A call has gone to the Oyo State government to use the occasion of the ongoing Training the Trainers Safety Workshop for private school owners in the state to get more private schools registered and approved.
The lawmaker representing Ibadan South-West 2 in the Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Oluwafemi Oluwafowokanmi on Thursday made this appeal on the floor of the house while speaking on the decision of the state government to exclude unregistered private schools from reopening on July 6.
As part of the precautions for safe reopening of schools, the state government has organized a Train the Trainers Workshop on Safety Measures and Approaches for Containment of COVID-19 in Schools.
Oluwafowokanmi, who is the Chairman, Committee on Education, expressed that the option of accommodating unregistered schools is another opportunity for the government to increase the state’s Internally Generated Revenue base.
The lawmaker therefore urged his colleagues to halt the move by the state’s Ministry of Education to stop unregistered private schools from reopening, added that the step is capable of costing the state another educational pandemic.
He explained that if the government decides to stop the unregistered private schools from reopening, many pupils who are supposed to be in the school would be roaming and wandering about.
Hon. Oluwafowokanmi added that the idea would lead to educational retrogression of the state as against the blueprint of Governor Seyi Makinde led government on educational development.
The lawmaker enjoined the Ministry of Education to create different grades of standard for the private schools’ registration, in order to allow sub-standard private schools grow gradually to full standard.
According to him, “In this respect Mr. Speaker, it is my opinion that government should use this opportunity to capture many unregistered private schools in the state through inclusive participatory order. This will go a long way in assisting the government to unveil many unregistered ones from their hideout, and also aid in generating revenue for the government at this present time, where every government needs funds to make economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“I want to implore this honourable House to join me in preventing the possible educational pandemic, which order issued by the state’s Ministry of Education may cause,” he stated.
Hon. Fowokanmi further advised the government to re-address the issue of prohibition order to allow proprietors and proprietresses of the unregistered schools to participate in the ongoing training so that they will have knowledge on safety measures and approaches to the containment of COVID-19 in their respective schools for reopening on July 6.
Packaged by Kunle Gazali
