1. There is no gainsaying in the fact that the educational sector is one of the worst hit in Africa by Covid-19, the sector which is operating suboptimal before the pandemic now lays flat for want of alternative method of teaching and anarchist policy formulation.
2. Before COVID emergency, Oyo public educational infrastructure is nothing to write home about, the classroom are mostly overcrowded without provision of basic classroom needs, teachers are inadequate and even the few ones on ground are not well motivated for quality assurance and students have taken to laziness as a way of life.
3. The government that promised massive improvement till date have not make do its promise but largely focused on garages and roads rehabilitation or expansion contracts.
4. This article becomes necessary for me as a stakeholder in Oyo good governance because of some negative policy formulations coming out from the government in reaction to COVID emergency, the government cancelled third term without looking at the implications to the industry and students academic curriculum. Secondly, the government brought out a new school time table reducing teaching contact hours, bifurcated classes to two separate periods and created confusions for all stakeholders in the industry.
5. What government needs at this critical period is innovative thinking, massive physical infrastructural development, training and support for new normal learning process not this fire brigade approach or irresponsible convenience seeking.
6. I am comfortable to refer my colleague in government house to what happened during our days, Chief Bola Ige created over three hundred new schools with minimal infrastructure support ( books, chairs and tables, teachers and other school support activities) within one year, touching all the nooks and crannies of the state.
7. All the billion loans or IGR channeled towards building modern garages and street lights for nocturnal activities can make difference if properly channeled towards reviving our basic educational sector. It is a welcome development that government is planning to employ more teachers and schools support staff but this will fall flat without improvement in the already overstretched infrastructure on ground.
8. The educational industry worldwide is shifting to new normal learning process, what is the plan on ground in Oyo state where most schools lacks basic requirements for this necessary movement.
9. The government should know that an untrained or improperly trained child today will not only destroy himself but will also destroy the houses, the roads, the garages and street lights that was built to modern taste in the nearest future.
A stitch in time saves nine.
