Segun Akanni, Toronto, Canada 
The Oyo State Government has promised to clamp down on illegal private primary schools operating, saying a taskforce would be set up in earnest to address the menace.
The Executive Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Nureni Adeniran said this during an inspection tour of schools in the State capital, Ibadan.
Adeniran revealed that the State Government would set up a task force, to be spearheaded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, without further delay, in collaboration with the State Universal Basic Education Board.
He said ”the taskforce would close down all mushroom private schools endangering quality in the education sector in the State.”
The Executive Chairman stated; “It is highly important that those private primary and secondary schools be put under searchlight to know those operating without government approval and monitoring. We will henceforth close such schools found within the State.”
Free education policy
Dr. Adeniran however urged parents and guardians to enroll their children and wards in public schools, stressing that the free education policy by Governor Seyi Makinde was already yielding positive results in schools in the 2019 academic session.
He said; “Looking at the influx of new intakes in public schools today, being the first day of resumption, it is apparent that Governor Seyi Makinde’s free-education policy is yielding good fruits in the state.”
The Chairman expressed government’s readiness to place public schools as favourable competitors with the private schools, saying the government was working assiduously on provision of basic amenities needed by both teachers and students across the State.
Dr. Adeniran explained that ”Governor Makinde-led administration demands maximum cooperation from all stakeholders in the sector while the government would commit every necessary resource in achieving quality education in the State.”
He further pledged government’s commitment to returning schools’ grants and renovation of bad infrastructures in schools.
Some of the schools the SUBEB Chairman and his team visited included; People’s Primary School, Adeoyo; St. Williams School, Oke-Ado; AUD School, Foko; Islamic Primary School, Bode and St. David’s Primary School, Kudeti.
Others were, I.M.G Primary Schools, Orita-Aperin and Ode-Aje; Ikolaba Community Primary School; Methodist Primary School, Bodija, and Methodist Primary School, Mokola, all within the capital city metropolis.
