Nairaland Forum

People

This is an issue that has been bothering my mind for long. I need your thoughts on it.

As much as I do not like criticizing men of God or condemning their actions, the issue is one I think should be brought up with these men of God.

Why should a university set-up by a church or an islamic group charge fees that majority of its congregation can hardly afford to pay, especially given the fact the capital used in the setting up of these schools were contributed by members of the church?

I am aware of the fact that what you don't pay for, you don't value and that it cost a lot to run the schools and maintain the right standards.

But I am also aware that most of these men of God (and a lot of politicians also) were beneficiaries of the free education schemes ran by different missionary groups in the 60s, 70s and 80s. My own dad, being an indigent student, enjoyed free education from the primary level to masters level courtesy of these missionaries and some foreign government agencies. If these schools back then could run free educational schemes and still maintain good standards, why can't our new generation religious schools do the same?

I could recall that my mum contributed some token when one of these schools was to be established. She contributed as a member of the school. However, none of us, her children, could benefit from the school as the fees were just too high for a widowed civil servant such as my mum.

I have seen and interacted with many product of these schools. They are bright, smart and full of potentials. But one thing is obviously missing in them, the sense of duty to give back to the society. The kind of zeal you see in my dad's generation to give back to their alma mata, to help educate the less privileged, is obviously missing in these new breed of university graduates. This is the real danger.

Is anything wrong in having the schools run on a 50% profit and 50% non-profit basis so that indigent but brilliant students can enjoy some of the great works being done by these institutions?

People what are your opinions?

Xavier.:

People

This is an issue that has been bothering my mind for long. I need your thoughts on it.

As much as I do not like criticizing men of God or condemning their actions, the issue is one I think should be brought up with these men of God.

Why should a university set-up by a church or an islamic group charge fees that majority of its congregation can hardly afford to pay, especially given the fact the capital used in the setting up of these schools were contributed by members of the church?

I am aware of the fact that what you don't pay for, you don't value and that it cost a lot to run the schools and maintain the right standards.

But I am also aware that most of these men of God (and a lot of politicians also) were beneficiaries of the free education schemes ran by different missionary groups in the 60s, 70s and 80s. My own dad, being an indigent student, enjoyed free education from the primary level to masters level courtesy of these missionaries and some foreign government agencies. If these schools back then could run free educational schemes and still maintain good standards, why can't our new generation religious schools do the same?

I could recall that my mum contributed some token when one of these schools was to be established. She contributed as a member of the school. However, none of us, her children, could benefit from the school as the fees were just too high for a widowed civil servant such as my mum.

I have seen and interacted with many product of these schools. They are bright, smart and full of potentials. But one thing is obviously missing in them, the sense of duty to give back to the society. The kind of zeal you see in my dad's generation to give back to their alma mata, to help educate the less privileged, is obviously missing in these new breed of university graduates. This is the real danger.

Is anything wrong in having the schools run on a 50% profit and 50% non-profit basis so that indigent but brilliant students can enjoy some of the great works being done by these institutions?

People what are your opinions?

it's not just the private unis that suffer from that lack of zeal

No non-profit is going to sponsor students en masse; its up to government to provide a general scheme that can help all. "sense of duty" and "zeal" are not going to pay the bills. At the end of the day, quality education costs money, and it is unfair to expect universities to go into debt just to give education for free.

@OP you make a good observation, and agreed its the makes of food for thought. Question is do the varsities have bursary schemes for the derserving and the needy, there obviously has to be a sound criteria in terms of awarding such bursaries. In case these institutions do have such bursary initiatives, then I'll have to say they are doing their bit, and the rest of the population should pay for the asking.

Some of these school do get sponsors from government at least that's the case in SA. However, it must be noted that they pay for staff salaries, school/structural maitenance, keeping up with technology and not to mention getting the right curriculum at the right time. I still question a lot regarding my emboldment if I had to comapre a student from a publuc and private varsity because I am almost conviced that its not so much about the curriculum that the private institutions do differently but rather the teaching methods.

It would be interesting to hear your thoughts/solutions to your own obseravation.