The immediate past senator representing Rivers South-East senatorial district, Sen Magnus Abe has said that quality education is costly, and called on corporate bodies, religious institutions and individuals to help bridge the gap by providing scholarships to brilliant but needy scholars.
Senator Abe spoke on Sunday at the dedication of Anglican International Academy, Abuja.
According to him: “As we know, quality education is not and has never been free; it is costly. The proper thing for us to do as a Church is to create avenues to help brilliant children who are less privileged.
The senator explained that with scholarships, children of the poor could have access to quality education, adding that the country cannot talk about free education without talking about the quality of education.
Abe said that affordable education is good, but its relevance diminishes if it is of poor quality.
“What we should concentrate on, when we talk about education is the quality. Education, if it is not of the right quality, is of no use to both those who give it, or those who receive it. It creates more problems for society than it solves.
“We must support scholars who work hard and are deserving of support. It is that opportunity that is absent in this country, and that is what we should provide, both in the Church, as individuals, and as corporate entities.
He said that other countries have students loans, adding that people could access loan and go to school. He stressed that Nigeria must make such opportunities available for its youths.
