EDUCATION How school boards are changing the face of education
The School Governing Board (SGB) introduced by the Oyo State government exactly a year ago, has improved the decision-making processes and made schools to be more responsive to local needs. It was also estimated that the various boards have invested about N5 billion in development of school infrastructure.
Members of the board comprised of old students, philanthropists, school prefects, principals, religious leaders, inspectors, local council chairmen and other stakeholders. Their primary responsibility was to monitor activities, performance and infrastructural development of schools.
The boards have influenced government decisions in many ways and led to the establishment of more structures in public schools with the support of the old students and other stakeholders.
Old students on the boards have strived to increase aesthetic values of their schools by producing best students.
Among the efforts of the SGB’s across the state are; hiring of teachers to complement government teachers, construction of modern chemistry laboratory, roads, new blocks of classrooms, landscaping, adoption of students for free education and donation of clothes to indigent students.
Each of the board members had a role to play in ensuring the success of schools. While prefects ensured punctuality of the students, the principals gave adequate punishment on deviant behavior; philanthropists provided funding for schools facilities and the community leaders gave necessary supports to the school authorities.
The Commissioner for Education, Professor Joseph Adeniyi Olowofela, described the scheme as a magic wand in the provision of school infrastructure.
Olowofela said the erection of new structures in schools and renovation of dilapidated ones were frequently handled by old students and that the state had received completed projects on a weekly basis.
“Our people are now competing to contribute to the infrastructural development in our schools. An old student of Lagelu Grammar School where our governor graduated from, recently donated a building worth N120 million to the school. The governor himself has also promised to give them a big auditorium from his own pocket.
“I am also aware that the Government College, Ibadan has also set aside the sum of N125 million for school infrastructure. I heard they are still canvassing for funds globally because their target was N1 billion. Ibadan Boys High School is also doing its own. The SGB was not politically motivated,” he said.
The commissioner said the membership of the board cut across various interest groups and political parties and members provided support to their schools of interest. He said members do not receive financial support from the government and that their work was voluntary.
He said, “The investments from the school boards cannot be less than N5 billion without the effort of the state government. “The N5 billion is for the old students association. The state government on its own recently approved N2 billion for rehabilitation of 100 schools in the state.”
He said the state has also approved N3.6 billion for rehabilitation and constructions in primary schools and so far N10 billion was spent on primary and secondary schools in the state in one year.
The commissioner said all the secondary schools in the state are now under the control of the governing boards.
He said people were not receptive to new ideas in school administration at the initial stage but positive results were recorded from the initiatives.
He said, “Our performance in national examinations is speaking volumes. In last year’s SSCE, Oyo State had 54.4 per cent and that is the best in the last 19 years.
“When you look at our performance index in the past, the best we had was 21.4 per cent.
“Also in NECO, Oyo State has the highest number of pass though we came second in rating. However, Ogun State that came first with 5,000 while Oyo State has 7,000. We believe that any government that succeeds this government won’t change the policies in our education sector.”
Speaking with Daily Trust, the President of Lagelu Grammar School, Ibadan, Old Boys Association, Professor Olufemi Omisore, said the effort of Oyo State government to improve the standard of education in the state through SGB was admirable.
He said during the 60th anniversary of the Lagelu Grammar School, the old students donated over N250 million for infrastructural development in the school, noting that the amount was different from what other notable individuals pledged to contribute.
Similarly, a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Chief Adebayo Adelabu, donated a Study Centre to Lagelu Grammar School.
He said the state government has proved that there were ways to improve standard of learning, including through public participation.
The chairman, Board of Trustees (1991 set) of Ibadan Boys High School, Mr. Raji Adebayo, said opening school development to old students in the state was the greatest thing that ever happened to education in the state.
He said old students in his former school have donated over N100 million in their effort to give back to the society, help those in need and contribute to the common good.