Aiyedatiwa Approves Establishment Of State Secondary Education Board

Ondo State governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, yesterday approved the establishment of the Ondo State Senior Secondary School Education Board (OSSEC) to boost infrastructure development and management in the state’s secondary schools.

LEADERSHIP Weekend learnt that the approval for the establishment of OSSEC was a direct response to a federal government directive mandated by the gazetted NSSEC Act, requesting states provide a five per cent counterpart fund to support infrastructural development across secondary schools in the country’s 36 states.

The state commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof Igbekele Ajibefun, disclosed this in Akure, the state capital.

Ajibefun disclosed that the new board would collaboratively address the existing infrastructural deficit in Senior Secondary Schools in collaboration with the National Senior Secondary School Education Commission (NSSEC).

The commissioner said, “With this approval, Governor Aiyedatiwa’s administration has fully aligned with the federal government’s resolve to upgrade infrastructure in our secondary schools.”

Prof Ajibefun appreciated the governor for his commitment to sustainable education policies.

Speaking on the benefits and scope of OSSEC, the administrative secretary of the ministry, Dr Akindele Ige, who was also a member of the establishment committee, explained that OSSEC will lead to improved funding for school management and essential infrastructural development, which is anticipated to boost student enrollment across the state.

The scope of the new board is distinct as the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC) will continue to manage facilities and infrastructure from primary schools up to Junior Secondary School Three (JSS3). While OSSEC will specifically take responsibility for the Senior Secondary Schools (SSS1 to SSS3).

When operational, OSSEC will function as an agency under the State Ministry of Education and will ensure its programs do not interfere with other educational bodies in the state.