…As mission schools bag WAEC NDM Awards

By Dayo Adesulu

As the trio, Master Babalola David  Oluwasayo, Master Alabi Philip Toluwase and Miss Nkata Lewechi Ugonma, all from mission schools emerged first, second and third respectively at the   May/June 2015 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), some stakeholders are of the opinion  that it is high time government handed over missionary schools to their owners.

Last week, during WAEC’s 54th Annual Meeting of Nigeria National Committee held in   Lagos, the Head of National Office, West Africa Examinations Council, WAEC, Mr Olu Adenipekun announced Babalola from Oritamefa Baptist Model School, Ibadan, Oyo State, Alabi from Our Lady and St Francis Catholic College, Osogbo, Osun State and Nkata from Loyola Jesuit College, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja as winners of the awards.

It was appalling that no singular student from any public school across the federation clinched the prestigious prize.

While Babalola who emerged first in eight subjects scored 673,7626, Alabi, on his part scored 667,1802 in eight subjects to come second, just as Nkata   in eight subjects scored 660,2430 to emerge third  among over a million  contestants.

Based on students’ academic performances over the years from the mission schools, many stakeholders in their opinions posited that schools and students are better managed by churches than governments.

Those who are proponents of this call believe that handing schools back to their original owners will help curb the falling standard in the education subsector.

They are of the opinion that when schools were in the hands of missionaries, they were properly managed under strict regulations of the missionaries. They see the takeover of schools by government and the eventual change of administration as the bane of the education system, hence the call for the reversal to the old order.

They argued that many teachers in public schools have become lukewarm because they see government work as no man’s work, hence the normal government workers syndrome prevailed. They pointed out that public school teachers put very little effort and got their salary even if they didn’t produce anything.

In June, 2016 Oyo State declared that 30 public secondary schools in the state would be returned to their respective owners.

In January 2014, Gov. Rauf Aregbesola promised to return some of the public schools to missionaries. ‘’My administration has not foreclosed the possibility of returning some public schools to the missionaries.’’

Also, in June, 2016, having seen the decay in infrastructure and quality of education, former Minister of Health, Prof. Alphonsus Nwosu canvassed the return of schools to the missionaries as done by Mr Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State.

In Delta State, 40 schools were given back to the missions, 27 to Catholic Mission; eight to Anglican Mission; four to the Baptist Mission and one to African Church Group.

Many believe that the return   of the schools is necessary as the schools under government lacked vision.

Reacting to this, the Deputy Director, Distance Learning Center,   University of Ibadan, Prof Oyesoji Aremu’s said that the recent award by WAEC in which three mission schools were distinctly celebrated should not be a thing of surprise to many, especially to those who knew the history of Education (especially secondary school education) in Nigeria.

According to him, the adventure of Christian missionaries in Nigeria was not complete without primary and secondary education.   He said: “It was a sort of stick and carrot approach then especially in the Western Region part of the country. At the exit of the missionaries upon their successful   Christian expansionism, many schools founded by them were taken over by early denominations like the Baptist, Anglican, Catholic and Methodist. These denominations did not only ensure status quo, they made sure that discipline and academic excellence were their watchword.

“Unfortunately, the military administration under Chief Olusegun Obasanjo thought otherwise by forcefully through the fiat of a decree, took over the running of denominational schools. “It was the beginning of the decay in public secondary schools which eventually resulted in poor academic performance years after.

“However, some of these missions including those of Islamic Faith, are now re-establishing schools with a view to addressing the observed decay in public schools while one or two state governments have handed over these schools to their original owners.

“In effect, the excellent performance of schools by missions is a reflection of the decay in public secondary schools in Nigeria.

“ Mission schools are well managed and better funded. And unlike public schools which have suffered a reversal of fortune, especially in terms of motivation on the part of the school personnel, mission schools are increasingly on the threshold of academic excellence and morality where students are properly trained.”

For Rev. Tunji Adepoju, the returning of schools to Missions   is a laudable idea, adding that it will afford the delivery of quality education, ensure proper character formation,full development of the potentials of students and total upgrading of the society.

He explained that this was important in the light of the fact that education without morality breeds rascality.

He said: “A return of schools to the missions is therefore a right step towards igniting a human capital led sustainable development revolution in the national economy.”