The Osun State governor, Sen. Ademola Adeleke, Ooni of Ile-Ife, and Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi will be in attendance at the commissioning of an intra-school road project worth N35 million and other developmental projects initiated by the 1979–1984 set of old students of St. John Grammar School, Oke-Atan, Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Also, 50 outstanding students, including the indigent ones, would be awarded scholarship as part of activities marking the 40th Anniversary of the set
The Chairman of the 40th anniversary, Barr. Abiodun Olabampe disclosed this in an interview with the newsmen.
He disclosed that a newly constructed 400-metre concrete road worth N35 million would be commissioned during the 3-day event slated for May 27–29, 2024.
The event, according to him, will feature medical outreach for students, parents and teachers; a scholarship award for 50 deserving students to cater for their finances; a career talk; a football match between teachers and old students, and award night, among others.
Olabampe stated that the set has contributed immensely to the development of a Catholic missionary school established in 1962 with the renovation of the school library a few years ago.
He, therefore, urged old students of schools across the federation to contribute to their alma mater so as to uphold the standard of education in schools, saying most schools now rely solidly on their ex-students for survival.
Speaking on the recent poor performance of students in the last JAMB result, Olabampe lamented that the standard of education generally has fallen in all aspects, saying it can be restored with the help of old students.
He said how government-run education, particularly in public schools, was not good enough because education in public schools in Nigeria is nothing to write home about.
He said, “When you look at schools then and now, you will see that schools that are performing are mostly missionary schools or parent-teacher schools, unlike public schools.
“If you look at the recent JAMB result, over 30 students scored 300 in JAMB in Kwara State. Those are schools that have standards, purpose, discipline, and know what they are doing. When they employ teachers in those schools, they give them incentives, training, and dedication to sustain that kind of school, unlike public schools.
“The way schools are run affects the performance of those schools; that is why if you see any school that is still performing, it will be a missionary school that is managed according to the discipline and standard of those missions.
Olabampe, while reacting to the call for Catholics to take back the school, described it as a welcome development for the purpose of standards and discipline, saying the government that has funds to put into schools is not doing enough because the budget for education is nothing to write home about.
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