Chief Afe Babalola (SAN) has called on the Federal Government to create awareness on the need for families to limit the number of their children to two.
He said this on Thursday while delivering the 2017 annual lecture series of the Faculty of Education, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.
He stated that China introduced a policy of one child per family but allowed any family that wanted to have a second child to be ready to pay such child’s educational bills, Punch reports.
Babalola said, “The time has come for the government to frankly convince the people of the need to moderate the number of children they raise. I, on my part, would recommend only two children per family.
“The government must make it abundantly clear that there is a limit to the amount of money it can provide for education in the midst of competing areas of need. The politicians, particularly those aspiring to be governors, should stop deceiving the populace that, if elected, they would provide free education. This is how we came about several state universities which are only universities in name and are not better than glorified secondary schools.”
According to him, private universities should not only be allowed to benefit from the TETFUND, the government should give them grants because they are assisting the government to provide one of its social services to the people.
He said, “Lack of understanding has resulted in a situation whereby governments see no reason why private universities should be supported or funded by federal agencies like the Tertiary Education Trust Fund in Nigeria. In countries such as Canada, United Kingdom, USA and Japan that understand the basic service delivery paradox, both public and private universities are financed by the government such that they can deliver fast and qualitative education at a substantially reduced or affordable cost.”
Omoleye Omoruyi… an apprentice web/game developer, novelist, sensitive to happenings in the world. Meet him @Lord_rickie on Twitter/Instagram
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