Oyo to rehabilitate 100 schools with N1.9bn within 6 months

The Oyo State Government has approved  N1.9 billion for the rehabilitation of 100 selected public schools across the state.

Prof. Joseph Olowofela, the State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology,  made the disclosure on Thursday in Ibadan at the ongoing inter-ministerial briefing.

Reports indicate that the briefing was organised by the State Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism to acquaint the public with the achievements recorded  in the various ministries of government.

The commissioner stated that the rehabilitation of the selected schools would commence in September and the project would be completed in  February 2018.

“Also to be completed by February 2018 is a N3.5 billion project targeted at supply of furniture and infrastructure development in primary schools across the state,’’ he said.

He stated that the Ajimobi-led administration had evolved several policies aimed at re-positioning the education sector in the state.

Among the policies were  the School Governing Board (SGB) model of administration, Oyo Model Education System Intervention (OYOMESI) and that of   `No automatic promotion.’ policy.

“Automatic promotion has adversely affected the standard of education not only in Oyo State but Nigeria as a whole.

“Government has also started a unified examination system and harmonized grading for S.S 1 and 2 students in public schools to improve the state’s performances in external examinations,’’ he said.

Olowofela stated that the efforts  of government had  started yielding fruitful results  given  the performance of students in external examinations.

He stressed that SGB for public secondary schools had  brought  a paradigm shift to the education sector, adding it had also  improved the standard of education and infrastructures in schools.

The commissioner  further  gave an assurance that the SGB model would outlive the present administration as it was yielding the required positive results.

He also said   that the OYOMESI was inaugurated to promote  good character  while Ajumose Legacy Note was created for secondary schools to download text books from the web.

Olowofela further said that 372 blocks of classrooms were constructed in  public primary and secondary schools  while  560 pairs of furniture were supplied to the technical colleges.

He stated that 13, 250 and 32, 576 pairs of furniture had  been supplied to public secondary and public primary schools  respectively.

According to him, 1, 994 library furniture and other library materials were supplied to schools of science and selected public secondary schools.

He also said government had  supplied science equipment worth N102 million and provided 187, 191 students with 935, 956 customised Higher Education notebooks worth N110 million.

On the Technical University, Ibadan,   established by the state government, the  commissioner  said the institution would be self-financing.

Olowofela  also said  that the state government had  committed N22 billion to Ladoke Akintola University of Technology(LAUTECH) since 2011.

The commissioner explained that N10.5 billion was spent on LAUTECH as an institution, N8.317 billion on LAUTECH Teaching Hospital,  Ogbomoso,  and N3.17 billion on LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Osogbo.

“It is a wrong insinuation to say that we are care free about the LAUTECH crisis. We are not happy with the situation in the school but there is good news already,’’ he said.

Olowofela stated that the tertiary institution’s fees would be reviewed, adding that the present fees  being paid was highly subsidized by the government.

“The unions have agreed to the forensic audit recommended by the visitation panel and the crisis is coming to an end with lasting solutions.

“The Governing Council  is meeting the unions and stakeholders of the institution on a regular basis,’’ he added.