Out-of-school menace: Ogun govt reiterates commitment to free education

Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Abayomi Arigbabu, has said the current administration is determined to curb out-of-school issues and ensure access to qualitative education in the state.

Arigbabu stated this during the First Term Pre-Resumption Stakeholders’ Meeting for the 2024/2025 Academic Session with Principals, Headteachers, and Parent Clubs in public primary and secondary schools, as well as Government Technical Colleges, at Lisabi Grammar School, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta.

He maintained that the free education policy of the government was non-negotiable, warning that the government would not tolerate any reported case of learners being sent home for not paying school fees or levies.

The commissioner noted that adequate provisions for facilities, such as furniture and other teaching and learning materials for the smooth running of the education process, have been provided by the present administration.

He hinted that the state would soon make a policy whereby each school must have space for farming, as well as woodwork and carpentry workshops, to ensure food sustainability and inculcate maintenance culture, adding that school activities resume immediately for efficient academic activities.

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“Being a principal comes with a responsibility, and as principals, you must maintain decorum and avoid running afoul of government policies,” he said.

Speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary and Secondary Education, Mrs. Ronke Soyombo, who described teachers as future moulders, urged principals to maintain standards in their schools, monitor lessons, and impart safety tips, and admonished parents to invest in their children by buying them books, school uniforms, bags, and sandals for desired development.

In their goodwill messages, the Principal General, Remo Block, Mrs. Olubunmi Womiloju; the State President of the All Confederation of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Mr. Adeniyi Adekoya; and the Chairman of the Association of Primary School Headteachers of Nigeria (AOPSHON), Mrs. Folake Onabajo, appreciated the ministry for creating such a platform where stakeholders could rub minds on how to move education forward, pledging their dedication towards providing quality teaching for learners and ensuring that government policies were entrenched.

Rolling out security tips for safety in and around school premises, the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Operations, who doubles as the State Coordinator of the Safe School Protection Squad, ACP Manger Fergus, as well as the Commandant of the National School Crime Prevention Corps, Folayinka Ige, and State Coordinator of the Safe School Project of the National Security and Civil Defense Corps, Superintendent Rachel Orishawo, suggested a cordial relationship with security agents, perimeter fencing, security cameras, and hiring of security guards as major steps to ensure security in schools.