For a serious minded government, education should be a key factor to its developmental agenda. Student/pupils welfare should be topnotch, teachers should be well catered for while infrastructure should be on the front burner of the government’s priority. It is believed that any government with no strong educational policy/framework is on the path to failure.
One is therefore tempted to ask what the educational framework of the Adeleke government is?
Starting with the sacking of 1500 primary school teachers enployed by the Oyetola administration, to poor infrastructure and low motivation for the existing teachers, it is glaring that the present administration have lost touch with modern educational needs and techniques.
Recently news and pictures filtered in about an aide of the Executive Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke gleefully sharing one exercise book per pupil in a certain primary school in Osun, which she happily posted on her social media platform as achievement of the Adeleke administration. The aide in question is Teniola Lanlehin, Special Adviser to the Osun State Governor on Education.
One would be tempted to ask what exactly is the impact of the one exercise book on the average overall quality of education in the state? Is distribution of one exercise book per pupil all there is to the education policy of the Adeleke administration?
One would assume that a public office holder who values education and intends to ameliorate the economic hardship on parents of pupils in Osun would think outside the box, provide a more soothing educational palliative to the pupils in her capacity as SA Education while also making developmental inputs to boost education in the State.
With the improved federal allocation to the state arising from the removal of the fuel subsidy by the Tinubu administration, one would expect that the state would commit more funds to providing standard educational facilities in the State while also equipping the schools to meet basic standards that will enhance delivery of qualitative education.
So far, it appears the state government and its education administrators have no framework to develop public education in the state. This one exercise book project does not only leave a bad taste in the mouth of Osun people, it also portrays the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke as one with no vision and direction as far as education is concerned in Osun State.
Recent records have shown that Osun is fast becoming one of the most backward states in terms of education in Nigeria. When compared to previous administrations in the state, the present government has so far performed abysmally in education. The mass sacking of 1500 primary school teachers engaged by the Oyetola administration by the incumbent government have been labelled one of the major reasons behind the educational woes in the Osun State.
For a state that boasts of great academic scholars like erudite Professor Olu Aina, Prof. Peter Okebukola, Prof. Siyan Oyeweso and others too numerous to mention, it is obvious the Adeleke administration have been lowering the bar of excellence since inception of the administration.
Ademola Adeleke has reduced Osun State to a laughing stock in Nigeria. While other states are constructing model schools with standard facilities and recruiting thousands of new teachers, Ademola Adeleke is busy sharing one exercise book to Osun people and celebrating the feat. May God liberate Osun people!
Ajibola Oluwasegun Matthew
writes from Modakeke, Osun State.