OKE-IRAGBIJI GRAMMAR SCHOOL @ 60: Old Students Gather To Celebrate, Honour, As Govr Oyetola Calls For High Standard Of Secondary Education (Photos)

The Oke-Iragbiji Grammar School Old Students Association gathered at Iragbiji on Saturday, 1st of February, 2020 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of their Alma mater.

The grand finally of the seventh day of the week-long activities marking the 60th anniversary of the school was attended by eminent personalities of alumni from all walks of life gathering to celebrate their school in the ancient city of Iragbiji in Boripe Local Government of Osun State.

Speaking as the Special Guest of Honour, Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State stated that his administration is highly committed to revitalization of secondary education in the state, adding that the eroding standard of education in the country is the cause root of the unemployment across Nigeria.

Governor Oyetola was represented by his Special Adviser on Works and Transport, Engr Olatoke Olaniyan who delivered the speech on his behalf.

Engr Toke OlaniyaAccording to him, “the current state of Nigeria’s development is no doubt directly proportional to the level of its past and present educational state. The level of decay and unemployment is a pointer to the scant attention given to education since independence and the failure of education to respond to our needs. It is also a clarion call on us to give education its deserved attention and recalibrate the curriculum to respond to contemporary need.

“As our contribution to revitalising our educational system, The State of Osun has changed the narrative by commencing the renovation of schools across the State, providing instructional materials for students and training and re-training teachers to deliver education that will make our children compete globally. We are also providing qualitative and functional education with adequate vocational and technical components for our children to make them job creators and not job seekers. This is a major shift from the former education system that put the nation in mass unemployment quagmire. Osun has 10 Life Academies, including one mining Academy where children are taught vocational and technical skills to produce manpower for the State’s economy.

“A substantial chunk of the proceeds from the Osun Economic and Investment Summit which we convened last year shall be injected into the education sector to produce adequate and qualitative manpower that will transform the economy of the State.

“Let me also appreciate the organisers of this event for the Fundraising Luncheon component of this Anniversary. Fundraising is about infrastructure and overall development of the school. In these days of obvious economic downturn, it has become clearer than ever that government alone cannot deliver the education that we desire and that all the stakeholders, especially old students, well-meaning sons and daughters of our towns, philanthropists, corporate organisations must pool resources to build our schools and our children’s capacity.”

“I am happy that Oke-Iragbiji Grammar School is responding to this call. I salute the school for this initiative and I urge them to continue to sponsor projects for the development of the school. The old students should not only contribute their resources but should use their influence in their respective places of work to develop the school. I urge the school authority to continue to cultivate the old students and to catch the current students young by instilling in them the need to give back to the school that produced them.”

While delivering his lecture, Prof Olutayo Adesina of the University of Ibadan, as the guest speaker titled “The State of Secondary Education in Nigeria: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow”, had earlier called on the government, parents and old students association to come to the aid of the secondary education in Nigeria.

Professor Olutayo stated that the standard of education yesterday is far better than today, adding that if necessary attention is not given to the sector, tommorow’s standard may be worse than what we see today.

Guest Speaker: Prof Olutayo Adesina

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Old Students Association, Engr Olatoke Olaniyan, earlier in his address explained the challenges facing the school which according to him ranges from inadequate staff strength to poor or lack of important facilities.

In his words, ”The situation here is critical, our Alma Mater is in dire need of intervention by everyone of us. We are also convinced that urgent attention should be paid to the type of education we are imparting on the students such that they would be able to compete with their peers across the globe. It is not enough to dwell on the cognitive domain alone without paying attention to the affective as well as the psychomotor domains. The emphasis on the development of the intelligence quotient alone without correspondingly working on the social and emotional quotient might leave the students bare and barren in these equally important areas.

“We therefore implore all stakeholders in education to review the school curricula to suit the needs of this modern time with a view to producing products that would be assets not liabilities to themselves and society at large.”

Engr Toke Olaniyan

Earlier in his welcome address, the Chairman of 60th Anniversary planning committee, Prof Siyan Oyeweso called on all the alumni of the school to look back and contribute immensely to the development of the Alma mater, adding that the school has produced different people who have in one way or the other contributed and are still contributing to the development of Osun and Nigeria at large.

Prof Shiyan Oyeweso amidst others

Also in attendance was the Aragbiji of Iragbiji, Oba Abdurrosheed Olabomi Odundun IV, who is also an alumnus of the school.

The event also served as fundraising for the completion of library and other developmental projects ongoing in the school, while awards presentation to deserving members of the association, teachers and other staff of the school who had in the past served and contribution to the growth of the school and some were posthumously awarded.

See more pictures below: