Soyinka "Students should not wear uniforms that depict their religion"

Nobel Laureate,Prof. Wole Soyinka, on Monday, 23rd November, expressed his displeasure at students who wear faith-based uniforms in schools.

He stated that students should not be allowed to wear uniforms depicting their religious affiliations to schools across the country as this will only cause division among them.

Soyinka made this statement at the inauguration of a N750m school built by theOsun State Governmentin Ejigbo; a school which was named after him.

He expressed his gratitude for this honor bestowed on him byGovernor Rauf Aregesola, but warned against students causing division among themselves along religious lines.

He explained that this "holier-than-thou' belief was one of the factors that led to the abduction of the Chibok girls by Boko Haram insurgents.

He said, “One of the ways we can reduce this fatalistic sense of holiness is to reduce the element of difference. I wish to implore that we do not distinguish our children by their religions.”

He also expressed his displeasure at the fact that the Chibok girls are still missing;

“ It is a shame that the nation cannot account for over 200 girls in Chibok. I sympathise with the religious policy of governments in school; children must not be brought up feeling that religion inhibits knowledge."

Aregbesola inaugurated the school established by his administration in Ejigbo.

The governor applauded Soyinka as the greatest scholar in Africa.

According to reports, TheWole Soyinka Government High School, Ejigbo is a 3,000-capacity complex with 72 classrooms of 49 square-metres, each capable of sitting 49 students and has six offices for study groups.

It is equipped with six laboratories, 18 toilets for girls and 18 for boys, one science library, one arts library, facility manager’s office, a bookshop and a sick bay.