How Ogun government rescues 9,000 pupils, 577 teachers in 28 community schools

ABIODUN JIMOH, ABEOKUTA

No fewer than 9,000 pupils would have been affected in the 28 community schools across the state recently taken over its management by the Ogun State government.

Similarly, a total of 577 teachers in these schools who could have lost their jobs were absorbed into the state civil service system.

This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Dapo Abiodun, Kunle Somorin on Tuesday, stating that the state government took the decision because most of the community schools were insolvent.

According to Mrs. Aderonke Soyombo, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Primary, Secondary and Vocational Education, she hinted that the primary interest was the number of children that would be affected if they were not absorbed. “The number of children to be affected if the absorption was not done would have risen to over 9,000.”

Furthermore, Soyombo expressed that the community schools were absorbed by the Prince Dapo Abiodun administration after they were rejected and left alone by the immediate past administration in the state.

“The schools were passed unto us. The last dispensation did not take them over, neither absorb them. What we did was to absorb them.

“What we looked at was the number of children that will suffer is going to be almost 9,000, because, instead of those children suffering like that, we will rather take them in and empower those schools.

“The state government took an audit of all schools in the state, including the absorbed 28 community schools, with the view of having a clear data of schools in the state. The absorption of the 577 teachers won’t affect the current process of recruiting 1,500 teachers into the state owned schools, it is a separate exercise.

“Though, we were given what look like the data of schools in the state upon swearing of the Prince Dapo Abiodun administration, but couldn’t work with the data because it lacked the right information on the state of schools in the state. There was no way we could run with the data because it was not clear on the areas where we will need teachers.

“The findings from our audit is that Ogun State is very lopsided, we have too many teachers in some schools, while some schools were quite under-staffed. So, the audit helped us to solve a lot of issues,” she said.

However, Soyombo expressed worrisome  at the situation where some schools have no principal and vice principals for over two years and a teacher teaching about 209 students in a class. “Such will not be allowed to happen in the state under the Prince Dapo Abiodun led administration.

“The state government has identified about 10 rural areas across the three senatorial district of the state with serious structural and teaching needs. It was discovered that areas like Imeko-Afon, Ipokia, Yewa North, Yewa South, Ijebu North and Ogun Waterside were worst affected. I am promising that in the next few months, schools in these local governments would have a new lease of life.”