BY DAYO ADESULU

Students in Public schools, especially those in primary and secondary have always been treated with disdain and contempt believing that they are less privilege children as a result they can not be intelligent because their teachers cannot deliver qualitative education.

However, this notion has been debunked by Master Aduralere Jegede, sixteen-year-old, SS3 student from Ajumoni Senior Secondary School, Iyano- Isolo who scored 310 in his UTME and 75 per cent in Post UME at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) his first choice of institution.

While in SS2, Aduralere registered for the West Africa Examination Council (WAEC)examination and made 5B, A1, 2 credits and a pass. Also, as SS3 student, he made 5B and 2 credits.

When the Lagos State government took acknowledgment of his wonderful performance, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, recently offered him a job opportunity at Mushin Local Government Secretariat to work for two months ahead of his resumption day at UNILAG.

Aduralere who said, he prefers studying Accountancy in the university said that Accounting was his best subject in the secondary school adding that his academic performance as a public school student was due to diligence, hard work and sound foundation at school and home.

According to him, he reads six hours everyday preferring midnight hours as his best period because is void of distractions. “I developed a personal reading time table where I devoted two hours for each subject daily,” he said.

Asked why he preferred public school to private, he reiterated that public schools have qualified trained teachers and holidays coaching classes for students. John however, maintained that his father, Pastor Jegede Johnson who is also a teacher in his school greatly influenced his academic performance.

“I was encouraged by my father to study. As an account teacher in my school, he took me account subject in school and at home as he often woke me up at night to study until I got used to it,” he said.

Speaking with Pastor Jegede Johnson in this regard, he asserted: “I do not expect anything less from John because right from nursery school, he has been a quick learner. Whatever he learns, he never forget. We sleep in the same bed which gave me opportunity to wake him up early to read after which, he became used to it.”

Jegede said that he does not believe public school students cannot compete favourably with their private school counterparts saying that though public school has their shortcomings, nonetheless, the foundation of every students, the kind of teachers in a school matter to students’ success.

He ascribed the performance of teachers in class in recent time to the improved remuneration of teachers saying that the salary increase served as incentive to teachers in the State. Lagos State government, according to him is trying as it has judiciously utilized the fund giving by the World Bank.

“Lagos State at least gives two million naira to each public school which has led to great improvement in our science laboratory where we take student to for practical science. “In the time past, it was not like that but presently, students in public school in Lagos are giving books in core subject ; English Language, Mathematics, Biology and Economics,” he said.

To him, revamping our education sector, the whole society has a role to play whether as government, parents or students.

Many parents he noted have failed in their role toward their children arguing that before the children wake up in the morning, parents have gone to work and arrived late at night when the children have slept without any time to cross examine the children academic performance. He urged parent to seek for time to visit their children at school to know how they are faring academically.