The education sector in Oyo state under Governor Seyi Makinde is set to return to the glorious days of free education as was replicated in the former Western region. BAYO AGBOOLA writes.
Oyo state seems to be heading towards the good old days of free education regime of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo. This was when education was seen as a pride and in turn projected the then Western region thereby taking it to a greater height as a leading force in spearheading the Nigeria project.
Since May 29, this year, the sector is fast undergoing lots of reforms at making it more attractive to the people of the state particularly the younger generations as was the case in 60s. This is in consideration of the ongoing commitment of the present administration of Engineer Seyi Makinde on the sector.
Makinde since his first day in office, has left no one in doubt that education would be a top priority of his administration when he publicly announced in his inaugural speech on May 29, at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium the immediate cancellation of the annual N3,000 levy paid by secondary school students in public schools in the state and in turn promised the people free and qualitative education.
Makinde hits the ground running
Weeks after this pronouncement, Governor Makinde embarked on rehabilitation of school buildings in the three senatorial districts of the state as well as the commissioning of rehabilitated schools building to meet up with the commencement of the new academic session.
In his words at commissioning of one of the rehabilitated school buildings, a block of 20 classrooms at the Baptist Secondary School, Oyo town within his first 100 days in office, said, “It is worthy to mention that the present administration is not oblivious of the fact that childhood is filled with natural wonders and curiosity and that learning environment must reflect a classroom and outdoor space that inspire a sense of wanting to investigate and explore. This was part of what necessitated the need to embark on a project like this, which would enable our children to explore both their natural and social environments.”
Refund of illegal fees to parents
In furtherance of the quest to bring back the good days free, qualitative education, the state government through the commissioner for education, Professor Daud Shangodoyin, announced its decision to refund the N28million paid by parents for the entrance forms into secondary schools and technical colleges in the state early this year under the administration of Senator Abiola Ajimobi.
The commissioner while briefing journalists after the State Executive Council meeting said the present administration is also set to distribute text books, exercise books and other educational materials to pupils and students in public schools across the state
Professor Sangodoyin emphasised that the refund of the N28million to parents would kick off soon just as public schools in and across the state resumed on Monday, September 16. He added that the Ministry of Education is to facilitate and ensure the distribution of the textbooks, exercise books and other education materials to all public schools as the new academic calendar also commences.
Specifically, he said the ministry would hold the symbolic distribution of textbooks and exercise books on 13 subjects as well as a compendium of past questions and answers to students and that the distribution would commence at the Bishop Philips Academy, Iwo Road, Ibadan and in Igboho for Oke-Ogun zone.
The commissioner who stressed that the compendium would be distributed to students of private and public schools stated that the customised exercise books were started and completed by the Makinde government. He added that the government would provide the running cost to schools upon resumption, while it would also begin to return N28 million to parents who have paid for entrance forms for secondary schools and technical colleges in the state, just before Governor Makinde cancelled such payments.
“We are taking stock of the teachers that we have. We have the mainstream teachers, the seconded teachers, the N-Power, NYSC and PTA teachers; so we are in stock-taking to know how many teachers we have. We also want to know the distribution on the subjects. We also want to start off the extra-mural classes for SS3 students between Tuesday and Thursdays and weekends for them to be able to man the content of the syllabus. These are the plans we have for when school resumes on the 16th of September.”
Satisfied with the situation on ground for the commencement of the 2019/2020 academic session, the state government on Sunday warned teachers in all public schools across the state to desist from collecting any form of money from parents or students in the guise of collection of levies as schools as it asked teachers in the public schools to start academic works immediately as schools across the state resumed for a new academic session
The commissioner noted that, “The present administration in the state has been working assiduously to bring back the glory of education. In line with the directive, teachers, support staff and students are expected to henceforth desist from collecting illegal fees as well as be in schools before 8am for academic work to commence immediately on resumption
“The present administration in the state is committed to quality education that would yield best academic performance hence the need for the teachers to work hard by preparing the students for excellent performance.
“We are using this medium to congratulate our students in public and private schools for their resumption on Monday, 16th September 2019 and call on the teachers to engage the students in academic exercises immediately.
The current administration is doing all possible best to change the tide for better in achieving the best for the state in the area of academic performance and improvement in national rating of the state in external examinations,” he said.
The commissioner added further, “To this end, facilities and teacher’s remunerations would be at the forefront of government reckoning to achieve the lofty goal, while teachers are expected to do their bit to justify government’s strict adherence to providing the best enabling environment for their performances.”
Free books distribution by the governor
On Monday, September 16, which also coincided with the judgment day of the governorship election petition tribunal in the state, saw Gov Makinde matching words with action as, true to his words, he headed for Bishop Philips Academy, located along Iwo road in Ibadan to flag off the free distribution of text books and exercise books to students and pupils across the state.
“We have remained focused on the task the people of the state committed into our hands. Today, we went out to Bishop Philip Academy to kick-start our programme for the provision of textbooks and exercise books to those who resumed after the long vacation. We didn’t break any sweat over the petition; we have remained focused and we are pushing on with our agenda for Oyo state,” Gov Makinde said at the venue of the distribution.
Monitoring resumption of schools for the 2019/2020 academic session, the chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Nureni Adeniran, threatened that the state government would henceforth close down all mushroom private schools endangering the quality of education in the state.
Dr Adeniran said in ensuring this, a taskforce would be set up in earnest to address the menace and that the task force, would be spearheaded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, in collaboration with Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board. “The task-force would close down all mushroom private schools endangering quality in the education sector in the state.
“Looking at the influx of new intakes in public schools on resumption, it is apparent that Governor Makinde’s free-education policy is yielding good fruits. It is highly important that those private primary and secondary schools be put under searchlight to know those operating without government approval and monitoring. We will henceforth close such schools found within the state,” he said.
With all these measures if adequately followed by the Governor Makinde-led administration, the much expected free and qualitative education would surely find its ways back to the modern day Oyo state.
