Ondo State to spend N7.8bn to renovate 733 primary schools

Contracts worth several billions of naira for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of about 733 public primary schools across the 18 local government areas of Ondo State have been awarded.The Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Princess Oladunni Odu disclosed in Akure on Monday saying that there were 1,233 public primary schools in the state out of which 500 were earlier renovated by the present administration.

According to her, about N7.8 billion was made available by the government for the schools reconstruction and rehabilitation project with a view to giving them new looks and as well attract more pupils.Princess Odu explained that part of the project also include provision of furniture, computers, boreholes and other amenities that will make teaching and learning more conducive.

Odu said:  “We want to make the school’s environment conducive for teaching and learning so that they will be motivated and be able to compete with others from the private primary schools.We will provide information technology class; we are going to provide water sanitation.  The N7.8 billion definitely cannot provide everything, but it will go a long way, though we may not be able to cover all,” she added.

Already, she said government has re-introduced sporting activities and agricultural practices in the schools stressing that most of them are now being used as pilot for poultry, fishery and animal husbandry.While noting that sports play a vital role in the lives of children, she disclosed that: “We are providing some schools with tennis, volleyball and football equipment and because we need good health, water sanitation is very important.

”On security, Odu said most of the schools compounds have been fenced to ensure the safety of the pupils while in school.The Chairman said the measures would depopulate the private schools that are mostly without competent teachers and good standard.

She said the state’s public primary schools could boast of qualified workforce, but still lacked adequate supervision. She promised that it would be looked into by the government as soon as funds are available.

Princess Odu said when Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu took over in 2017 primary education was in a state of disrepair and bad shape.Odu noted that although, mega schools were built by the last administration, the remaining old schools suffered total neglect and infrastructural deficit.She said the marching grant of N3.9billion from the Federal Government meant for revamping primary education in the state was not accessed by previous administration, thereby making the sector to suffer.

“There is this programme for basic education by the Federal Government, whereby if the state paid one billion, the Federal Government will march it with another one billion naira. So before the governor came on board in 2017, for four years, the state counterpart fund had not been paid. So the state was unable to access the FG fund. It was lying fallow there.

“Governor Akeredolu took the bull by the horn. He sourced for the money and paid all the arrears of N3.9 billion at a go. It showed that he really wants basic education to be developed in the state. Basic education is the most important of all the tiers of education, that’s the very foundation and if it is not properly funded, other things will wobble.

“We have been able to renovate 103 schools in Odigbo, 84 in Owo, 91 in Akure, 89 in Okitipupa, 24 in Akoko North East and across the three political zones of the state.“What is peculiar about Akeredolu’s administration is that he wants the renovations to be a total package, whereby buildings that are bad would be renovated and some demolished.“When the environment is friendly, the children would not want to sit back at home, it will be conducive for teaching and learning.”