Oyo shuts 5 schools over protest on promotion policy

Oyo State Government on Thursday evening in Ibadan shut down five schools indefinitely over protest on cancellation of automatic promotion in public schools.

The state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Adeniyi Olowofela  made the announcement at a news conference held at the Governor’s Office Press Centre.

According to Professor Olowofela,  three of the five schools are located in Oyo East and Atiba Local Government Areas, while the remaining two are from Akinyele in Ibadan.

The schools  are Community Secondary School, Iyana Idi-Ose; Ojoo High School, Ojoo, Ibadan and Isale Oyo Community High School, Oyo, Anglican-Methodist Secondary School, Oyo and Oba Adeyemi High School, Oyo.

The commissioner stated that the state government proceeded to enforce the policy of “No automatic promotion” for students from a class to the next higher class in all public schools. He added that the policy was contained in a circular sent to education stakeholders across the state on April 23, 2015.

Olowofela said that it as saddening that some hoodlums parading themselves as students have decided to cause mayhem in some schools, thereby disturbing the peace of the law abiding students in the schools.

According to him, ”the efforts was to address our examination preparedness strategy with the immediate cancellation of automatic promotion in all classes. Because we are usually ill-prepared for external examinations, our state always come embarrassingly short, even behind states that are traditionally considered to be educationally backward.

“It is our moral responsibility and sacred duty to protect lives and properties of members of the public. Therefore, any hoodlum caught in any form of breach to public peace shall be dealt with according to the laws of the land.”

He urged well-meaning students to continue with their studies and teachers with their job, adding that security agents have been alerted of the development.

Professor Olowofela also called on parents and guardians to advise their wards to go on with their studies and run away from all acts that could jeopardise their well-being, warning them not to allow themselves to be used by destructive elements in the society.