The Ondo State Government has reassured private school owners that its planned enumeration of schools was not for tax purposes, but to adequately plan for education in the state.
The state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Laolu Akindolire, made this known during the training of enumerators for the 2024 Annual School Census, on Monday in Akure.
Akindolire, who specifically appealed to private schools in the state to cooperate, stated that the exercise would enable the ministry generate accurate, timely and reliable data for adequate educational planning and development in the state.
He said that relevant data on school system from all educational institutions (both private and public primary and secondary schools) in the state would be collated and carefully analysed for short, medium and long term development planning by the government.
The commissioner, who was represented by the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs Folasade Adegoke, explained that the exercise was among conditions to attract funds from donor partners to the sector.
“This is part of our initiatives to attract funds to the sector to complement the government’s efforts towards engendering accelerated development to the state educational system.
“The task ahead of us is quite enormous, but with our collective determination, dedication and hard work, we will record a successful enumeration in the state,” he said.
Akindolire enjoined other collaborating agencies of government and head teachers to give their best towards achieving the overall goals of the exercise for the benefit of the state.
He asked them to be on ground to attend to the enumerators by making all relevant records such as statutory, administrative and teaching-learning records among others, available for collation.
“It is through your cooperation and support that we can produce credible and reliable data for the State education sector. The enumerators should not hesitate to report any challenge encountered on the field to relevant authorities for prompt action,” he said.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board( SUBEB), Mr Victor Olambimtan, said that school census was a crucial tool to help government to plan its programmes and direct its interventions properly.
“School census helps government to know the population in both public and private schools and thus how to channel her interventions.
“We are to note that it is very crucial to know every detail relating to every school in our dear state, ranging from the infrastructure, number of learners, teachers and location among others.
” It is lack of accurate information that causes the embarrassment of misinformation when schools are to be sited, be renovated, or supplied with material among many actions.
“In most instances, the school management could not provide accurate information needed for the proper planning,” he said.
According to him, it is quite unfortunate that we have found it difficult to get accurate data to use in Nigeria.
” Every data you see is the one carried out by international organisations and I can tell you they are not comprehensive and most times not updated.
“But with accurate census, we would be able to give the real information on the education sector.
“This edition of school census is going to be done electronically across schools.
“Let me implore all of you to see this crucial training as an important assignment which need to be handled with seriousness.
” I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), Gov. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedaiwa and the Hon. Commissioner for Education Science and Technology for their investment and interest in providing qualitative education for the citizens of this state,” Olambimtan said.
The executives of the National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools (NAPPS) and the All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Public Schools ( ANCOPPS) in attendance at the training pledged their support to the exercise.
