Osun reverses Aregbesola’s education policies, adopts 6-3-3-4, cancels single uniform
By Shina Abubakar Osogbo
Osun state government on Monday adopted the report of the Expert committee on education reversing the extant education policies introduced by the State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola.
Briefing journalists after the State Executive Council meeting at the Exco chamber at the Governor’s office in Osogbo, the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Funke Egbemode said the executive committee unanimously agreed to adopt the report of the panel.
She said all the ten points raised by the committee were deliberated upon and adopted by the council, which include school mergers, single uniform, Opon-Imo, name change, the mixture of male and female for schools meant for single-sex and cancellation of school manager’s contract.
Others include; enhancing technical education, enhancing the status of Tutors and Headmasters General, introduction and increment in tuition fees among others.
According to her, the council agreed that each public school should revert back to its original uniform which is its unique means of identification without compromising quality.
She added that the state executive council also agreed that schools whose names were changed should be reverted to their old names, while schools meant for single-sex but turned to mixed-sex schools should be reversed.
“On the 10 issues raised in the report, we have a unanimous agreement on all issues raised.
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The first issue that we deliberated and discussed was the desirability or otherwise of continuing with the current policy of merging primary 5 and 6 with a junior secondary school to form middle schools and how it is not in conformity with the national policy on education. Council unanimously agreed with the expert report that the state of Osun will reverse to the 6-3-3-4 structure as against the 4-5-3-4 education policy and the government will provide adequate physical instructional facilities at all levels to make the new policy we are reverting to effective.
The second issue was the desirability or otherwise to continue with the current policy of common uniform for all schools in Osun contrary to the practice of each school having its own unique identity of separate uniforms as we use to have it and as practice. Council agreed that each school reverses back to its unique uniforms, serving as a unique form of identification.
On the issue of Model High school maintenance, the council agrees to wind up the Omoluabi School Management Committee. We agreed to place an advert to seek new managers that would manage schools at a more affordable fee. In the future, we will engage facility managers who will have an agreement in black and white, so that managers that flouted the agreement could be sanctioned in line with the agreement signed.
We also agreed that the Early Childhood Development Education canceled by the previous administration should be reactivated. We also resolved to engage professional who would continue the system and ensure adequate childhood development”, she said.
She added that the council agrees with the recommendations of the panel that schools meant for single-sex be reversed and allow male students, in senior classes 1 and 2, in females schools returned to their old schools and vice versa.
Egbemode added that the council further voted to inaugurate a panel to restructure the Ministry of Education to accommodate the arrangement of Tutor-Generals and Headmasters-General to enhance the quality of education in the state.
On the issue of Technical education training to become a post-secondary or post junior secondary level, she said the council agreed that having reverted to the 6-3-3-4, technical education should be strengthened and be made attractive.
“On Whether Opon-Imo should be rested. The committee recommended and we agree that it should be reintroduced after improving on its lapses. Council agreed that there is a need to have teachers copy. We would enlist the cooperation of parents to make it readily available and liaise with other stakeholders to make sure it is not only available but effective”, she added.