Former Minister of Interior Rauf Aregbesola has said his educational policy as governor of Osun State would have produced 44,000 world beaters if the administration of Gboyega Oyetola had not truncated the programme.The Nation can report
Aregbesola spoke in Akure at a reception to honour him by the Old Students Association of Akoko Anglican Grammar School, Arigidi-Akoko, Ondo State.
The former governor said he decided to replicate the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s education policy and programme because schools across the Western Region at that time taught and instilled ethics, social etiquette, morals and leadership that produced great individuals.
Aregbesola recalled that his administration built 11 state-of-the-art 3,000 -capacity model secondary schools, in addition to rehabilitating and upgrading existing ones.
He said: “By the time we left in 2018, 11 were fully operational. With each school graduating 1,000 students every year, and a combined output of 11,000, we should have not less than 44,000 world beaters now, if the programme had been sustained.
“These schools were designed to produce world beaters and the fruits were already coming out. A student from our school topped the Senior Secondary School Examination while another topped JAMB examination shortly after we left. But our successor regrettably couldn’t continue with the tempo.
“Our commitment then was from the understanding that there is no alternative to a sound public education foundation. All governments must therefore know that no matter how attractive private schools may be, they will never displace government-funded public education schools, if we really want to provide education to all the children and stimulate development from bottom up. It is a dream we must never give up on.”
The Owa-Ale of Iyometa, Ikare-Akoko, Oba Adeleke Adegbite-Adedoyin II, said Aregbesola was still relevant in Nigerian politics and governance. He said those who think otherwise would soon be disappointed
