By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Oyo State government has been commended by stakeholders in the education industry for its firm approach towards reclaiming the lost glory of the state education sector as well as improving its quality to meet new and higher performance targets saying that the new education policy was a positive step in the right direction.
The stakeholders, who were part of the guests at the Town Hall Meeting held at the International Conference Center, University of Ibadan on Thursday where the new education policy was launched by Governor Abiola Ajimobi, said that government’s resolution to create Schools Governing Boards (SGB) that will provide management functions for each secondary school in the state would revive the education sector.
Mr Ajimobi, while launching the new education policy, said his administration had resolved to rebuild the education sector to put a stop to poor academic performance by public school students, stressing that the condemnation against students arsonists should be collective as the burning and destruction of classrooms and school properties were acts that even parents should not condone.
He said that the newly introduced SGB in the State would serve as a bridge between the government and the community in the management of various public secondary schools in the state, stressing that the SGB would be managed by various stakeholders of each school which includes community leaders, old students associations, principals and head boys/girls of each school.
According to him, “It is shameful that Oyo State that hosts the first university in the country is performing woefully in public examinations but we should all join hands together to revamp our education sector. For us to get this work done, we should all come together and condemn the criminal tendencies in our students as they burned classrooms and destroyed public properties while protesting against the policy against mass promotion.”
“I appreciate the efforts and enthusiasm of everybody here and I am of no doubt that you are all willing to support Government in repositioning education among other sectors in the State. I have no doubt that our reposition, restoration and transformation programmes have been accepted by everybody. I assure you that we will be transparent and accountable in our programmes and activities. I assure you that we will also carry you along in our programmes,” the Governor pledged.
Mr Ajimobi called for an all-inclusive stakeholders support, stressing that the state government is open to support from other sources for the development of education in the state.
“Oyo State government is open to your support in the education sector. Let all old students within and outside the country join hands together to uplift their alma-mata, and if community leaders or a community wishes to contribute their quota to a school within their community, it is a welcome development. These are ways by which we can develop our education sector,” he said.
Governor Ajimobi assured his audience that the crisis at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso (LAUTECH) would soon be over as the fact finding panel set up by the governments of Osun and Oyo to resolve the imbroglio would submit its report before the end of month.
The SGB Model of Oyo State was hailed by many for its far-reaching inclusiveness which comprised of lead stakeholders like parents, teachers association, old students association representative, nonpartisan community leader, school’s head boy/girl, principal, Local inspector of education and representative of local government or Local Community Development Area (LCDA) and the believe that the control of schools would not rest only on government but also on the parents and society at large.
The Onpetu of Ijeru, Oba Sunday Adediran, commended the efforts of Oyo State government in finding solutions to what he called the fall in standard of education in the State, describing the State governor as a good leader that always proffered uncommon solutions for the growth of education and overall progress of the State.
“A good parent will not sit aside and watch things deteriorate and it is worthy to appreciate the Oyo State governor who, like a good parent, has put in strategic solutions to counter the present deteriorated state of education in the State. Education growth is tantamount to growth in every other sector of the society as it is a propeller that helps move the society at large to the promised land,” the Onpetu who spoke on behalf of other traditional rulers added.
In his own comments, the President-General of Nigerian Football Supporters Club, Chief Rafiu Oladipo, said that he was a 1967 product of Oke ‘Badan High School, noting that the alumni of the school did not wait for government alone to improve the structures in the school as the body (Oke Badan Alumni) had revamped the infrastructural facilities in the school.
The State Chairman, Parents, Teachers Association (PTA), Alhaji Abiodun Jimoh described the state government’s steps at restructuring the education sector as laudable and consequently pledged their support for the success of the new education policy.
Speaking, the Secretary of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Comrade Niyi Akano said that the teachers’ union was particularly happy when the State government gazetted the School Governing Board Model as the body (NUT) had been part of the program’s initiation, calling on the government to increase the level of in-service training for teachers towards capacity improvement and due process in recruitment to ensure quality.
A stakeholder, Mr Bayo Fasasi gave a thumb up for the government’s resolve to confront the rot in the education sector, urging parents to supports the government’s efforts to turn around education in the state.