The Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Nureni Adeniran has assured parents and guardians in the State that Governor Seyi Makinde’s administration would do everything possible to achieve the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) standard for education.
Adeniran promised allocation of adequate funds to revamp the Education sector in Oyo state.
Adeniran who made the promise while speaking with newsmen in Ibadan recently reiterated Governor Seyi Makinde’s promise to run free education in the State.
He called on parents and students to desist from any form of payment under any guise in schools across the state, promising stiff penalty against any teacher caught collecting money from students.
The SUBEB Chairman, noted that since democratic governance returned, the annual budgetary allocation to education in the state has been between four and five percent.
He however commended Governor Seyi Makinde who promised ìnitial annual commitment of 10% of annual budget to Education.
He described the Governor’s gesture as a good start, which will yield to a quick resuscitation of the education sector in the State.
Dr. Adeniran also affirmed that Oyo State Government has keyed into the Universal Basic Education Board’s scheme, Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) by looking for ways to return out-of-school-children back to school and giving them quality education.
“This administration will do everything possible to achieve excellent education for our students without straining the financial capacity of parents and guardians”.
“The UNESCO standard is our target and the target requires that funding for education must not be a matter of mouthing alone. Any serious government that wants to invest in education will allocate substantial fund to the sector in its budget, and that exactly is what we are doing.
“All children of school-going age will be in school and we shall enforce this as well, but all excuses that will make parents, guardians and even the children to be outside school will not be allowed, which made this government abolish payment of fees in primary and secondary schools upon assuming office.
“We are assuring the people of the State that all inputs like good academic environment, adequate teaching hands and facilities will be provided without asking for fee.
“If all these are achievable, our society will be better for it and we will be proud to be among the States that are the shining lights in academic excellence in Nigeria,” he said.
Bashir Olanrewaju PhD.,
Permanent Secretary,
Min.of Info., Culture & Tourism,
Oyo State Government.
