*Call for quality teachers, students

By Oghenefego Obaebor

Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Oye, Ekiti, Professor Kayode Soremekun, former Principal, King’s College, Mr. Sylvester Onoja and other Old Boys of King’s College have lamented admission racketeering in the institution.

Speaking to mark the 1982-1988 set of KC Old Boys Association held on the school’s campus, many stakeholders decried that unlike decades ago when admission was strictly by merit, these days it’s no more the same.

According to them, year in, year out, the school gets admission list from government, governors, senators and a host of other persons without following the admission due process.

Soremekun, 67-71 set of KC who was one of the discussants at the 30th Anniversary symposium said: “Something terrible has happened to the admission system of King’s College. “List from the government, lawmakers and other quarters flood the school for admission every year. It was not like that before, KC has to go back to the old system of admission that was strictly by merit.”

Having identified some of the problems of KC, Soremekun urged other sets of the school to emulate the 82-88 set who put Programme together to revamp the situation.

On his part, Onoja who was the principal of KC decades ago said in those days as the principal of KC, he dismissed  in one day  during assembly over 400 students who could not produced their admission letters.

According to him, because of the strict standard of admission in those days, it took the space of about 34 years to admit a northerner to the school. Such northerners when they were admitted, he noted were always brilliant and exceptional academically. “It took the space of 34 years after the first northerner was admitted before another could passed KC admission,” he said.

While contributing as a discussant on the theme: “The King’s College Conundrum: Where Do We Go From Here” he further stressed that he does not subscribe to the expansion of the institution, adding that it would reduce its academic quality.

According to Onoja, while the school keeps increasing in the numbers of intakes, it does not work on increasing the numbers and quality of teachers.

In his record, he pointed out that in one hundred years, King’s College had produced only forty professional teachers.

He said: “1982 -1988 set produced thirty-six medical doctors, but never produced a single teacher.”In 100 years, KC has produced 40 teachers only. He posited that education will suffer in our country if the Ministry of Education does not treat the sector like it treats the Health sector.

He lamented that while only the medical doctors and qualified health practitioners are allowed in the sector, any non teaching graduate could be admitted into the teaching profession.

Speaking in the same vein, the Deputy Head Teacher, Lead British International School, Abuja, Mr Clement Chukwudifu urged KC authorities to guide against population explosion, adding that population without corresponding qualities in personnel and infrastructure will affect academic performance.