The Oyo State Government was set to hold a town hall meeting on Thursday, December 1, 2016, as part of efforts to brief residents on developments in the state and formally unveil a new policy framework for the education sector.

The meeting was scheduled to take place at the University of Ibadan Conference Centre from 10 a.m., with Governor Abiola Ajimobi and members of his team expected to engage citizens on government policies and programmes.

Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Toye Arulogun, announced this in a statement issued in Ibadan on Tuesday.

According to him, the town hall meeting would provide residents and other stakeholders with an opportunity to engage the government in discussions on issues affecting the state, particularly the planned reforms in the education sector.

Arulogun said the new education policy was contained in the White Paper on the report of the Committee on Participatory Management of Schools, which was established to review the state of education in Oyo State.

He explained that the government’s approach was based on the belief that stakeholders should be carried along in the formulation and implementation of policies that directly affect them.

As part of the reforms, the government had approved the establishment of School Governing Boards (SGBs) for secondary schools across the state.

The boards were expected to provide management support, monitor performance and help improve the quality of education.

Arulogun acknowledged concerns over the declining standard of public schools, noting that the situation had contributed to declining confidence in the public education system and an increasing movement of pupils from public schools to private institutions.

“It is therefore not out of place at this stage of our development to re-evaluate, re-orientate and restore our public school system and take measures to revolutionize their operation for the ultimate good of the society,” he said.

Under the proposed SGB structure, membership was expected to include accredited representatives of the Parent-Teacher Association and Old Students’ Association, a non-partisan community leader, the school’s head boy or head girl, the school principal as secretary, the Local Inspector of Education, a representative of the Local Government Council or LCDA and identified philanthropists.

According to the commissioner, the boards would be expected to strengthen school programmes, promote teacher efficiency and improve students’ academic performance.

They would also focus on ensuring adequate teaching and learning resources, encouraging wider stakeholder participation in school management and promoting effective administration of secondary schools.

Arulogun added that the boards would also be expected to revive school sports and games while improving Information and Communication Technology (ICT) education to enable students to keep pace with developments in the global technology environment.

He expressed optimism that the reforms would help address persistent challenges in the education sector, including poor performance in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Arulogun consequently invited parents, teachers, education administrators, community leaders and other stakeholders to participate in the town hall meeting, describing it as an important step towards the government’s efforts to reposition public education in the state.