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By Taiwo Oluwadare
The Oyo state government would soon inauguarate a special task force codenamed “Education Monitoring Marshalls”.
The state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela, said the group would have the mandate to instill good behaviour in students.
He disclosed this on Wednesday at the presentation of book list for 2017 to 2020 academic programmes for schools in the state.
He said the policy is imperative in view of the declining moral behaviours among secondary school students, and particularly the need to discourage school children from wandering around during school hours.
He added that the special tax force will be empowered to arrest and discipline students caught wandering out of school premises.
Olowofela regretted that those bad behaviours the government is out had created wayward youths who engage in acts capable of promoting moral decadence in the society.
Speaking on the new list of books, he noted that the presentation of the books to the schools is response to the agitations for required book from different quarters across the state ahead of the school resumption slated for September 18.
While noting that the list of books will be available for free, Olowofela disclosed that, what is important is the contents of the books, which was the reason the reviewers checked the lists to ensure it is in line with recommended standard.
He further said that the effort is according to the requirements of the state governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi to reposition and restructure education in the state.
Corroborating Olowofela’s view, the Acting Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Mrs. Ariyike Adekanmbi said the use of the list of books is sacrosanct because it is developed according to the curriculum used to set examinations.
She encouraged the Local Inspector of Education, LIEs to monitor the compliance of all Schools to conform to the state government’s directives on education.