Ondo to mark third anniversary of free school shuttle scheme

All is set for the celebration of the 3rd anniversary of Ondo State Free School Bus Shuttle, which holds June 12.

The celebration of the scheme, which is operational in most council areas of the state, coincides with the annual marking of the annulled June 12, 1993 presidential election.

According to the state’s Commissioner for Information, Kayode Akinmade, who spoke with newsmen in Akure, both events will be marked in a special way in the state, same day.

He added that the take-off of the free school shuttle programme three years ago was deliberately planned for June 12, as part of activities marking annulled presidential election.

He said the scheme adjudged by many as a laudable one, casts the Governor Olusegun Mimiko-led administration as a progressive government with the determination to invest in the education of its children at no cost to the parents and guardians.

Submitting that it has gone a long way to reduce the private cost incurred by parents in ensuring their wards acquire qualitative education, Akinmade informed that efforts were being made by government to extend the programme to the riverine areas of the state, as a transportation system suitable for the terrain would be adopted to implement the scheme.

The programme, the commissioner added, was part of the free education efforts of government, which have, to a reasonable extent reduced juvenile crime among children of school age in the state.

“This programme is the first of its kind on the Africa continent and it has really gone a long way to register it in the consciousness of the students that government is indeed responsible for their wellbeing, as the parents too can also identify with some of the projects government is spending the tax they are paying on.

“The evaluation of the scheme since it became operational has shown that students are more willing to be punctual in school and jobs have been created with the engagement of drivers and others who are saddled with the daily operation of the school shuttle buses,”