The national president of Baptist High School, Iwo Old Students Association, Franklin Akinola, has said constant interventions by old students are needed to arrest the dwindling fortunes and standard of education in Osun State and the country at large.
Speaking at the weekend on activities lined up to mark the 70th anniversary of the school, Akinola stressed the need for what he described as robust synergy between the government of Osun State and education stakeholders to address the poor standard of education in the state.
For a vast improvement in education, he said old students had a huge role to play because the government alone cannot handle the education sector, adding that the common practice in the contemporary world is for stakeholders, including old students and bodies of alumni not to turn their back on their alma mater when they become successful in life.
“It is a collective responsibility. There is little or no running cost from the government, the budget for education is anything to write home about. Education is key to our development. We therefore urge the government to allocate more funds to the education sector to address lingering problems. But beyond that, there should be a better system in place to ensure transparency and accountability,” he said.
He also advocated free education from primary level to senior secondary, saying that the state and country should prioritize their resources and give more to education.
Speaking on the anniversary, Akinola, who is also the Bobajiro of Iwo Land, said, “It is going to be a reunion and an avenue to relive old memories when the old students of Baptist High School, Iwo, Osun State, converge to celebrate the 70th anniversary of their Alma mater. The school was founded on February 2, 1955. Thus, the old students, under the auspices of SOSAHIB, are gearing up for what promises to be a scintillating celebration.”
The SOSAHIB leader noted that the old students are inspired to celebrate the 70th anniversary, which he described as significant because the school shaped them and contributed to their successes.
He said, “Seventy years in the life of a human being is quite significant and it calls for celebration. The school will be 70 on February 2, and we feel like the school has come a long way and we decided to celebrate the school because it has impacted us.
“The anniversary is so significant to us; it feels great to celebrate the school because it has contributed significantly to our lives. It has produced many professionals in different sectors / fields of endeavour – we have many doctors, accountants, engineers, technocrats and top military personnel from the school who are doing great.
“The school has contributed significantly to education, especially in the Old Western Region, and in Nigeria in general. Apart from academic excellence, the school performed well in sports, at a time we won the Principal’s Cup Volleyball contest, among others. We have also produced great soccer heroes. With all the professionals in different fields of endeavour, we felt it was more than necessary to celebrate the school.”
Akinola said the anniversary celebration would run for four days starting on Thursday, January 30 with a roadshow to create awareness in Iwo land, followed by a courtesy visit to the Vice Chancellor of Bowen University and the monarch of Iwo land.
He noted that the following day, there would be an anniversary lecture: “Baptist High School, Iwo: A Legacy in Question and a Future to Intervene” to be delivered by Prof. Amos Oyesoji Aremu, adding that after the lecture, there will be a Jumat service at the central mosque followed by a novelty match.
“On Saturday February 1, we will commission a number of projects. Later in the day, we will have an award ceremony and fundraising luncheon, where we will institute an endowment fund for the school.
“We are rounding off on Sunday, February 2 with a thanksgiving service at Zion Baptist Church. Thereafter, we will have our departure,” he added.
The SOSAHIB president frowned at the infrastructural decay in the school and other schools in the state, blaming it on paucity of funds, lack of maintenance culture and policy summersaults of different administrations.
He however said that the Baptist Mission is also supporting the school to ensure that the challenges are summarily addressed
