Solarin’s Widow To Protest For The Return Of Mayflower School

Pupils would be returning to schools across the country tomorrow after the long holidays but not so the pupils of the famous Mayflower School, Ikenne, Ogun State.
Reason: the school will be under lock and key with the matriarch of the late Tai Solarin family, Madam Sheila Solarin sitting at the main gate to protest against the Ogun state government for the latter’s refusal to hand over the school to her.

Speaking on behalf of the Solarin family is their daughter, Corin who is also the school proprietress in charge of the Mayflower private school, she said,’’ the nationally renowned school founded by the late Dr. Tai Solarin and his wife Mrs. Sheila Solarin is moving into the final phase of a three year privatization effort that will see the school finally returning to Mrs. Sheila Solarin, MFR, MBE this month.

‘’The privatization effort that the wife of the renowned social critic is spearheading has indeed been the "rough road" that the late social critic Papa Tai wished on his followers.’
According to Corin , while Lagos state is returning schools to private owners the Ogun state counterpart is different .In her own words she said ‘’ While former Lagos State schools have transitioned smoothly into private ownership those types of schools in Ogun State have had a much more challenging go of it. There has been a certain amount of opposition to the return of Mayflower School to private ownership appearing to emanate from primarily stakeholders within the Ogun State Ministry of Education itself.

"The change in state government in May of this year provided the cover needed to muddy the already turbulent waters with regards to the privatization of
Mayflower School. Conflicting statements have originated from the Ministry and a new Governor intent on fixing the myriad of problems in Ogun State, leaving the proprietors of the private schools inc luding Mayflower confused and unsure of the intentions of the Ministry of Education.’’

Corin said the Ogun state governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun assured the family when he visited them in July that he would return the school back to the family, but now singing a different tune.
She said ‘’a personal visit by Governor Amosun to Mrs. Sheila Solarin on July 22 of this year however saw the Governor assuring the 87 year old matriarch of the Solarin family that his intention was indeed to return Mayflower School to her.’’
She added ‘’In the meantime however, public school officials have not been reassigned to other schools, and indeed are still on the grounds of the soon to be completely private Mayflower School selling admission forms and stating that the government run school is still in business.

Corin said the former students of the school want the school returned to the family believing that the government cannot do what the Solarins had been doing .’’There are thousands of Ex-Mays as they call themselves that is the old boys and girls of Mayflower School who are taking a keen interest in the proceedings. While there are a variety of opinions on what the best options are, the majority of Ex-Mays interviewed are unanimous in their opinion that their formerly proud school has definitely fallen on hard times as a government school, both in terms of academic performance and behavior and also in terms of the physical infrastructure of the school. The majority of Ex-Mays seem to feel that private enterprise and ownership by owners who care about the school is the best option at this point if their once great alma mater is to be brought back from the current state of decay.

She continued ‘’While the owners await word from the Ministry of Education about the date for the final reassignment of government staff to other local government schools they are going ahead and getting ready for the hundreds of students who will be starting back to Mayflower School as a private school on Monday.’’



She told The Nation ‘’ I am not happy the way things are going, is this the way to treat education? The state government should allow people who want to improve the educational sector to do their best .We see what the state schools are producing and this is what my late father fought against when he was alive. Let them privatise education and have qualitative one."

http://www.thenationonlineng.net/2011/index.php/news-update/19938-solarin%E2%80%99s-widow-to-protest-non-return-of-mayflower.html

For a Nigerian setting, I don't think public schools make a lot of sense.

If you want to raise quality, I think private schools are the way to go.

What percentage of the Nigerian populace can afford the exorbitant fees of private schools?

Sisi_Kill:

What percentage of the Nigerian populace can afford the exorbitant fees of private schools?

Probably not many. I would suggest subsidizing private school education through some sort of voucher program (raising the money from taxation.)

This is the only real way to have large-scale QUALITY education rather than the large-scale CRAP education we currently have.

Yes, subsidizing petrol cost for the public is WRONG but in the same country, plagued with the same issues of corruption, subsidizing education for the same public will make more sense. BRILLIANT!

GERRROUT-A-HERE!!!!

Kobojunkie:

Yes, subsidizing petrol cost for the public is WRONG but in the same country, plagued with the same issues of corruption, subsidizing education for the same public will make more sense.

Yes. Is this not obvious?

BRILLIANT!

Wait, you were being sarcastic?  Kobo, if you really reason in this way, and you really think that spending money on subsidized amala petroleum is better than investing in the education of children, I don't know what to say to you. I just hope you never have any influence in my own part of Nigeria.

ekt_bear:

Yes. Is this not obvious?
Wait, you were being sarcastic?  Kobo, if you really reason in this way, and you really think that spending money on subsidized amala petroleum is better than investing in the education of children, I don't know what to say to you. I just hope you never have any influence in my own part of Nigeria.

