Sir: One of the greatest ambition of almost all old students of every school is to join its alumni with a view to contributing to its development and growth. For almost everyone, the nostalgia of the schools attended as a child and the thinking that such schools play a pivotal role in what one eventually becomes is paramount.

For the same reason, almost everyone is always ready to join others in giving back to such schools in whatever capacity as may be necessary from time to time. Such feelings of how schools mould lives led to the founding of alumni associations to which almost all old students not only belong but also try as much as they can to make their impact and presence felt.

It is true that most achievements recorded by every individual may never have been possible without the efforts and labour of some teachers who went all out to bring out the best in their pupils and students. But that was far in the past when almost everyone attended public schools as there were no other options as such. All eyes were therefore focused in that direction and teachers were forced to put in their best in order to achieve the best learning outcomes. Those were days when only the best in terms of intelligence had teaching appointments.

The few untrained teachers at the time were those with exceptional performance in their final exams who were yet to gain admission into higher institutions owing to one reason or another. Such teachers never disappointed their employers because of their intellect which were proven and never in doubt even when they were students.

Regrettably, however, the age of rationality represented by the picture described above was later succeeded a total reign of mediocrity and paradise was lost. The creation of private schools began the process of separation between the children of the rich and the poor and options opened to those who could afford to send their kids to private schools.

From then, the government’s focus on public schools began to wane as their own children were enrolled in private schools and would no longer bother their heads about whatever becomes of the public schools. Since then, a lot of discrepancies found their way into the system which gradually killed all the old schools which later became a shadow of their former selves.

Teachers training colleges became haven for very poor candidates while teachers recruitment also became a matter of connection, not that of passion and diligence. For several decades all manner of highly irresponsible people are regularly brought into the system.

To make matters worse, duty posts became the prerogative of the well connected while passion for the job or records of positive achievements on the job were no longer considered. While the most hardworking teachers are relegated to the background, notoriously lazy officers are placed over and above the diligent thereby causing depression to those who are bound to be disenchanted by the turn of events.

The greatest havoc to befall the education sector is the abandonment of diligence, merit and passion for the job in the award of duty posts. By introducing the politics of connection into the appointment of key officers, excellence was jettisoned and supplanted by utter mediocrity.

With a combination of bad leadership and poor personnel, most schools continue to move from bad to worse, and quite sadly, without any possibility or prospect of returning to normal.

Each time members of alumni meet and cast their minds back to the kind of education they received during their own time, it may be difficult for them to accept or believe that all those past experiences have since gone with the winds and what is now in place are hawks with sharp claws waiting for any available thing to grab.

While members of alumni do so much for their Alma matter in the bid to make learning easier for the current set of learners, alas, most of the items procured for the school often disappear into the thin air within a short while since no inventory is ever taken and even government’s monthly subventions to the schools are always like pouring water into the basket.

It is only when the government sits up to do a proper monitoring of its public schools especially in the areas of inventory taking that things may start to take a proper shape. The first step, however, is to restore diligence and proven passion as prerequisites for duty posts.

Jide Oyewusi is the coordinator of Ethics Watch International, Nigeria.