REMARKABLE 100% JUMP IN WASSCE PERFORMANCE: How did Oyo state do it?EDUCATION BY QUICKSILVER
The Oyo State government recently made major reviews of its education policy with a clear intention to reposition education for productivity and reclaim its Pacesetter status. This noticeable surge in students’ performance in the 2017 SSCE, evident in a 100% improvement in average percentage performance from 22.12% (2016) to 54.18% (2017), is a highly remarkable take home from these key reforms:

1. ENFORCEMENT OF 80% ATTENDANCE
Enforcement of 80% attendance for all students to ensure their optimum performance in external or internal examinations. Students who fail to achieve the set standard would not be eligible for promotion to higher classes.

2. CANCELLATION OF AUTOMATIC PROMOTIONS
Automatic promotion of students in all public secondary is now cancelled. Promotions is based on merit so as “to ensure that quality products are graduated from the public schools.”

3. EXTRAMURAL CLASSES
Extramural classes for JSS3 and SSS3 in all public secondary schools. This measure is to add quality time to the teaching periods.

4. EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT LEVY
A sum of N3,000 (three thousand naira) will be paid per student on annual basis as Education Development Levy. The payment of the levy will be in three installments of N1,000 per term.

5. NO MORE FREE WAEC REGISTRATION
Oyo government has stopped further payment of WAEC registration fees with effect from 2015/16 academic session as decided by stakeholders. “This is as a result of the lackadaisical attitude of students and to ensure commitment of parents to better performance of their wards in external examinations.

6. QUALIFYING EXAMS
The state government introduced qualifying examination for ss2 students transiting to the next upper class (SS3 – final year students) so as to ensure that only serious and quality students are presented for the final external examinations.”

7. ZONAL EDUCATION MONITORING COMMITTEES
The committees comprised of seasoned educationists, parents and security agents are engaged to “bring to students’ truancy and social ills noticeable within and outside school’s premises to a zero level.

8. ESTABLISHMENT OF SCHOOL GOVERNING BOARDs
Establishment of School Governing Boards as the State’s Participatory Management of Schools’ Model for the six hundred and twenty eight (628) public secondary schools and the Technical Colleges in the State.