Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan
In a bid to rid the state of illegal schools, the Oyo State Government has vowed to clamp down on illegal private primary schools operating within the state.
Stating this today during an inspection of schools in Ibadan, the Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Dr. Nureni Aderemi Adeniran disclosed that a taskforce to be spearheaded by Oyo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, in collaboration with SUBEB would be set up in earnest to address the menace.
He said the Task-force would close down all mushroom private schools endangering quality in the education sector in the state.
Adeniran, however, charged parents and guardians to enroll their children and wards in public schools, noting that the free education policy by Governor Seyi Makinde was already yielding positive results in schools in the 2019 academic session.
His word, “Looking at the influx of new intakes in public schools today, being the first day of resumption, it is apparent that governor’s free-education policy is yielding good fruits in the state. 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”.
The Chairman expressed government’s readiness to place public schools as favourable competitors with Private schools, saying government was working assiduously on provision of basic amenities needed by both teachers and students across the State.
He stressed that the Makinde-led administration demands maximum cooperation from all stakeholders in the sector, while the government would commit every necessary resource in achieving quality education in the State.
He further pledged government’s commitment to returning schools’ grants and renovation of bad school infrastructures in schools.
Among the schools visited by the SUBEB boss and his team visited were: People’s Primary School, Adeoyo, St. Williams School, Oke-Ado, AUD School, Foko, Islamic Primary School, Bode; St. David Primary School, Kudeti, I.M.G Primary Schools, Orita-Aperin and Ode-Aje, Ikolaba Community Primary School, Methodist Primary School, Bodija, and Methodist Primary School, Mokola.