The Oyo State Government is set to establish a task force to identify and shut down unapproved private primary and secondary schools operating across the state.
Executive Chairman of the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Nureni Aderemi Adeniran, disclosed this during an inspection of public schools in Ibadan, saying the move was aimed at protecting standards and curbing the proliferation of what he described as “mushroom” schools.
Adeniran said the taskforce would be spearheaded by the Oyo State Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in collaboration with SUBEB.
According to him, private schools operating without government approval or adequate regulatory monitoring would be placed under scrutiny and closed where necessary.
“It is highly important that those private primary and secondary schools be put under searchlight to know those operating without government approval and monitoring.
“We will henceforth close such schools found within the state,” he said.
The SUBEB chairman also urged parents and guardians to consider enrolling their children and wards in public schools, pointing to increased enrolment as an indication of growing confidence in the state’s public education system.
He said the influx of pupils into public schools during resumption showed that the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde’s free education policy was producing positive results.
“Looking at the influx of new intakes in public schools today, being the first day of resumption, it is apparent that Governor Seyi Makinde’s free-education policy is yielding good fruits in the state,” Adeniran said.
He added that the state government was working to improve public schools and make them competitive with private institutions through the provision of basic facilities and other resources required by teachers and pupils.
Adeniran said the government expected maximum cooperation from stakeholders in the education sector as it continued to commit resources towards improving the quality of education across Oyo State.
He further pledged that government would restore schools’ grants and undertake the renovation of dilapidated school infrastructure.
The SUBEB chairman and his team inspected a number of schools in Ibadan, including People’s Primary School, Adeoyo; St Williams School, Oke-Ado; AUD School, Foko; Islamic Primary School, Bode; and St David Primary School, Kudeti.
Other schools visited were IMG Primary Schools at Orita-Aperin and Ode-Aje, Ikolaba Community Primary School, Methodist Primary School, Bodija, and Methodist Primary School, Mokola.
The inspection formed part of efforts by the education authorities to assess conditions in public schools and identify areas requiring government intervention.
