Governor Gboyega Oyetola of Osun State has concluded plans to reverse the controversial single school uniform introduced in the state in 2013 in the first term of his predecessor, Rauf Aregbesola.
Reclassification of the public school system and abolition of single-sex schools across the state are also part of the 26 issues to be reviewed by the Oyetola administration.
Other issues to be reviewed include the introduction of ‘opon imo,’ otherwise referred to as tablet of knowledge, issuance of primary school leaving certificates, change of schools’ identities, ownership of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), operations of Osun State University, merger of basic and high schools across many communities, among others.
The new development, according to insiders, is a response to the clamour for the policy reviews by stakeholders, including educationists, school administrators, missionaries and school owners.
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On January 24, 2019, the leadership of ANCOPSS in the state, led by the immediate past chairman, Biodun Abiosun, met with the state’s head of service, Olowogboyega Oyebade, and other government functionaries to reiterate their call for review of the education policies.
Based on the renewed agitation, the governor tasked his education commissioner, Folorunsho Bamisayemi, and his special adviser on education, Jamiu Olawunmi, to collate areas requiring attention in the state’s education sector.
This led to the development of what the government described as executive council memorandum on education.
According to separate statements issued by both the state’s commissioner for information and civic engagement, Funke Egbemode, and the governor’s chief press secretary, Ismail Omipidan, at the inauguration of a two-day round table summit on the review of the policies, the governor noted that out of 26 issues raised in the memorandum, 14 issues were unanimously endorsed for review by the cabinet while 12 others were referred to the committee.
“It is important to let you know that in the interest of the generality of our people and in the spirit of democracy, I directed that all the 26 issues raised in the Executive Council Memorandum be discussed extensively and dispassionately with a view to arriving at informed decisions on every issue,” Mr Oyetola, who was represented by his deputy, Benedict Alabi, stated at the opening of the two-day roundtable summit by the committee in Osogbo on Thursday.
The governor added; “While some of the issues were unanimously agreed upon, twelve (12) other issues were referred to this Consultative Forum dedicated to addressing and making recommendations on the issues.”
It can be confirmed that the policies on the school merger and the unified school uniforms are part of the 14 policies already agreed by the cabinet to reverse.
