|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Apparently disturbed by increasing cases of truancy and other juvenile delinquencies playing out in some schools across the 20 local government areas of the state, Ogun state government has declared moves to prevent any pupils of basic and post basic schools who do not meet up with the 70% attendance from writing exams and graduate.
Abayomi Arigbabu, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology gave the warning during a visit by the Ministry to Abeokuta Girls’ Grammar School (AGGS) at Onikolobo area of Abeokuta, saying this step would help tremendously to curb absenteeism and other anti-social vices in schools.
The commissioner explained that all the measures put in place would help reduce, minimally, misdemeanors in schools, while also advising the pupils to shun behaviours that would bring shame to their families, schools and the state at large.
Arigbabu, who warned that no private schools in the state would be allowed to admit such pupils expelled from public schools for such misdemeanors, said “Absenteeism of learners in schools is worrisome to us as government.
Read also: Reflections on Ogun politics after Buhari’s testimonials
“This, we believe, is also part of the behaviour that we frown at. We have therefore ensured digitalisation of names of all learners, this will make it impossible for anyone that does not record 70percent attendance to sit for any examination.”
Arigbabu declared that the pupils of the school that were suspended for smoking shisha had been allowed to resume back to school after undergoing series of counselling in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, having undergone menial labour in the school, this he said had helped to punish and restore the erring pupils back on track.
Earlier, Abosede Ogunleye, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, charged pupils to face their studies and shun acts that could undermine or destroy their future.
Ogunleye said the erring pupils who were caught smoking shisha in school had been rehabilitated accordingly, just as she advised other pupils not to stigmatize or abuse them, but to draw them closer and continue to advise them.
She said, “The learners have been counselled and made to undergo some punishment and I want to believe they have changed for the better. So I want to encourage you not to abuse, stigmatize or call them names, instead advise them and be their friends.”
Responding, Tolulope Fasanya, Principal of Abeokuta Girls’ Grammar School (AGGS), Senior School, appreciated the government for rehabilitating and re-integrating the erring girls back to school, promising that such incident would not happen again in the school.
