Government in its role in effective budgeting and planning of the nation.
“The government is doing enough in terms of budgeting and I can tell you that I am satisfied and if we continue on this level in 10 years’ time, Dubai will be work in progress.
“But we need to join hands with the government go make this nation a great place for us, we should not wait for government to do all.
“It is a collective responsibilities and we must achieve it together,” he said.
The slogan of the set is “Let the strong support the weak and the weak support the strong”. (NAN)