What has BETTER THAN got to do with anything?  If I recall correctly, one of your major arguments against subsidy is Nigeria is not to be some "feeding trough" for the people. So, again, what has BETTER THAN to do with anything?

So "subsidizing education for the same public will make more sense" = you think that subsidized education makes no more sense than subsidized fuel?

If that is what you are saying, then see my previous post.

KoboJ.

Surely you see a difference between providing education for the poor and providing subsidized petrol, right?

One is an investment in the future, the other is spending money on the present.

I view spending money on basic education in the same way as I view building roads or bridges.

Fuel subsidy is no different to me than amala subsidy.

ekt_bear:

So "subsidizing education for the same public will make more sense" = you think that subsidized education makes no more sense than subsidized fuel?

If that is what you are saying, then see my previous post.

Again

Kobojunkie:

What has BETTER THAN got to do with anything?  If I recall correctly, one of your major arguments against subsidy is Nigeria is not to be some "feeding trough" for the people. So, again, what has BETTER THAN to do with anything?

Whether public education is the answer or not,
the government shouldn't be able to steal a private school from it's rightful owner.
My family actually runs a school.  Why should any dumb governor be allowed to just take it?  That's insane.

Dude. . .errr. . .I think she is saying the same objections you raised against subsidizing petrol would also apply to subsidizing education seeing as it is still the same country, with the same people, the same issues etc. It's got nothing to do with one thing being better than the other.

Subsidy in Nigeria is still subsidy in Nigeria. . . regardless of what is being subsidized?

Ka gani?

Sisi_Kill:

Dude. . .errr. . .I think she is saying the same objections you raised against subsidizing petrol would also apply to subsidizing education seeing as it is still the same country, with the same people, the same issues etc. It's got nothing to do with one thing being better than the other.

Subsidy in Nigeria is still subsidy in Nigeria. . . regardless of what is being subsidized?

Ka gani?

I don't think it is quite the same. Subsidized petrol. . . well, it is easy to carry away and steal, divert.

How do you steal subsidized education? 

I dunno, it seems to me like that is not quite as easy to steal.

In any case, isn't the government effectively subsidizing education right now? I dunno how much leakage/corruption there is in your typical state department of education. But I would guess that less is stolen there than at NNPC, for example? Pure speculation on my part, granted. Perhaps someone has evidence suggesting otherwise. . .

To be fair, I can think of a few ways to profit in a fraudulent manner from large-scale subsidized education; I'm not saying it is impossible. Just don't think it is as easy

Sisi_Kill:

Dude. . .errr. . .I think she is saying the same objections you raised against subsidizing petrol would also apply to subsidizing education seeing as it is still the same country, with the same people, the same issues etc. It's got nothing to do with one thing being better than the other.

Subsidy in Nigeria is still subsidy in Nigeria. . . regardless of what is being subsidized?

Ka gani?

Na the same Nigeria ooo!!! Even ordinary mobile card registration has been turned, by the corrupt, into a way of making profits, na school voucher go come escape Corruption in the same country?? ROFLMAO!!

I can almost see it happening . . . GHOST Kids popping up on the list. Schools with student population under 100 recording a population in the high hundreds  . . . ROFLMAO!! Parents-teachers association go turned into something on another level . . . ROFL

Met with Corin Solarin and the Mum, Mama Sheila Solarin on the 15th of January 2011. . .

We discussed the challenges they had faced with the privatization efforts et al . . .little did I know that the battle had just begun

Amosun will have no option than to cede Mayflower back, though I align with their school of thought, letting go of the best school academically ever from Ogun State is always going to be a tough one for any Governor!

Proud to be an EX-MAY!!!!

^^^

MayFlower lost her glory long time ago.

Anyway, Amosun should hold on to it. To make it accessible to the ordinary folks who cant afford the price

Why should ANY government hold on to a private entity like Mayflower? I went to Mayflower and I could never have been in a better school and these USELESS governments all over the place trying to steal someone else's sweat? Nigerian governments are CURSED at almost every level!!

^-- government doesn't understand that there are certain things it just doesn't do well.

How does that quote go? I think it goes "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results."

Nigeria is a country with 160 million+ people, but educationally is definitely punching below the level of even countries half it's size like Iran or Turkey.

If you want to harness the talents of your populace, you cannot keep doing the same silly things that don't work.

Seun:

Whether public education is the answer or not,
the government shouldn't be able to steal a private school from it's rightful owner.
My family actually runs a school.  Why should any dumb governor be allowed to just take it?  That's insane.

I cannot believe a government was able to do this in the first place. My mind boggles at the thot of one building something up and a govt taking it, plsssssssss

ekt_bear:

Probably not many. I would suggest subsidizing private school education through some sort of voucher program (raising the money from taxation.)

This is the only real way to have large-scale QUALITY education rather than the large-scale CRAP education we currently have.

