Engineer Seyi Makinde’s government in Oyo State has charged private school proprietors to sustain the already established education standard in the State as open standard rating of each school will soon be done.
The State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Barrister Olasunkanmi Olaleye gave the charge over the weekend, while playing host to the State’s chapter of Association of Private School Owners of Nigeria (APSON) and League of Muslim School Owners, during a courtesy visit to the Ministry by the associations.
Barr. Olaleye noted that schools in the State must endeavor to partner with the government in its commitment to qualitative education, asking them to achieve the 5-point standard rate with structural, academic and welfare of students and staffers in their schools.
“You have to struggle to be the standard we want you to be because there will be criteria for you to attain a particular standard, I am sure all of you aspire to get to the 5 points.
“This one will come very soon and not only that we will just do it, it will be there on our website and it will be there in front of your school, we will put it there that this school is rated 3, this school is rated 2, this school is rated 5.
“And the rating can come down as well, the fact that you are 5 today does not mean next year if you fall in standard and you fall in quality and other criteria you won’t come down so, this one is coming very soon.
“I want to appeal to you to join us raise the standard of education in Oyo state and to ensure that our ranking of achievement and external examinations performance becomes the best,” Barr Olaleye said.
The State’s Chairman of Association of Private School Owners of Nigeria (APSON) Otunba Bayo Ojo, in his short address, commended the State government for its giant strides and huge commitment to the development of education.
He expressed the readiness of his association to partner the Seyi Makinde-led administration towards promoting its education agenda.
He specially commended Oyo State for being the first State in Nigeria to have successfully participated in writing the Better Education Service Delivery (BESDA) examination in Nigeria.
He stated that the association recognised the rapid growth and development in the education sector in the state despite the huge set back occasioned by the novel COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Ojo said his organization noted the bravery of the State government for taking further step in the midst of the pandemic to specially train teachers in preparation for school reopening which he described as ‘training the trainers’.
He also expressed gratitude to the state government for bringing private schools into limelight through its policies and programs.
“We recognize the rapid growth and development in education sector in Oyo state despite the fact that the COVID-19 issue has brought a lot of problem even at the national level.
“But sir, in the midst of COVID-19 you proceeded being a brave man, to put us through the proper training of retraining the trainers regardless of COVID-19, we appreciate your efforts and the efforts of the Oyo State government for helping us and to bringing private schools into limelight because when you distributed the compendium we were well remembered and this is a classic recognition for us.
“Within a period of reasonable short time you have contributed to education history not only in Oyo State but in Nigeria that the coming generation will start to regard imperishable.
“We know that you are putting in all your efforts to make sure that you make things right in Oyo state, this may not be completed if I fail to appreciate the team you have put together, these are the people with the right competence, ability and skills to run the education sector in Oyo state.”
He, however, expressed his association’s expectation to also benefit full dividend of democracy stressing that government should extend similar motivation given to pupils to teachers and school owners.
Packaged by Kunle Gazali
