By Damilare Adeleye
The Abeokuta Grammar School Old Boys’ Association,(AGSOBA) Ogun State,has asked the Government to invest more in the quality of education obtainable in the country adding that this can cause the Japa wave to turn to Japada with the current status of foreign exchange.
The association also raised alarm on the overpopulation of students in public secondary schools which gradually killing the quality of education in the state.
Agsoba (Chief) Olurotimi Oduntan,President-General who stated this while briefing newsmen on the activities to mark the 115th Founder’s Day anniversary of the school in Abeokuta, stressed that many public secondary schools in the state have a ratio of 1,000 students to a teacher.
According to Oduntan, Abeokuta Grammar School has the second largest student population in the state, saying 90 percent of the infrastructure in the school is built by the Old student association.
Oduntan called on the government to improve the standard of education by investing more in the sector, especially Infrastructure to improve the socio-economy of the nation.
He said, “When you have over 1,000 students per teacher, it is a problem and it will affect the quality of education.
“What the government can do is to either build more schools or build more classrooms in schools, I can tell you the number of classrooms built here by the government, we have been building classrooms with our money so we can let go of our value.
When everything is in order, JAPA will soon be JAPADA which means, those who had travelled out of Nigeria, will soon begin to come back Home”, he noted.
The 115th founders day Anniversary with theme:
Harnessing renewed Youth participation in national Discourse for Sustainable economic development and prevention of japa among youths officially began on Wednesday 12th to Sunday 16th July, 2023. Activities lined up include visit to elderly members of the Association; Call to Agsoba/Agsoba Appreciation Night; Variety Night popularly known as Suya Night on friday while Dinner and Award Night holds on Saturday with Awards of Distinguished and Merit Award. The annual event will be rounded up with a Thanksgiving service of Cathedral of St. Peter’s Ake,Abeokuta by 1pm on Sunday.
Abeokuta Grammar School was founded in 1908 and has produced many prominent people across the Globe.