OYO state government has collaborated with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, (UNICEF) to put education reform in the spotlight through the training of enumerators, supervisors and coordinators on the conduct of 2016/2017 annual school census in the state.
Speaking at the training workshop held at Wesley College of Science, Elekuro, Ibadan on Tuesday, the state commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela noted that the occasion of a training programme like this, marking the beginning of the main business of Annual School Census is highly significant.
Olowofela added that the significance is measured in the record of events that nothing practical and meaningful could be done without data, the provision of which is met by credible exercise of Annual School Census.
According to him, “a responsible state government like the present administration ably led by Senator Abiola Ajimobi, is committed and responsive to providing quality education to her citizenry as a means of raising quality and enduring human capital resources cannot afford to do less. This is obvious considering the awesome amount of fund committed to the various stages of the exercise”.
The former council boss, Olowofela further stressed that other factor through which a successful census cannot be underestimated is the collaboration of highly placed International Development partner -UNICEF, an organization which he said would never subscribe to a nefarious project.
The commissioner, therefore recognized the supports given in-kind and cash by the state government and UNICEF towards the successful conduct of this year Annual School Census and other activities at this period of global recession.
Also, he emphasized the need for planning in the education system which is derived from the fact that the society is not static and education must respond to the changing technological, economical, political and social environment of the nation, adding that to suit the purpose there is need for timely, accurate and up to date data.
Professor Olowofela, however charged the participants “you must therefore, painstakingly visit all schools, public, private, registered and unregistered even the so called mushrooms schools to or near and hard to reach areas to collect quality data to justify the huge amount expended on the programme.
The commissioner reiterated that UNICEF and Oyo state government have played their parts in ensuring availability of robust data to guide future plans, while enjoining the enumerators, supervisors and coordinators to pay serious attention to all instructions and guides during the training programme so that knowledge gained could be put into use at their various desks.
