Elizade VC warns parents against sending young children abroad for studies

The Vice-Chancellor of Elizade University, Ilara-Mokin, Ondo State, Professor Philip Oguntunde, has warned parents and guardians against sending their children abroad at an early stage.

The VC said that such decisions often carry unintended and painful consequences in the end.

The don gave this warning on the campus of the institution during a Town-and-Gown engagement with secondary school administrators in the state on Monday.

Oguntunde noted that his position was not merely advisory but deeply personal.

He recalled that he turned down two foreign education offers for his own children, insisting they undertake their first degree in Nigeria, a decision he said he has never regretted.

“Allow your children and wards to acquire their first degree in Nigeria; otherwise, you may have unwittingly donated them to the devil.

After their first degree, you can now release them to go abroad for further studies; by that time, they must have attained a greater level of maturity,” he said.

According to him, emerging realities showed that many parents who rushed to send their children overseas at a tender age were now grappling with deep regret.

He identified some of the problems associated with foreign education, including a crisis of value erosion, weakened family bonds, and emotional disconnect between parents and their children.

The Elizade University boss pointed out that many young people, when exposed to foreign cultures too early, gradually lose touch with their roots, moral upbringing, and sense of responsibility to their families.

In his remarks, the Registrar of the institution, Mr. Omololu Adegbenro, assured stakeholders that the institution remained a hub of academic excellence with a strong focus on global competitiveness, noting that all 32 academic programmes offered by the varsity were fully accredited by the National Universities Commission.

He particularly highlighted the Nursing programme, describing it as exceptional and noting that graduates earn four distinct professional and academic certifications, giving them a competitive edge both locally and internationally.

Culled from punch