Our education reforms not targeted at anyone — Oyetola

Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, yesterday, said the education reforms by his administration were not targeted at anyone.

Oyetola said this at the inauguration of the newly-renovated block of six classrooms in Ilesa Grammar School, Ilesa.

He said the reforms were aimed at setting the right direction for education in line with the desires and aspirations of the people, including the restoration of the 6-3-3-4 system, which is in conformity with the National Policy on Education.

Oyetola reiterated that education remains the backbone of his administration’s Development Agenda, hence the prompt intervention that had ensured the provision of quality, affordable, equitable and functional education across all the sectors of the state.

The newly-renovated block of six classrooms was undertaken and funded by the 1966-1970 set of Ilesa Grammar School as part of their social responsibility and community service to mark the 50th anniversary of their graduation from the citadel of learning.

Oyetola said the decision to review some extant policies in the education sector was in response to the demands of Osun people and relevant stakeholders, including old students’ association of Ilesa Grammar School, that not only expressed their reservation for what was done in the past, but also even took the government to court.

Oyetola said the decision was arrived at having painstakingly assessed the popular demands of individuals and critical stakeholders, who also kicked against the merger of schools and change of uniforms. 

Enumerating some of the critical interventions made to revamp the education sector in the last three years, Oyetola said: “We have demonstrated our commitment to improving the education system in Osun, including provision of free tuition at primary and secondary school levels, renovation of school buildings across the state, provision of educational materials to school children, sustenance of free feeding for pupils, training and re-training of teachers, and the recent recruitment of 1, 000 new teachers among other interventions.”

Applauding members of the 1966-1970 students of Ilesa Grammar School for giving back to their alma mater, Oyetola said the renovation of the classrooms would contribute in no small measure to the quality of teaching and learning in the school.

He said the provision of quality, qualitative and functional education was a duty of all, hence the need for corporate organisations and well-meaning citizens to rise up to the occasion and support government in its efforts to reposition the sector.

Earlier, the Chairman, 1966-1970 set of Ilesa Grammar School Old Students Association, Alhaja Nusirat Bakare, lauded Oyetola for allowing reason to prevail by restoring the glory, grace, honour and foremost position of Ilesa Grammar School in the annals of education in the state.

Other speakers at the occasion commended the governor for restoring the identity of public schools that had hitherto been bastardised by the previous administration.