Students Tasks Ondo Govt To Reintroduce Free Education In Primary, Secondary School

By Niyi Olutunde, Akure

As 2018/2019 academic session for students about to commence in Ondo state, a cross section of Students from Akure, Ondo state capital on Friday called on the state government to reintroduce free education in primary and secondary school levels across all the 18 local government areas of the state with payment of WAEC fees.

It would be recalled that the payment of WAEC fees of secondary school students in the state was abolished by the Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s administration recently.

This was the submission of speakers at the career talk and lectures organised by the National Association of Akure Students (NAAS) where secondary students were counselled on how to choose academic careers.

The President of NAAS, Comrade Temidayo Omolafe said reintroduction of free education would reduce high rate of school dropouts in the state and minimise burdens of parents in educating their children.

A legal practitioner, Sandra Ogunmola and the wife of Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Mrs Toyin Adegbenro charged parents to be more proactive in the training of their children in order to prevent them from becoming criminals.

Speaking in the same vein, a guest lecturer Alhaji Saliu Adekunle who spoke with newsmen at the event charged parents to always encourage their children in order to embrace education saying that “education is the best legacy they can leave for them”.

His words, “Parent should encourage their children to embrace education and take it very seriously because that is the best legacy they leave for them.

“Education its suppose to be free most essentially in this situation we all find ourselves in this country, our findings shows that there are alot of children out there whose parent cannot even afford their books talkless of paying school fees. So I want to advise the government to take this very serious. Also, government cannot do everything in view of this I want to encourage people to give back to the society in terms of good education we don’t have to wait till any politicians get to position to do it for us. Education it is the best legacy we can give to our children”.

In a remark, a member representing Akure South constituency 1 at the Ondo state House of Assembly, Mrs Kemisola Adesanya represented by Engineer Olumide Olujuyigbe counselled students against social vices that could rue their future.

Highlights of the event included award of scholarship, payment of WAEC fees of some brilliant but indigent students.