The Government of the state of Osun on Sunday said it will not relent on its various reforms until violence is completely rooted out of its public schools institutions.
It said part of the rots created by the long years of abandoned education sector in the state is that schools had become breeding grounds for gangsters rather than well-groomed individuals.
The government stated this in the wake of the reported reckless display of violence by some misguided pupils of two state-owned schools at the state capital Osogbo, last week.
In a statement signed by the Director, Bureau of Communications and Strategy, Semiu Okanlawon, the government said ugly incidents such as which happened at the Anglican High School and Adele Middle School both in Osogbo were part of the ugly results of long years of neglect of the education sector, a development which created ample opportunities for irresponsible conducts of pupils.
The statement recalled that Governor Rauf Aregbesola of Osun had at the official unveiling of the first mega high school in the state, lamented what he called a deplorable situation in public education institutions which had constituted breach of the peace to the entire community in the past.
“Recall that when the government commissioned the Wole Soyinka Government High School, Ejigbo Governor Rauf Aregbesola made no mistake admitting that the old school system and outlook encouraged pupils to behave almost like animals.
“What happened last week was just part of the remnants of the culture of violence inherited in our schools five years ago and which this administration has battled vigorously. It could have been worse. But the dogged pursuit of excellence in character molding and academic brilliance under the present administration in the education sector has stemmed the tide and we are not relenting until we stamp out the last instance of anti-social behaviour in our schools,” the statement noted
Listing the areas of interventions which are aimed at arresting the drift, the statement said a complete transformation of the learning environment and the general conditions of learning are the efforts of the government to ensure that products of public education institutions are individuals who become productive to the society and not those who terrorise the society.
The statement said construction of modern schools structures equipped fully with modern facilities, provision of attractive school uniforms, re-orientation of teachers and pupils, provision of modern learning tools such as e-learning tablets, Opon Imo, and other enviable projects of this administration are aimed at changing the behavioural patterns of the pupils and making them feel confident that they can compete favourably with their peers anywhere in the world.
Appealing to parents and guardians, the statement said members of the public must compliment the efforts of the government through adequate monitoring of their school children to avert bad company and shameful conducts.
The statement added, “While the government will not shy away from its responsibilities in giving the state an education sector that produces responsible citizens, parents have the task of monitoring their children before and after school hours to ensure that the grooming efforts of the government do not go in vain.”
The statement added that the government will be left with no option than allow the law to take its course against any pupil who strays into violence and other anti-social behaviours.
“We cannot afford to allow a few bad eggs to contaminate and corrupt the enviable and conducive learning environment we are striving hard to put in place in Osun as part of the enduring legacies of this government,” the government added.
