We’ll keep reducing number of out-of-school children – Oyo Commissioner

The Oyo State Government has reiterated its commitment to keep reducing the number of out-of-school children in the state.

The state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, said this in an interview with the newsmen in Ibadan on Monday.

Supreme News reports an increasing number of school-age children roaming the roads and motor parks in Ibadan during school hours, begging for alms and not ready to say why they are not in school.

Speaking on this development, the commissioner stated that Gov. Seyi Makinde mopped up to 20 per cent of out-of-school children back to the classrooms during his first tenure.

He, however, said that despite the efforts to do more, the migration of children from other parts of the country has been a major setback.

According to him, most of the children are on the streets hawking and engaging in societal vices.

“In the course of profiling them, they could not be traced to recognised parents or guardians. So, we are finding it difficult to take them back to school.

“You may see some in Akinyele today, but don’t be surprised that tomorrow, they may relocate to Challenge,” Adelabu said.

The commissioner further said the indigenes amongst them had been complying.

“We are still looking forward to mopping them off the streets and back to classrooms,” he said.

Adelabu said the children were themselves sceptical of education, exhibiting a negative mindset about school.

He said, sadly, most of their parents had the same negative mindset towards their wards attending school.

The commissioner recalled an instance of three girls outrightly saying in the presence of their mothers that they were not interested in going to school.

He, however, said the government would continue to invest in infrastructure and facilities, including building model schools to care for all categories of students.

He said the student population had been properly managed with hardly a school in the state having more than 1,500 students.

“I can bet, there is none that is up to 2,000 population of students,” Adelabu said.

He said the state had been involved in recirculation and splitting to give each head of school a manageable size of students.

He also said the state had set up recruitment exercises for its basic and secondary schools.

“About 7,000 teachers and a few caregivers would be recruited to our basic education arm, while about 7,500 teachers and 3,000 non-teaching staff will be recruited at the secondary school level.

“I give kudos to the government of Gov. Seyi Makinde on this,” Adelabu said.