"Education Reform Committee's Report Vindicates Ajimobi"- Prof. Gbadegesin.

The Chairman, Committee on Participatory Management of Schools in Oyo State, Prof. Adeniyi Gbadegesin has said the Committee’s report has vindicated the State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi’s move to save the education sector from its decaying state.

He said this recently while speaking to newsmen about the observations, reports and recommendations submitted to the Governor by the Committee.

According to Prof Gbadegesin, “the report by the Committee is a comprehensive one, which vindicates the executive governor’s bid to reform the education sector. The report shows that the state’s public schools are in a sorry state, and government cannot do it alone, hence, the need to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to redeem the education sector.”

The University don revealed that the education sector needs urgent overhauling through participatory efforts of all stakeholders in the state. 

He said, "We found out that there is data discrepancies about education in Oyo State. Also, there is mismatch of teachers and students. In essence, the teachers'-students ratio is not evenly distributed. 

"We got to some schools, teachers were not present, in some schools, they were inadequate. While some were not unavailable. Some also had more furniture than the required and some didn't have enough pupils to be a standard schools. In some schools, there were over population of students. 

"We were surprised that some Vice Principals do not teach anymore, whereas, in those days, even principals had subjects they were teaching. There is need to improve the standard of education in the state.

"Already, there is PPP in schools through individuals, old students network, PTAs, philanthropic organizations, international funding organisations amongst others. We need more of this. What the government needs to do is to provide a formal structure and an enabling environment for private participation in school management," Professor Gbadegesin explained.

He called on parents, teachers and other stakeholders to work with the present administration in the state in returning the lost glory of the state’s education sector.

He pointed out that the committee was put together by the state government to investigate, consult different stakeholders and make recommendations to reinstate the lost glory of the education sector of the state which is fading and has relegated the state into the background among committee of states within the federation.

"As part of its duties, the Committee was saddled with the responsibility of finding solutions to the education sector in the state and recommend suitable and plausible options that will enhance the overall standard of education in the state," the university don stressed. 

Prof. Gbadegesin revealed that the Committee strategically reviewed the existing status and standard of education in the state and also visited 29 secondary schools in urban, semi urban and rural communities in the eight education zones of the state.

Speaking further, the Committee Chairman said “the 31-man committee held interactive sessions with selected individuals and organizations that submitted memoranda”. He also revealed that their interactions with the different stakeholders show the sincerity of the executive governor.

It would be recalled that Senator Abiola Ajimobi on July 12, 2016 inaugurated the 31-man Committee led by Prof. Adeniyi Gbadegesin, the Vice-Chancellor, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso to look into the deteriorating state of public schools and come up with recommendations that will reposition the sector.