Priscilla Ofunre, Ado-Ekiti
Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State has disclosed that his administration has decided to return schools to missions and original owners to checkmate the activities of those he described as profiteers and undisciplined elements in the system.
He added that it was part of the quests for moral and value restoration to secondary school cadre and rid the schools of decadent practices like internet fraud called ‘Yahoo Yahoo’, truancy and examination malpractices.
Governor Fayemi dispelled the fear that the Federal Government-powered school feeding programme has been cancelled, saying the removal of the policy from the Office of the Vice President, to a newly-formed Ministry of Humanitarian Services, caused the delay.
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The governor spoke, in Ado-Ekiti, on Wednesday, at a homecoming/ reunion press conference held by 1975-80 set of Christ’s School, Ado Ekiti, marking the 40th anniversary of leaving the school.
The governor, who doubles as the President of the Set, applauded the alumni groups across the state for partnering the government to raise the standard of education through provision of facilities and funding, saying the state would create a more coordinated platform for useful engagement with them.
Governor Fayemi’s words, ” Our education was not at the level we are during our time, but I also done think we should despair because of the high level of dialogue and partnership among stakeholders the state government is midwifing .
“We have no reason not to achieve qualitative education. During our time, we didn’t enjoy free education until 1979, but we paid affordable school fee. We paid N20 per term.
“Education is a right and not a privilege and that was why I introduced free education and we are returning some schools to missions and original owners, Who are not also profiteers.
“They will charge fees, but they will charge reasonably. We are returning schools to those who can provide discipline .
“We are also incorporating the alumni associations into our developmental agenda.
“I have received series of correspondences and communications from religious organistions like ; Methodist, Nawarudeen, Catholic and Anglican, writing that they wanted their schools back.
“Under this arrangement, the government will still be paying for teachers until we reach an arrangement for those that will take over and we will work out arrangement on how to handle some of these grey areas in the affected schools”.
Governor Fayemi also assured that the school feeding programme would start in Ekiti State as soon as the new federal Ministry restarts the implementation across all interested states.
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The governor refuted the widespread impression that public schools are of no values, clarifying that there was no reason for government to have schools that can offer qualitative education, if the proper things are put in place to strengthen the system.
Speaking about school enrolment in Ekiti, Governor Fayemi added, ” In 2014, we had 96 percent enrolment in Ekiti, but in 2018, when I came back, Ekiti was the least in the southwest .
“But today, we have raised it to over 75 percent, because of free education. We don’t allow PTA to force students out on no account.
“It has become a policy now in Ekiti, if we found your child on the streets during school hour and he is of school age, his parents will have a lot to answer for, apart from renovation and provisions of instructional materials the government is doing.”