Education

WORRIED by poor turn out of pupils and students in public schools on the first day of resumption in Oyo State, the state government has appealed to parents and guardians to send their children to school.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that low turnout of pupils and students greeted the resumption for the first day, as schools in the state on Monday began the first term of the 2022/2023 academic session.

Commenting on his findings after monitoring some schools, Dr Nureni Adeniran, the Executive Chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board, appealed to parents and guardians to release their wards to resume school.

Adeniran said the board monitored some schools in Ibadan, the state capital, to ascertain the preparedness of teachers and pupils for resumption of the new academic session.

He also appealed to parents in the rural areas not to stop their pupils from attending schools because of market days.

Adeniran said: “So far, we have visited some schools and we are not too impressed with the turnout of pupils, however, we are satisfied with the turnout of teachers.

“We are using this opportunity to appeal to parents and guardians, especially those in the rural parts of the state, to release their wards to return to school.

“The exercise is also going on in the other Local Government Areas of the state.

“We visited some schools today, including those in remote areas, like Igbo-elerin in Lagelu Local Government area and the turnout of pupils was not impressive.”

The board chairman, who monitored the resumption in company of a full-time member of the board, Mr Akeem Oladeji and some directors, affirmed that teachers have commenced teaching in schools visited.

Adeniran said the essence of the exercise was to further motivate the teachers and pupils for improved performance.

He called on private investors to help boost educational sector in the state, adding that Oyo State Government, under Gov. Seyi Makinde, encourages development devoid of political undertones.

The board chairman said while the state government had invited bids for the renovation and construction of a storey building of 10 classrooms in Islamic Mission Primary School, Odoye in Ibadan North.

According to him, the Board will soon grant approval to a Federal representative, who formally indicated interest to build a block of three classrooms in the same school.

Some of the schools visited by the team, among others, included Islamic Mission School, II and IV, Odoye;
IMG Basic School II, Oje-Igosun; Methodist Pry School, Age, Igbo-elerin and IDC, Sagbe, Pabi-ekun. (NAN)

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Tags: Akeem Oladeji Dr Nureni Adeniran Seyi Makinde