In its relentless pursuit of better academic ratings for Oyo State, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, has created a Schools Governing Board, for secondary schools in the state.

This according to him would help in bridging the gap of deficiencies and improve academic standard.

Governor Ajimobi also said that the newly introduced SGB would better connect the government and the community in the management of various public secondary schools in the state.

He stated that the board would be managed by various stakeholders such as community leaders, old students associations, principals and head boys/girls of each school.

The governor stressed that new performance targets have been set to make automatic promotion impossible for pupils in the state, adding that this step would complement other firm approaches towards reclaiming the lost glory of the state education sector as well as improving its quality.

The stakeholders, who were part of the guests at the Town Hall Meeting, held at the International Conference Center, University of Ibadan, where the new education policy was launched by the state governor, believe that the initiative would indeed revive the education sector.

Governor Ajimobi, while launching the policy, restated his administration’s resolve to rebuild the education sector and put a stop to poor academic performance by public school students.

He also stressed 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.

Furthermore, he noted that it is shameful that Oyo State that hosts the first University in the country is performing woefully in public examinations.

He therefore called on all stakeholders to come together and condemn the criminal tendencies of students who burned classrooms and destroyed public properties, while also protesting the policy against mass promotion in some parts of the state.

Governor Ajimobi called for an all-inclusive stakeholders support, stressing that the state government is open to support from old students, technocrats, community leaders and other sources for the development of education in the state.

The Commissioner for Education in the state, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela, explained that the new policy would allow proper monitoring.

Speaking on behalf of other traditional rulers in the state, 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 through automatic promotion.

The governor also spoke of the crisis at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso (LAUTECH).

He assured them that it 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.

Reacting at the end of the town hall meeting, Secretary of Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) Comrade Niyi Akano, said that the teachers’ union expressed delight that the State government gazetted the School Governing Board Model as the body NUT had been part of the program’s initiation.

He called on the government to increase the level of in-service training for teachers, towards capacity improvement and also employ due process in recruitment to ensure quality. (Channels TV)

•Photo shows Gov. Ajimobi.

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