Oyo State Government has urged Education Secretaries to strive to impart discipline and sound morals within their Local Government Universal Basic Education Authorities for the overall good of the state.
The gvernment equally stressed the importance of the state’s religious diversity and the need to tolerate one another.
The Executive Chairman, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Dr. Nureni Aderemi Adeniran, who gave the advice at a meeting with Education Secretaries on Thursday, said their duties were not just about academic, but as vehicles for instilling moral values in their subordinates.
The chairman noted that Education Secretaries, teaching and non-teaching staff must be disciplined, in order to be able to impart sound morals and discipline in school children.
Adeniran also said the state through the board, will not tolerate religious intolerance, adding that no religious bigotry will be tolerated in public schools.
He observed that every religion and law protects the life of every citizen, adding that no pupil must be coerced into a belief system he/she finds unpersuasive.
“It is important that each Education Secretary must be self-disciplined, otherwise they will lose the right to discipline others, as immediate role models to others,” he said.
Adeniran, while commenting on the scarce number of teachers in public schools, hinted on a possible redistribution of teachers across the state.
The SUBEB boss, who noted that there is an urgent need to correct the lopsidedness of teachers’ deployment in Oyo State, added that an intra-local government distribution will aid education in the state.
He, therefore, charged each Education Secretary to compile lists of teachers in each school under their supervision, as well as the enrollment in each school.
Adeniran warned Education Secretaries and teachers against extortion or imposition of unauthorised levies on students, noting that offenders would be sanctioned.
He reiterated that Oyo State Government would not condone any corrupt practices by any Education Secretary or head teacher.
Adeniran, who also noted that the Oyo State Government has completed hundreds of school projects across all local governments, added that the government will soon embark on completion of some abandoned projects.
He explained that most of the projects were abandoned by contractors hired by the past administration in the state.
