Education is a developmental tool. It constitutes a definite plus when the individual is educated. In a collective sense, education also serves as an engine of growth. The immediate fore-going may well explain why the developed countries of the world are very passionate about education.
The ruling elite of these countries are very conscious of the fact that an educated work-force and citizenry have the simultaneous capacity to catalyze growth and fuel governance credentials. Indeed, it is arguable that one major difference between the developed and developing countries is that social formations in the former category pay a lot of attention to education. In this respect, one major way in which education is accorded priority can be seen in the quantum of resources that is committed to it. Predictably, developing countries, in a bid to catch up with their counterparts in the developed world, should also be seen, devoting substantial amounts of money and other resources to education.
It is against this background that we are very surprised at the latest developments in Osun State where Olagunsoye Oyinlola is the governor. In the area of education, the governor in response to yearnings from the populace, has decided to establish the University of Osun State (UNIOSUN).
At one level, the governor, deserves to be commended for establishing this university. He has certainly kept faith with one of the widely held aspirations in that part of the country where education is highly valued.
However, there is the widely held concern about the way in which the new University is going about its business. Specifically, this concern relates to the astronomical tuition fees which the university proposes to charge. Till date, undenied reports indicate that: prospective students of the new university are required to pay tuition fees in the region of N200,000 – N300,000 per session. Meanwhile, this rather high fee is for tuition alone! By the time it is taken into consideration other fundamental costs like: boarding and feeding, parents and sponsors would have to cough up something in the region of N500,000 for one single student. It is evident that the managers of the new university under the inspiration of Governor Oyinlola are in danger of losing their bearings. Precious little thought appears to have been given to the fact that UNIOSUN is not a private university. It is indeed a public institution, which we believe has been set up to ensure that more citizens of Osun state in particular and Nigeria in general have access to higher education.
Therefore, if these are the objectives, it is evident then that the Chairman of the implementation Committee of the University, Professor Peter Okebukola, and Governor Oyinlola, have already shot themselves in the foot. The point that is worth noting here is: what population of Osun state can access university education, in view of the rather strangulating fees that are being put in place by the respective authorities of the Osun State Government and UNIOSUN. In view of the fact that Osun state is essentially a civil service state in which commercialization and industrialization are of the minimum order, it is difficult to see how the average citizen in Osun state can access this rather costly University education. And for those civil servants who are probably able to afford the cost of education in UNIOSUN, the inference is quite clear. This is in view of the clear mismatch between their legitimate earnings and spending power. Such civil servants are invariably steeped in corruption. What they earn at the invisible and illegitimate levels, may well explain why they can afford the astronomical fees that are being put in place by the authorities of UNIOSUN.
At one level however, it is possible to appreciate the arguments of the authorities. They have harped on the fact that quality education is not cheap anywhere in the world and that Osun state is not an exception. Lofty goals have also been set for this new university. In this respect, it is being touted that in the nearest future, UNIOSUN will not only emerge as one of the best universities in Nigeria, it would in addition have produced a Nobel laureate! There is certainly a lot to commend in these rhetorics. And we can only add here: Good talk! Even then however, these rather lofty aims and aspirations need to be tempered by a dose of realism. This realism should take cognizance of the fact that majority of the citizens in Osun State cannot afford to pay this astronomical tuition fee. Perhaps the most specious argument from the Governor centres on his contention that prospective students from Osun State are not bound to attend UNIOSUN since according him such students can always attend The Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) which is co-owned with Oyo State. On this score, it is worth stating that there is a specialized bent to LAUTECH. And to this extent therefore UNIOSUN in view of its more general thrust is poised to offer a much wider range of courses than what LAUTECH is offering. So the pointed question then is: what happens to financially strapped students whose course offerings are only available at the costly and expensive UNIOSUN? Such students will invariably be stranded.
It is also necessary to point out that in other climes where tuition fees are very high, the authorities in such places have been sufficiently thoughtful and careful. Such thoughtfulness and reflections can be observed in the provision of mitigating measures. These measures can be observed in the form of loans, bursaries and scholarships for students whose parents lack the means. In this way, education despite its high costs in other lands has turned out to be an affordable commodity. It is in view of the foregoing that the authorities of UNIOSUN should do a rethink on this important issue. We believe that it is patently absurd and pointless to establish a university, which on the basis of costs, cannot be accessed by a vast majority of the populace in Osun State.
EDITORIAL
Daily Champion
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