I think this is the best comment on NL ever. Without collective good education 9ja will waste and go into oblivion and
umblera mode. MSC graduates shelling all over the place. 1st lady bombing better than boko haram shows u don't know why a child will end up and its not about the privileged few or not its the basic that EVERY kid must have good educational foundation.
Its unfair !!!!
Return the mayflower to the solarin family and provide subsidy so that they can bring greatness back to the kids.
Its either that or yahoo yahoo, boko haramizm, kidnappism etc
ONLY SOUND EDUCATION CAN SAVE NIG FROM THIS CORRUPTION UMBLERRA

my dad was one of the recipients of the return of formerly public schools to their owners in lagos state and in my objective opinion i believe it has been the right step to take.prior to these schools being returned to their former owners the schools like most public schools were in a terrible state of dis repair,half baked n.c.e qualified teachers who could hardly construct a sentence in english and thugs who are students who openly fight and stab each other on inter house sports days.
since the schools were returned the standards have risen considerably and while they pay tuition fees they don't pay the same rate as the already established private schools but get qualitative teaching and over all educational experience unlike the times in was government run.
what is the point of the government running schools if it can't be run properly,if i was a parent i would rather pay a bit to have a properly run secondary school where i was sure my child/ward was receiving quality education than a state run school where i was not paying anything and my child/ward is not getting taught properly.
a school like mayflower by its antecedents should be returned to the owners in order for them to properly run the school and bring it up to the exacting standards it was prior to the govt take over

@kobojunkie. why are you always so bitter? u don't have to explain. but if u feel so inclined, try and pretend that you are civilised and do so without insults. Thank You.

@ekt_bear

Who is in charge of primary and secondary school education where you live? There are some things the government has to do right, education is one of them, they can not continue to delegate their responsibilities, if the old western region could have good schools, what stops the new ogun state from running a good primary and secondary school?

hercules07:

@ekt_bear

Who is in charge of primary and secondary school education where you live? There are some things the government has to do right, education is one of them, they can not continue to delegate their responsibilities, if the old western region could have good schools, what stops the new ogun state from running a good primary and secondary school?

Where I live, the money for schools is raised from PROPERTY TAXES for a jurisdiction (think town-sized, or a few towns.)

So if you live in a rich neighborhood, generally you'll get a good education. If you live in a poor one, then generally you'll get a bad education.

So the schools are locally funded and locally administrated.

(If you live in a poor neighborhood there are some options though. You can pay for private school education yourself, or if your children are smart enough to pass the entrance exams for the elite public high schools, you can send your kids to one of those. The place where I grew up, the local high school was pretty good but I ended up going to the magnet HS. My little sister also goes to a magnet HS.)

Nairaland is a perfect example of why education needs to be privatized.

So the schools are public schools, why are you now advocating for private schools in Nigeria, the public schools in Nigeria are also funded from property tax among other taxes, I live in a fairly comfortable neighborhood (by naija standards) and my children can not attend the public schools there because of the poor standards, we need to ask on government to use the commonwealth for the true purpose, education being one of the important ones, there are two equalizers in this world, education and the internet.

@el

University education can be privatized as long as the primary and secondary schools equip kids with what they need to have a meaningful life, why do we need university students as cashiers and customer service reps in banks if not for the cluelessness of our leaders.

hercules07:

So the schools are public schools, why are you now advocating for private schools in Nigeria, the public schools in Nigeria are also funded from property tax among other taxes, I live in a fairly comfortable neighborhood (by naija standards) and my children can not attend the public schools there because of the poor standards, we need to ask on government to use the commonwealth for the true purpose, education being one of the important ones, there are two equalizers in this world, education and the internet.

I don't think the US system of education is the best, tbh. The current system works well for those who live in wealthy neighborhoods, but poorly for those who don't. (This is why I'm pro voucher. . . I want those who go to bad schools here in the US to be able to get vouchers to go to good private ones. But that is sort of a disgression.)

The issues are a lot more subtle than just boiling it down to public vs. private. In any case, the good public schools in the US are not really public like that. If you don't pay property taxes for that particular good school, then you cannot attend.

Public does not mean it is free, someone must pay for it and our taxes and commonwealth are doing that, primary and secondary schools should be public, free and qualitative, it can be done and should be done.

A student in mayflower is payin 78k per term.let dem nt extort ppl al in d name of privitization.it's kinda too much 4 sm,nd ds leads to d withdrawal of sm pupil dt cant afford d fee

hercules07:

Public does not mean it is free, someone must pay for it and our taxes and commonwealth are doing that, primary and secondary schools should be public, free and qualitative, it can be done and should be done.

You have a good head on your shoulder.

Many people dont know the history of MayFlower and how Tai Solarin himself allowed the school to be taken over by the government. Some people just come here and yarn trash they know nothing about.

Voucher ko, discount price ni. For me, I think people should go to school on credit aka awin

I think if government is serious about education they should show it by rasing standard of the public schools, not to take over the alreay built one like may flower, they just want to kill mayflower school. Government can`t manage the school. Goverment has resources to compete with this schools if they are serious.