The Oyo State government has disclosed that about N5 billion has been earmarked for the repairs of the dilapidated structures in primary and secondary schools across state.
Also, the state government had received 70,000 books covering different subject areas such as Mathematics, English, English literature, Physics, Biology, Economics, Algebra, Chemistry among others from a non-government and non-profit organisation based in United States, Jewels of Africa.
The state commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela, who made the disclosure during a meeting with the state chapter’s leaders and representatives of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Association of Primary School Head Teachers of Nigeria (AOPSHON) and All Nigeria Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) explained that N3 billion counterpart funding will be spent on primary education, while N1.9bn generated from the students’ levies and state government internally generated revenue will be spent on secondary schools in the state.
Olowofela noted that every step needed to be taken for the smooth take off of the rehabilitation of schools in the state has been concluded, stressing that in the next 12 months, majority of the primary and secondary schools in the state would have worn new looks.
The commissioner said that the state’s School Governing Boards (SGBs) for secondary schools in the state was yielding positive results with many old students’ associations working on the rehabilitation of structures in their schools.
While some others have signified interests in their alma mater, the commissioner added that the collaborative efforts between the government and stakeholders in the education sector will restore its lost glory.
He assured the representatives of the unions that those issues, which include dilapidated plants, teachers’ promotions, dearth of instructional materials, agonies of retired primary school teachers, alleged certificate forgery, reversion of appointments in the school system among others raised at the parley will be adequately addressed and resolved.
He appreciated the doggedness and commitment of the unions to ensuring quality education in the state, urging that stakeholders should always put issues in proper perspective and be factual in their presentation to the general public.
Speaking earlier, the Secretary of NUT, Comrade Waheed Olojede said that the union was not against local government autonomy but the management and funding of primary schools should be domiciled with the state government.
He said “There is danger in leaving the funding and management of primary school education with the local government. If the federal government does not want the repeat of the suffering of primary school teachers and neglect of primary education between 1990–94.
“The funding of primary education should not be put under the whims and caprices of local government councils. The government could give the responsibility of management and funding of primary education to Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).”