The Government of Osun State in Southwest Nigeria is set to hold a three-day education summit to discuss issues relating to the sector.
Commissioner for Education in the state, Dipo Eluwole, disclosed this at a press conference on Friday in Osogbo, the state capital.
Eluwole said hosting the summit became necessary owing to certain identifiable negative trends in the sector.
According to him, the negative trends contributed to the dismal growth of education in the state and the overall poor performance of its students in national examinations.
He said: “Available records have it that the State is rated as being the most poorly rated in the public examination performance index which puts Osun state among the last three in the nation for some time now.
“The state is also having the largest number of out-of-school children in south-west Nigeria and probably the least inadequate teacher-pupil-ratio.
“Osun education sectorial problems are quite hydra-headed and except an overhaul sectorial reform is taken fast, it could become irredeemable.
“That is why the state 2023 education summit is not only desirable but also timely”, he added.
The commissioner said a faithful implementation of the reforms to be developed would help the state education sector regain its position among the best in the country.
Chairman of the summit, Professor Oyesoji Aremu, in his remarks said the summit came at the right time, adding that submissions of experts during its plenaries would go a long way in addressing challenges of education in the state.
He said his committee had so far received over 2,000 responses from questionnaires sent out and several memoranda from various stakeholders.
The professor said Osun Education Summit was expected to fashion out a framework on the rebirth of learner-centred policies, inclusive education, teacher recruitment, Yoruba language teaching and learning as well as the teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics among others.
The summit holds between August 22nd and August 24th, 2023.
