Ogun state government has said it would continue to discourage and checkmate activities of illegal and unapproved schools in the state with the intervention of Ogun State Education Revitalization Agenda (OGSERA) platform and Learner’s Identification Number (LIN).
The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu made this known during a courtesy visit of the Grand Union of Private Schools Association (GUPSA) to his office in Abeokuta, he noted that there were minimum conditions that were required before a school could be established, warning that government would not tolerate sub-standard practices that would mar efforts of government in standardizing teaching and learning activities.
Arigbabu posited that private school owners must be in the business of education to improve standard and not just to make money, he enjoined them to continue to partner with government to fulfill its policies and goals.
“There must be a deliberate policy on the part of school owners to fulfilling government requirements in establishing a school, while you think that setting up a school is business, to us it is an academic exercise that government will not want to toy with. So if you are going into it, you must be ready to fulfill all obligations that will help improve and sustain standard.
Do not be recognised as an association that is irresponsible or use your platform to oppose government policies. I want you to continue to work in synergy with the ministry to helped discourage activities of unapproved schools that can mar the efforts we have been making in the sector”, he submitted.
The commissioner admonished them to be responsible and responsive in their dealings and not use their platform as an opportunity to oppose government policies, he opined that all government interventions were geared towards improving quality education and lives of its learners.
In his welcome address, the President-General of the union, Ustaadh Abdulazeez Ajibola submitted that the union represents all private school associations to serve as an umbrella under which the union could speak and engaged the ministry on areas of policy formulation, awareness, implementation and feedback.
Ajibola who congratulated the Governor on his victory at the poll in the last gubernatorial election, promised continued support and cooperation in order to take education to an enviable heights.