Prof. Is’haq Oloyede, the Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), says there is urgent need for government at all levels to improve the quality of education in the country.
Oloyede said this while delivering a lecture at a colloquium to mark the 61st birthday of Gov. Rauf Aregbesola on Sunday in Osogbo, according to he News Agency of Nigeria, NAN.
The colloquium had as theme: “Functional Education as a Tool For National Development and Gateway To Freedom.’’
Oloyede said that there was the need for government to place less emphasis on certificates and encourage abilities among the students.
“Destroying a nation does not require the use of atomic bomb or the use of long range missiles.
“It only requires lowering the quality of education and allowing cheating in the examination by students.
“The collapse of education is the collapse of the nation, but functional education will guarantee freedom and national development,” he said.
Oloyede also said that corruption was militating against functional education in the country.
He said it was painful that since the establishment of JAMB 40 years ago, the past management of the board only generated N52 million.
Oloyede said he generated N9 billion for the board and remitted N 7.8 billion to the Federal Government in 2017.
He said Nigerians should join hands with President Muhammadu Buhari in the fight against corruption to bring about a better society.
Oloyede also said that quality education must be functional, multipurpose and adaptable to every situation.
“Education concerns the training of individuals to acquire the right attitudes that make them socially responsible,’’ he said.
He also called for equality in education to allow children of the less privileged to access quality higher education in the country.