SCHOOL REFORMS: Reasons For New Education Policy In Osun Explained

Staff October 24, 2013

Governor Rauf Aregbesola has given reason for the merging of schools in the state, saying the policy of reclassification of schools introduced by his administration was not aimed at inflicting pains on the people of the state.
According to a statement issued by Media Aide to the Governor, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon, in Osogbo on Monday, Aregbesola said this in Lagos while addressing members of the Ijesa Society in Lagos State. The governor spoke just as members of the traditional religions in the state berated some Christian and Muslim groups for attacking the new education policy.
The traditional believers led by Mr. Kayode Esuleke, spoke at a press conference just as Parents Association and Parent Teachers Association in the state also rose in defence of the governor. Aregbesola stated enumerated other efforts made by the administration to revamp the sector trying the free distribution of Opon Imo ( iPad like device), free uniform, free meal and others had started yielding positive results in the sector.
The governor said: “On the surface, it looks as if we are deliberately out to inflict pains with the reformation of our school system. Nothing close to that is our intention. Not at all! We saw a hopeless situation of our basic education system. Because of my experience with the comatose educational system in the state that we were about to inherit, even from the days of my campaigns days, long before we assumed office, I made it very clear that we would carry out surgical attack on it during our campaigns.
“Very clear! We mentioned our intention to the whole world that we will address the issue of poor and totally dilapidated educational infrastructure of basic education to aggressively solve the problem. But as usual, people do not give politicians because of their experience much of thoughts before the campaigns. Some of our policies are necessary but painful and may not be well accepted now.
“We are however convinced that surgery is not always pleasing and soothing to those who need it but the joy of recovery and healing afterward more than compensate for the temporary pain of going under the knife.
“Rather than look at what we are doing as the best form to revamp education and ensure that our student have the best for our limited resource and maximisation of our resources for excellence and efficiency which has a whole of our efforts, sentiment and primordial issues were brought into it.”
SPY GHANA