Oyo Threatens To Shut Illegal Primary Schools

Oyo State government has told education secretaries, and heads of sections in all the local governments of its plan to shut down illegal and substandard primary schools in the state.

The commissioner for education, science and technology, Professor Soliu Abdulwaheed Adelabu, in a meeting with basic education stakeholders on Wednesday, said “mushroom” schools would not be allowed to operate in the state.

He said the ministry and OYOSUBEB would work closely with relevant stakeholders to tighten the noose on operators of mushroom primary schools, charging the education secretaries, heads of sections in the 33 local government areas of the state to get set.

According to him, the meeting is part of steps and institutional preparations towards the crackdown.

Abdulwaheed, who expressed dissatisfaction with the report he gathered on the field, during a recent inspection, identified ways to forestall some basic errors in the basic education sub-sector.

He called for unwavering commitment by all stakeholders, charging them to be part of the moving train, to better the lots of children in the basic education sub-sector.

The commissioner also admonished relevant stakeholders, to step up their game in the proper supervision of schools under their watch.

“Let us commit ourselves to the betterment of our public schools, as this will ultimately impact the lives and future of the students under our care,” he admonished.

The commissioner also said that the Oyo State government under the supervision of Governor Seyi Makinde was making moves to address infrastructural decay in primary schools.

He noted that the governor had given the ministry a matching order to identify schools with urgent need of infrastructural overhaul.

“Oyo State government is doing everything possible to bring every child of school age on board. However, we must not compromise our commitment for quality and standard education in the state,” he added.