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Prof. Friday Ndubuisi is the Vice-Chancellor of Christopher University, a private university located in Mowe, Ogun State. The Professor of Philosophy speaks with MOJEED ALABI on some pertinent issues in the education system, including the cost of education, the admission crisis, and the proliferation of private universities, among others.

What is your take on the proliferation of private universities in the country in which some have been described as mushroom universities?

I want to believe that they mean proliferation by referring to the number of private universities springing up these days in the country. And, if I may ask how, many do we have compared to our population? The entire universities in Nigeria are still less than 170, accommodating less than half of the admission seekers.

And without the private universities, how many would the federal and state universities have accommodated? I was in the University of Lagos for many years and I know what we went through in terms of admission processes. Last year alone, about 33,000 candidates sat for the Post-UTME at the university and less than 7,000 were eventually offered admission.

New Telegraph: click to read more

Stories abound of private universities treating students as children, restricting movements, prescribing dress codes and even enforcing strict wake-up and bedtime regulations. How can character be built without infringing on the student’s rights?

The issue of freedom is a very serious issue in the civilized world. A university environment is a citadel of learning, where youths and adults alike learn things that they take out to the wider society. A university undergraduate is a leader in his/her right. So, it is important he imbibes a good orientation that pervades his/her consciousness. This is what informs his behavior and the impact he makes subsequently.

The issue of good discipline, knowing how to do the right thing at the right time is important, which includes dress code. There is a common saying that you should dress the way you want to be addressed. These virtues have to enter the subconscious of our youngsters at an early age so that they become their second nature. Having said that, we are advocates of human rights and freedom. But we promote freedom that goes with a high sense of responsibility. There is nowhere in the world that people enjoy absolute freedom, as every meaningful freedom goes with responsibilities. That is why men of reasons see freedom as a heavy burden and challenge. At Christopher University, we will treat our students with a measure of respect, but they must show reasonable standards of responsibility.

Guardian: click to read more