Osun Enrols 350,000 Students In Fresh e-Government Drive

To improve planning and proper allocation of resources to the education sector in the State of Osun, biometric enrolment of students of government schools is in progress across the 30 Local Government Areas (LGA) of the state.
The project, being executed by Chams plc, is expected to provide the government of the State of Osun with accurate data on students attending public schools as the government strives to revolutionise public education in the state.
Commenting on the project, Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, deputy governor of the State of Osun, who doubles as the commissioner for education said, that the biometric enrolment of 350,000 students from public schools in 16 local government areas with enrolment in progress in 14 more local government areas is a significant milestone as without accurate data, a holistic transformation of the education sector in Osun may remain elusive.
She stated that the ongoing biometric enrolments will ensure that the State have accurate data for use in updating the state’s education strategy and pragmatic work-plan to ensure policy success.
“This will enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery by government to public school students who are present beneficiaries of initiatives that include the Osun Elementary School Feeding and Health Programme (O’meals), School Computer Tablet (Opon Imo) and Osun School Uniform (O-Uniform)”.
She further added that education is a priority in the State of Osun as the government recognises it as a critical investment in children, youth, Nigeria’s future well-being, and the national economy.
“Improving the quality of education in the state is crucial to ensuring that the State succeeds in the 21st century’s maturing knowledge economy which places very high premium on human capital,” said Tamori.
On his part, Olufemi Williams, deputy managing director, Chams plc, disclosed that the firm engaged in the collection of data of students in public schools in the State of Osun to enable the Ministry of Education and State Government have useful data for the seamless implementation of its bespoke education policy.
According to Williams, the project will transform the manner by which financial resources are being provided for the education sector by the state government, further explaining that it will promote the matching of funding with the needs of individual students and public schools in the state.
“With this in place, the education outcomes of students in the state will no longer be determined by the wealth of their parents, ensuring that all students have access to high quality education regardless of their background,” said Williams.
It would be recalled that a new education policy seeking an integrative approach to the education of children and youth in The State of Osun evolved from the Osun Education Summit in 2011. The new policy has been described by the stakeholders in the education sector as a comprehensive and holistic response to the deterioration of public school system in the state.
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