No going back on end to arbitrary school fees, Commissioner vows
Ondo Govt renovates public schools, recruits 2,000 teachers
By Babatunde Ayedoju
The Ondo State Government has declared that revamping the education sector remains a priority, stressing that every necessary step will be taken to make the State a leading light in education among other states in the federation.
Government’s position is coming on the heels of widespread fears being expressed by private schools’ owners that certain schools could be shut on the orders of the Ministry of Education for flouting government directive barring them from charging arbitrary school fees.
Investigations by The Hope revealed that the education ministry is currently under pressure from some private school owners seeking waivers for their schools, as per the list of banned levies or arbitrary school fees.
Ondo State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Igbekele Ajibefun, however, she’d light on the strident measures aimed at making all schools abide by governments’s new rules, during an exclusive interview with The Hope in his office at the weekend.
Ajibefun, a former Rector of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, and former Vice-Chancellor of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, told The Hope that making Ondo State’s education sector the envy of other states is in line with the goals of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration.
The Professor of Agricultural Economics stressed the importance of public-private partnership, saying that government alone cannot provide the quality of education needed by children. This, he explained, is why the state government provides an enabling environment for private schools to thrive.
He said that to ensure that private schools key into the government’s agenda of providing quality education, they were being regularly monitored, a move that had helped to improve the delivery of education in the state.
He said, “Revamping education requires improving standards, instilling discipline and ensuring that things are done properly. Students should get the best from the system, while parents should also be happy with the kind of education their children receive.”
He also warned that there is no going back on government’s directives to public schools to peg school fees at a range specified by government.
The education ministry’s helmsman said that as part of its efforts to boost education in the state, the government recently directed public schools to desist from collecting fees not approved by the ministry, adding that officials had been actively monitoring schools to ensure compliance.
While confirming that two principals who violated the directive had been caught and their cases taken up, Ajibefun assured that the ministry would also ensure that private schools are free from all forms of exploitation.
“Our environment in Nigeria is a challenging one. When you want to make changes, there will always be resistance. Even when you are helping some people, they will refuse such assistance, thinking that their present condition is better than where you want to take them to.
” So, that kind of resistance is the main challenge in our environment. People will not think of the benefit that will come from the change. Because of that resistance, at times, people who are in charge of implementation of policies and programmes get fed up and they just abandon it.
“But in our own case, once we want to implement a policy or programme, we will ensure that it is implemented to the letter.
“So all the issues we have mentioned, all the plans and policies we have put in place, we are going to see them to the implementation level, we will implement them,” he said.
While acknowledging that students nowadays pay little or no attention to academics, preferring to spend time on less productive activities, the Commissioner assured that the present administration was working to reverse the trend through the recent recruitment of over 2,000 teachers for both primary and secondary schools, renovation of schools, provision of facilities and incentives for teachers, and a stable academic calendar.
His words: “In the past, there were occasions when schools, especially federal universities, were closed down for eight or sometimes nine months.
“That is not good for any system.
“In Ondo State, we want our institutions to be very regular in terms of the academic calendar so that they will have their holidays at the right time and students will graduate promptly.”
He added that following the recent reintroduction of History as a compulsory subject by the Federal Government, the ministry is working on modalities to ensure the subject is properly taught, emphasising that history has a crucial role to play in the development of the country.
The Professor of Agricultural Economics stressed the importance of public-private partnership, saying that government alone cannot provide the quality of education needed by children.
This, he explained, is why the state government provides an enabling environment for private schools to thrive.
Ajibefun further revealed that the ministry is partnering with the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) to curb book piracy, which constitutes a major threat to the publishing industry in Ondo State.
While acknowledging the large number of out-of-school children in Nigeria-over 18 million, according to UNICEF, Ajibefun assured that the Aiyedatiwa administration is working round the clock to address the challenge in Ondo State.
He noted that the provision of free shuttle buses and boats in various parts of the state is one of such measures.
He said the provision of free transportation for school children had helped to reduce the financial burden on parents while ensuring that children have equal access to quality education.
Ajibefun described his appointment as another opportunity to serve the state, adding that he was fully committed to bringing his wealth of experience as a former Rector and Vice-Chancellor, to bear on the task ahead.
According to him, education touches every family, and revitalising the sector would benefit not only pupils and students, but also parents and society at large.
He explained that one major challenge facing the education sector in Nigeria is resistance to change, stressing that even when government policies are aimed at improving the system, some stakeholders often oppose them.
The Commissioner, however, maintained that under his watch, all policies and programmes designed to improve education in Ondo State would be fully implemented.
Speaking further, Ajibefun acknowledged the problem of dilapidated school structures and overcrowded classrooms, particularly in urban centres, but assured that the government had embarked on the renovation of old buildings and construction of new classrooms and laboratories across the state.
He expressed optimism that with consistent intervention, most schools in Ondo State would wear a new look in the coming years.
On the issue of rural education, the Commissioner noted that infrastructural gaps and lack of amenities often discourage both teachers and students from staying in rural areas.
He, however, revealed that the ministry had put measures in place to encourage teachers posted to such communities to remain there for some years, while additional incentives were being considered to make rural postings more attractive.
He also spoke on the growing role of private schools in the state, pointing out that government alone cannot shoulder the responsibility of educating all children. Ajibefun described the proliferation of private schools as a positive development that complements public schools, but stressed that the government would continue to regulate and monitor them to ensure high standards are maintained.
On the future of the sector, Ajibefun promised that his ministry would focus on instilling discipline, encouraging students to take their studies seriously, and ensuring stable academic calendars in tertiary institutions.
He added that the administration would continue to promote technical and vocational subjects such as agriculture, which remain crucial to the state’s economy and to the overall development of young people.