Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa has told old students and education stakeholders that the future of public schools cannot rest on government funding alone.

Speaking at the 50th anniversary of Omooluorogbo Grammar School, Akure, he urged financially capable alumni to return to their alma mater with investments that would improve learning conditions for today’s pupils.

Represented by the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Sunday Olajide, the governor praised the alumni for turning their golden jubilee into a legacy project rather than a mere reunion.

Their interventions included a furnished four-classroom block, renovation of the school hall and administrative offices, a generator, a perimeter fence and exercise books for students.

Aiyedatiwa said collaboration between government, alumni and other stakeholders was necessary to bridge the infrastructural deficit in public schools. He argued that such partnerships would create safer, more conducive environments where pupils can learn and teachers can work with dignity.

The governor said those who benefited from public education should not watch from a distance while the institutions that shaped them struggle. He asked alumni to see the anniversary as a call to renew their commitment to the school that gave them their foundation.

The governor used the occasion to challenge other former students across the state to identify with their old schools and contribute meaningfully to their development.