From Clement Adeyi, Osogbo
The Osun State Government on Tuesday flagged off the distribution of multi-million naira worth of instructional materials, sporting equipment, mattresses and their accessories to eight special schools as well as other conventional public primary and junior schools across the state for students’ use.
Honourable Israel Famurewa, the Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), the education agency that organised the event, disclosed that the gesture had been a priority of the government in view of the need to boost teaching and learning activities, give the pupils in the school for special needs a sense of belonging and to bequeath quality education to the younger generation.
While explaining part of the rationale behind the materials and the distribution, Famurewa noted that ‘the materials and equipment, including the availability of highly motivated and competent teachers with pedagogical skills and effective school leaders, will definitely lead to achievement of a school development plan which is a high standard of education since education remains the key to both growth and development globally.’
Famurewa, who urged education stakeholders to join hands with the government to achieve the global goal of sustainable development, also called on the beneficiary schools to make the best use of the materials for the purposes they were meant for.
He assured Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of SUBEB’s readiness to redouble its efforts at ensuring quality assurance through improved reading skills, monitoring and evaluation activities to make the state’s education goal a reality.
Governor Adegboyega Oyetola, addressing hundreds of guests, including government officials, politicians, academics, education stakeholders, traditional rulers as well as students, said that the initiative was a continuation of his administration’s intervention through the State Universal Basic Education Board in the education sector and in building the capacity of the young ones with a view to ensuring a reliable posterity and a strong state.
‘Today’s event is an affirmation of our administration’s commitment to improving the quality of the education available in our state,’ Oyetola stressed.
‘The distribution of these valuable items, cutting across educational materials, sports equipment and other relevant educational materials is a product of our concern at ensuring that our pupils get the educational value that is due and comparable to best global standards.
‘You will recall that upon assumption of office, I mentioned that, part of our cardinal objectives as an administration, is to sustain strategic investment in the education sector in a manner that ensures that our pupils receive such an education that will build them into total persons who are competent contributors to the fulfilment of our vision and aspirations as a people,’ the governor stressed.
‘I did mention that as a product of public education myself, I know what public education was and as such, would be wholly committed to restoring that lost glory and surpassing it, in tandem with the realities of the fast-paced 21st century.’
Governor Oyetola expressed delight that with the flag-off of the distribution of school materials to schools, his administration had gone further to consolidate on its achievements so far in the education sector.
The governor commended the Universal Basic Commission (UBEC), Abuja, ‘for its support and assistance to our vision on education in the state.’
‘Indeed, UBEC has proved to be a dependable ally in our quest to bequeath an enduring educational legacy to the incoming generations,’ he said.
