Education Commissioner Inspects Schools
...calls for dedication of all to the success of our children

For the efforts of the Aregbesola administration at improving education in the state to yield positive results, parents and teachers need to see themselves as major stakeholders in the drive, hence they need total commitment to the child as no child is born a failure.
These were the words of the Commissioner for Education, Mr Kola Omotunde-Young during inspection visits to some schools across the state.

Parents, guardians and society are encouraged to pay more attention to the educational development of our children and ensure every child enjoys good parenting as a right and not a privilege. We should support our neighbours to be better parents so our children can be productive and have safe environment to live now and in future.

The commissioner said teachers should ensure effective teaching and mentoring and make classrooms friendly and learner -centered so that the standard of education in the state can improve.

Mr Omotunde-Young encouraged the use of Yoruba - mother tongue (MT) - as first language and English as second language (ESL) of teaching in our schools and the use of locally available examples and concepts to illustrate in order to achieve effective understanding of the subjects by the pupils and students.

The commissioner urged teachers and school authorities to always maintain clean environment noting that it will reflect in the overall behaviour of the students.

He appealed to parents and guardians to provide for the academic needs of their children. He was unhappy that many parents sent their children to schools to resume the new term in tattered dresses and advised that heads of schools should invite parents of such children and insist they clothe them properly as leaders of tomorrow and also provide them with materials required for learning.

Heads of schools have been enjoined to see themselves as guardians and should ensure no such child apparently uncared for should be allowed to be withdrawn from school. It is the right of the child to be properly clothed and educated and parents must be made to realise that having children come with responsibilities that cannot be ignored.

Henceforth such parents must be reported rather than allowed to deny the child education. The Ministry of Education in collaboration with other child centred agencies of government shall soon publish Telephone numbers, e-mail and contact details to report mothers and fathers who refuse to live up to their responsibilities to their children.

It is in all our best interests to support, mentor and assist the uninformed and uncaring mothers, fathers or guardians to improve in their responsibilities to the child and report such to authorities if they refuse to be good parents.