In its bid to ensure sanity in the basic education sector within the state, the state government through Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board(SUBED) had sanctioned some head-teachers in Methodist Basic School in Gan-gansi area of the state for denying pupils access to sit for their examinations.
The sanction which was handed over to the affected head teachers by the Chairman of State Universal Basic Education, Dr. Nureni Aderemi Adeniran, while in an inspection tour of the Ibadan area education facility among others, expressed his shock that some head teachers are still in the habit of violating state’s directive with regards to the fact no pupils should be denied access to education.
The SUBEB Chairman maintained state government. led by Governor Seyi makinde, has it in his manifestoes’ promise to ensure free and quality education. The state had made from the beginning of the administration made provision for every child to attend school free of charges.
Dr Adeniran though admitted that “why Parents Teachers’ Association and School management can support or contribute to schools at local level, it has no right to impose levy especially to the extent inability of pupils to pay will deny them access to education.
Adeniran said oyo state already abolished all forms of fees at the basic education level. The school head teachers according to Nigeria Grassroot News sources had sent away the affected pupils from the exams hall just because they could not pay some mandatory levies charged by the school. A major concern of the SUBEB Chairman about this was that the ongoing Public Primary Schools Unified Examination is very critical to the progress of the pupils.
Dr. Nureni Adeniran therefore said “The five Head-teachers of Methodist Basic School, (School 1-5), Gan-gansi were found culpable in the alleged illegal collection of fees, spearheaded by the School-Based Management Committee of the school,””. This to him contravene the state’s government position on the right of every child to access education. The state government cannot therefore fold its hand and overlook such incidence.
Dr. Adeniran immediately issued a directive that the affected head-teachers should be given queries to serve as a deterrent to others who may be indulging in such illegal acts.
“For denying Governor Seyi Makinde’s Pupils access to write exams, queries have been issued to Head-teachers of Methodist Basic School, 1-5”, he said.
Dr Adeniran urged Teachers in all public schools to adhere strictly to the State Government’s policies and directives on Education.
This school tour of the SUBEB Chairman is planned to be a weeklong long which will take him to other parts of the state like Oke-ogun, Oyo, Ogbomoso and Ibarapa.
Some of the schools Adeniran and his team had visited are within Ibadan South East LGA; Ibadan South-West;, Ona-ara LGA and a host of others.
Photo credit; Oyo SUBEB
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