Oyetola Urges Parents, Guardians To Send Their Children To School

…Commissions Ultramodern Schools In Iwo

The Osun State Governor, Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola, has urged parents and guardians to send their children to school.

Oyetola however, reaffirmed the state’s commitment towards transforming the education sector.

This, he said was necessary so as to ensure that every child has access to good, quality, quanlitative and affordable education. 

The governor noted that children are the hope and channel for achieving goals of a better future, saying it is an offence for parents not to allow their children go to school. 

He said the government is leading other stakeholders to achieve its goal of using education as a tool for delivering prosperity and development to the people.

Governor Oyetola spoke on Thursday while commissioning school projects at both Telemu Comprehensive Middle High school and Morinu Community Elementary School , in Ola-Oluwa Local Government and Iwo Local Government areas of the state, respectively.

The governor also unveiled “Ileri-Oluwa Fulfilling Promises Educational Programme”,  which is a  “redesigned and repacked approach to school’s infrastructural renewal, intended to reach every nook and cranny of the state within available human and material resources.”

Oyetola said the administration’s resolve to invest in education sector was aimed at achieving the state’s objectives of delivering a better life for the people and driving development in the state.

He said efforts had been made by the administration to maintain and sustain the existing schools; build and equip more schools; renovate dilapidated ones and provide well-trained teachers to teach the pupils and ensure that pupils attend schools punctually and regularly.

The governor appealed to parents to ensure that their children and wards are registered at school, attend school regularly and are well-behaved, saying “there must be a synergy between the government, parents and teachers for the state to achieve its desired goals of making education the bedrock of development”.

Oyetola, who said the state has the required potentials to lead the nation in both internal and external examinations, appealed to all teachers to ensure that the performance of Osun in Junior and Senior School Certificate results improve significantly. 

He also urged the benefitting communities to ensure that the facilities are put to judicious use.

Unveiling the Ileri-Oluwa Fulfilling Promises Educational Programme in Iwo, Governor Oyetola maintained that the initiative will put governance on auto pilot and make sustainable development attainable. 

Among the projects commissioned were six newly-constructed classrooms, four blocks of three classrooms each, a deep well and a perimeter fence round the school.

He said the government is resolute  to complement the initiative by building the capacity in pupils, teachers and other staff through training and re-training as well as improving their welfare for optimum performance.

“These projects are a further fulfilment of our promise to provide quality, functional, affordable and equitable education for all as a way of achieving our goals of delivering a better life for the people and driving development in the state.

“Our children are our hope and channel for achieving these goals and positioning our state and nation to compete with other nations of the world.

“Our administration is committed to ensuring that our children get good education, this is the reason we are striving to build schools, equip them, renovate dilapidated projects, provide well-trained teachers to teach the pupils and ensure that pupils attend schools punctually and regularly.

“We established Ileri Oluwa Fulfilling Promises Educational Programme to transform the education profile of the state.

“We adopted a consolidated approach whose key elements are rebuilding, remodelling and total rehabilitation of existing school buildings and construction of new blocks of classrooms in series  4 classrooms, 5 classrooms, 6 classrooms, 8 classrooms, 10, 15 and 20 classrooms at a maximum of 50 pupils/students per class, to cater for communities at 200, 250, 300, 400, 500, 750 pupils per school.

“This intervention will further substantially improve the state and profile of education in the state and nudge it to the frontline among educationally performing states in the nation.

“We also founded the Osun Edu Marshals to ensure discipline and regular attendance by pupils.

“For us to achieve our desired goals, we require the cooperation of parents and teachers. It is on this note that I would like to appeal to our parents to ensure that their children and wards are registered at school, attend school regularly and are well-behaved.

“Our teachers must be role models to the children. They must ensure that the pupils are well taught. They must cooperate with the Edu-Marshal Corps to inject discipline in the children as I equally appeal to all teachers to ensure that the performance of Osun in Junior School and Senior School Certificate results improve significantly. 

“We have all it takes to lead the nation in these examinations. The race begins at all our schools. I would also urge Telemu and Morinu communities and the school authorities to ensure that the renovated and other projects are put to judicious use.

“As we commission these projects today, let us all resolve to make the future and wellbeing of the pupils our priority. The success of this programme depends on the collaboration and collective efforts of all stakeholders. 

“I therefore appeal to our parents, teachers and all relevant agencies to join hands with government to transform our education sector.

“Education is the plank upon which the success and future of our state rests, let us give it our optimum so that Osun can take its place in the comity of states and contribute its quota to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. 

“The projects are an investment in the lives of our children who are our leaders of tomorrow. It is also a fulfilment of our agenda to provide quality, affordable and equitable education to our people”, Oyetola said.

The Head of Service and Chairman, State Education Steering Committee, Dr. Olowogboyega Oyebade, said the projects are indication that the current  administration will not abandon the good works of the previous administration, but rather, improve on them and even initiate more good ones.

He said the administration has been performing well in the education sector, particularly in the vocational and technical education.

Oyebade lauded the efforts of the state government in championing the welfare of the civil servants and for providing a conducive and peaceful teaching and learning atmosphere for both pupils and teachers in the state, saying Osun has given adequate attention to education as the industry to transform the state.

Speaking on the occasion, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba AbdulRasheed Adewale Akanbi, expressed satisfaction with the administration’s strides so far,  not only in the education sector, but also in other sectors. 

He also admonished parents to stop the habit of encouraging  their children of school age to hawk wares during school hours. 

On his part, the Olowu of Telemu, Oba Madojutola Alade Ajiboye, expressed gratitude to the government for priorising education in the state.

The Principal, Comprehensive Government Middle High School, Telemu, Mr. Adelanwa Ademuyiwa, commended the government for taking the bull by the horn in addressing some of the challenges in the education sector.