Thousands of pupils across 73 public primary schools will receive educational materials courtesy of Ibadan North Local Government, the chairman of the local government, Hon. Seun Olufade has said.
This is as the schools are to benefit from the distribution of school furniture, including desks and chairs as well as board markers and chalks, among others.
Olufade, who stated this on Thursday, at the commencement of the distribution of the educational materials worth millions of Naira, held at the Ibadan North Local Government Secretariat, said the move is to encourage students in their educational pursuit.
He added that it will also assist parents in lessening the burden of giving education to their wards, commending Governor ‘Seyi Makinde for his support.
The chairman maintained that the items to be distributed include 800 seats and desks, packs of chalk and board markers, 300 school bags and 200 pairs of school sandals.
He noted that the effort is aimed at improving the learning environment and easing the challenges faced by pupils and teachers, saying: “Well, it is some sort of encouragement to let our students understand and know that education is key and it is very essential.
“We are preparing them so that they know they are the leaders of tomorrow and also know that they should take their education seriously.
“As the Executive Chairman of Ibadan North Local Government and a youth as well, I want to say that it is another encouragement for them; that when they face their education squarely, there is nothing in life that they can’t become.
“This is just about giving back the dividends of democracy. Other local government chairmen have also been doing wonderfully well. Some of them did similar things in the past and I am sure moving forward, others will do it as well.”
Speaking during the symbolic presentation of the materials, the chairman of the Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Dr Nureni Adeniran, commended Hon. Olufade for the initiative.
Describing it as a monumental effort to strengthen the state government’s drive towards quality education and the eradication of the “no-seat” challenge in public schools, Dr Adeniran noted that the intervention would significantly alleviate the difficulties faced by public primary schools within the local government.
He said: “With this arrangement, no school will get less than 10 benches and desks. This will go a long way to assist teaching and learning. I can confidently say that there will no longer be any public primary school in Ibadan North where children sit on the floor or lack furniture.”
Adeniran further commended the inclusion of school bags, sandals, chalk and board markers, adding that these would collectively enhance the quality of education and improve pupils’ classroom experience.
He urged teachers to ensure that the items are distributed transparently and used strictly for their intended purposes, even as he appealed to teachers to comply with the newly introduced timetable for reading and writing sessions in public primary schools, explaining that the policy was designed to help pupils develop literacy skills early.
The SUBEB chairman expressed appreciation to Governor Makinde for his continued support for the education sector and for providing an enabling environment for local governments to function effectively.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education Intervention, Hon. Suraj Tiamy, praised the initiative, describing it as a progressive step towards improving the teaching and learning process across the state.
He said: “This is a step forward. We are all following the footsteps of our governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, in terms of taking education as a priority in the state.
“So, this is a special event, because we are giving out school bags and furniture to support our primary and secondary schools in Ibadan North Local Government. It is a great event and I am using this opportunity to thank Hon. Olufade for doing this.
“Lastly, I would like to urge the parents to look after their children, to make sure that they go to school every, they attend their classes, and make sure that they study.
“As I said, education is our number one in the state, and we are following the footsteps of His Excellency.”
