Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko has chided his Oyo State counterpart, Abiola Ajimobi, over the planned ‘privatisation’ of public secondary schools in the state.
Hundreds of students in secondary schools in Oyo State had on Monday taken to the streets of Ibadan to protest the plan of the state government to involve individuals, old students’ association and missionaries in the running of public secondary schools.
The students chided government over the planned ‘privatisation’ of schools, non payment of the salaries of their teachers and parents and failure of government to account for their payment of N1,000 per term as Education Development levy.
But in a chat with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, Mimiko, who doubles as chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, said privatisation of public schools was a disservice to people of the South West region.
Recalling the days of the first premier of the Western Region, Obafemi Awolowo, who pioneered free primary education in Nigeria, the governor said this was a legacy people in the region inherited from the late sage.
He argued that public schools remained the only ladder for social mobility in the society.
According to Mimiko, if implemented, the move will widen the growing inequality between the haves and the have nots in the society.
He said the way to go is massive and increased investment in public education.
His words: “Let me just say that I don’t know the details yet. But I hate to believe that Oyo State Government will want to privatise public schools. I don’t know the details yet, I hope it’s not that. Because we are proud inheritors of democratisation of access to public education way back in the Awolowo era. That is the legacy that we inherited. In this world of growing inequality, I think it will be a disservice if any government by any stretch of imagination, decides to privatise public schools because quality public schools remain the only ladder for social mobility in our society.
“If it is privatised and it is beyond the reach of the masses, then where do they go? How do you breach the gap between the rich and the poor? How do you ensure that we tackle growing inequality in the society?
“I hate to believe that it is outright privatisation. I don’t know the details yet. I’m only giving my preliminary opinion because I strongly believe that the path we should be going should not be privatisation of public schools, it should be massive and increased investment in public education.”
