The Old Boys Association of Ascension High School, Nchia, Eleme, in Eleme Local Government Area of Rivers State has called on the government and stakeholders to take necessary steps to improve the economy of the country and invest in the education sector.
President of the ‘Class of 1983’ of the association, Vitalis Ofuru, made the call during the inauguration of the set’s scholarship scheme for the overall best students JS1, JS2, SS1 and SS2 in the school.
Ofuru said, “Huge investments are required now in the education sector if our children must develop their optimal potential and compete with their contemporaries in other regions of the world.
“Education should not only end with what is taught in the classroom. We must raise the stakes for moral and civic education. We should also activate the sporting and entrepreneurial spirit in our youth right from the school system.
“The digital world today is driven by people who honed their skills and craft while in school.
“The principle of ‘Catch Them Young’ must return, and return to the schools. Our students should be trained in using their heads, hands and hearts.
“That means that apart from being knowledgeable, they must be skillful and passionate; for therein lies the restoration of our society.”
Continuing, he disclosed the rationale behind the scholarship saying, “The decision to provide this scholarship for students of our alma mater was borne out of our recognition of the possibility of bright students dropping out due to the difficulties parents might be going through to pay school fees due to our current economic realities.
He added, “Many parents these days can hardly put food on the table, let alone pay the fees required to keep their wards in school.”
Ofuru further said the scholarship will not be the end of the intervention by the association’s ‘Class of 1983,’ in the development of the school, saying that as they make progress, the class will intervene in other areas of need accordingly yearly.
In his remark, the Principal of Ascension High School, Nchia-Eleme, Rev. Father Peter Amadi, thanked the Class of ’83 for the initiative, which he noted was the first of its kind.
Amadi also used the opportunity to call for better pay for teachers as well as a law compelling top politicians to enrol their children in Nigerian schools, as part of efforts to help address the decline in the education sector.
He said, “They should be able to pay the teachers well and support the teachers so that the teachers will do exactly what they are supposed to do.
“As you can see, the education system in Nigeria is really in shambles, things are not going the way they are supposed to go and that has affected the performance of children.
“I think something has to be done, if they will be able to bring their children to school in our schools, I think things will be better.
“This issue of taking their children outside and just leaving the education system here in the hands of those that are not serious with it, I think that has affected us.
“If the government will pass a law that anyone who is serving the public in any government position should make sure that the children school in Nigeria, I think that will help us.”
Speaking on behalf of the recipients, the Senior Prefect (Boys), Gospel Nwachukwu, who got a full session scholarship for emerging as the best SS2 student at the end of the previous academic year, thanked the association for the initiative.
Nwachukwu called on his fellow students to take their studies seriously in order to stand a chance of benefitting subsequently.
A total of N105,000 was paid for each of the four recipients for the three terms in the current academic year, while the best performing SS2 student in Literature and Chemistry, respectively received the Dr. Vitalis Ofuru award of N50,000 naira each.
