The Ondo State governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, on Friday, 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 learnt that the approval for the establishment of OSSEC was a direct response to the Federal Government’s directive mandated by the gazetted NSSEC Act requesting states to provide a 5% counterpart fund to support infrastructural development across secondary schools in the 36 States of the country.
The State’s Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Professor Igbekele Ajibefun, disclosed this in his office in Akure, the state capital.
Ajibefun disclosed that the new board will 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’s commitment to sustainable education policies.
Speaking on the benefits and scope of OSSEC, Dr. Akindele Ige, the Administrative Secretary of the Ministry 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 programmes do not interfere with other educational bodies in the State.
