Posted by By Emmanuel Edukugho on
A NOTE of warning has been sounded on the imminent collapse of the country's educational system, unless something is done.....
A NOTE of warning has been sounded on the imminent collapse of the country's educational system, unless something is done to avert this looming calamity.
Chancellor of Covenant University, Ota, Ogun State, Dr. David Oyedepo declared:
'Obviously our educational system as a nation is at the very verge of collapse! It is obvious that when the educational system of a nation goes bankrupt, the future of its coming generation is endangered".
Delivering a key note address at Covenant University Endowment Luncheon last Thursday, he said that, 'today, our university system is threatening a total collapse. If we ever needed a revolution in education, it is now".
Dr. Oyedepo expressed his belief that intellectual under-development is the root-cause of all the woes of underdeveloped nations.
'It is developed minds that become instrumental in the development of nations. Quality education is therefore the true foundation of every great nation. Unfortunately most nations in Africa are selling off their future through lack of commitment to quality education delivery.
According to the chancellor, this is the very vision and mission of Covenant University, that is, to spearhead a revolution in education by re-igniting the spirit of intellectual exploration and research.
He quoted Davis Waitley that said: 'The empires of the future will not be built with walls of stones, turrets, armies and gates, the empires of the future will be empires of the minds."
He charged Nigerians to rush to capture the future before it is totally lost, adding; 'this is a wake up call to all developing nations".
Dr. Oyedepo pleaded that the nation should begin to think of the next generation, and prove that we do by taking practical steps to validate our claims.
He referred to a famous Chinese proverb which asserts: 'If you plant for a year, plant rice; if you plant for a decade, grow trees; but if you plant for a century, grow educated men and women."
Drawing attention to the plague of brain drain, which has its cause, he contended that nothing can be done about it, until we know the cause.
He decried the present system of endowment as not good, because 'teaching in Nigerian universities is like teaching in secondary schools". But however, he made it clear that Covenant University is poised to change that scenario as quickly as possible.
'Once our trained manpower not well empowered, we will lose our posterity. We are going to get new graduates to push our nation forward, creating the enabling environment. There should be quality of manpower, quality of education, as our destiny depends on this."
Dr. Oyedepo pointed out that the task ahead of CU, therefore is to, 'put a stop to the on-going rot and institutional decay, particularly in the education sector, by serving as a solution centre, a sort of foundry for moulding young, visionary graduates that will be dispatched as rescue soldiers to these bowed nations and battered economies".