Professor Janet E. Olawoye, the Proprietress of Kings Group of Schools, Moniya, Ibadan, Oyo State, said that the standard of education in Nigeria has fallen compared to the 1960s when Nigeria gained independence.

She stated this in an exclusive interview with CEOAFRICA at her premises on Thursday, 15th October 2020.

Recalling her days as a lecturer, Prof Olawoye mentioned that students were more serious with education and ready to learn while teachers were ready to teach, as education offered a chance to a better life.

She added that the present rate of unemployment and the level of frustration in Nigeria has diminished the enthusiasm amongst youth in getting properly educated as they are more interested in getting the certificate than the education which has produced unemployable graduates in the country who cannot compete adequately with their counterparts in other parts of the world

“It is not just to get education to get a job but to get a skill, a training, an ability to make your own life rather than relying on jobs that are not there” she added

In her appeal to the government she said, “we need to analyse this problem, it is not a question of giving them handouts, because if you give them money today, they will eat and it will be gone… provide technical skills so that they can invent”

Prof. Olawoye faulted parents for paying to have their children pass examinations which negatively impacts on their ability to maximize their full potentials thereby having nothing to offer. She further stated that parents choosing courses for their children as well as pushing them through school at a tender age should desist from doing so.

She urged lecturers to keep up with International standards in a bid to avoid raising students who tends towards being local champions but cannot perform in international space.

“We don’t need lecturers who are just there to rehearse the lecture notes they had since they were students and I have seen cases of people who are still using the same note they used in 20yrs of teaching”

Appealing to the government, Prof. Olawoye stated that the system does not facilitate good educational standards, adding that there isn’t enough monitoring of the quality of education especially the primary and the secondary schools, hence the need to concentrate on quality rather than opening more schools.

“It is not about having schools established all around, it is more on having people that are well trained. You cannot teach what you don’t know, you can’t give what you don’t have, more interest should be given in developing human resources”.

Speaking on the educational standard of Kings Group of Schools, she stated that examination malpractice in not tolerated hence her students work hard and exploit their full potentials

“In our school, we have zero tolerance for examination malpractice and our children know it. By the time they get their results whether it is A1, B2, C3 it is their result and they have worked hard to get it” she said.

Kings schools which is said to have produced over 700 graduates who are doing well around the world, provides students with a conducive learning environment, equips them with academics as well as social, motivational and inspirational skills to stand out.

It also caters for the moral well-being of the children, being a Christian school, it imbeds in them the knowledge of the scripture and ability to trust in God as the only source of success.