KEY POINTS
- Governor Abiodun declares Monday a holiday for Ogun teachers in honor of Teachers’ Day.
- Construction of 12 blocks of 900 smart classrooms approved for schools across the state.
- Focus on completing abandoned projects from 2018-2019 and addressing worst-performing schools.
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun has announced Monday, October 7, as a public holiday for teachers in celebration of this year’s Teachers’ Day, with schools expected to resume academic activities on Tuesday, October 8.
Teachers’ day holiday and infrastructure upgrades
Governor Abiodun made the declaration during an event held at the Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta, where he acknowledged the crucial role teachers play in shaping the state’s future.
The National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) Ogun chapter also notified its members about the holiday, urging all schools to observe the work-free day.
At the same event, Governor Abiodun approved the construction of 12 blocks of 900 smart classrooms across four schools in each educational zone.
The selected schools include Abeokuta Grammar School, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta; Ijebu-Ode Grammar School, Ijebu-Ode; Remo Secondary School, Sagamu; and Yewa College, Ilaro.
Achievements in education sector
Governor Abiodun highlighted his administration’s strides in the education sector, which include implementing the Ogun Digitalized Multimedia Lesson Plan.
This initiative equips teachers with centralized and digitized resources to improve the quality of lessons. According to Punch, he also mentioned the establishment of the Central Education Management Information System for efficient data gathering, analysis, and presentation.
Further achievements include the approval of the Ogun State Education Intervention Fund, successful conduct of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) with the introduction of Optical Mark Reader sheets, and the installation of ICT facilities to prepare for the launch of the Nigeria Learning Passport for e-content delivery.
Addressing abandoned projects and worst-performing schools
Abiodun also addressed the issue of abandoned school projects from 2018 and 2019, attributing the delays to the unrealistic pricing of contracts due to inflation.
Upon assuming office, he noted that Ogun State had not accessed educational funds for 2014-2017. His administration paid the necessary counterpart funding, allowing the state to secure resources for those years.
Governor Abiodun emphasized that while previous educational projects were not necessarily targeted at the “worst of the worst” schools, a new strategy had been developed.
A task force, led by the Head of Service, was established to identify the schools in dire need of intervention across the state. He announced that the new work plan for the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) had been approved, allowing for the completion of abandoned projects while also addressing the most underperforming schools.
Governor Abiodun reaffirmed his commitment to improving educational infrastructure, with a focus on transparency and accountability in delivering quality education to all learners in Ogun State.
