*A committee of participants was
set up for organising regular monthly meeting of ERC
By Wale Olaleye
Moorplantation Ibadan Branch of ERC
No fewer than 50 persons were in attendance at a public symposium
organised by the Oyo State branch of Education Rights Campaign, ERC on Friday,
8th September, 2017 to mark the end of a four week free holiday
lesson it organised specifically for secondary students transiting from SS2 to SS3
in the state. In attendance were students who participated in the free holiday
lesson, parents and volunteers teachers.
Speakers at the event with the theme: “Poor performance of student in the state in external examination: the
cause and solution” were Mr Ojo, Vice Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers
(NUT), Oyo State wing; Dr. Deji Omole, Chairman, Academic Staff Union of
Universities, (ASUU), University of Ibadan Branch and Prof. Ayo Akinwole, former
treasurer ASUU-UI branch.
The first to speak was Mr Ojo who introduced the topic by highlighting
factors that are responsible the poor academic performance of secondary school students
in the state in external examination like West Africa Examination Council,
WAEC. The poor attitude of government towards adequate funding of public
education was recognised as one of the factors. However, Ojo believed that the
factor largely responsible for poor academic performance among students in the
state is the attitude of students and that of their parents toward education. This
view was refuted by Dr Deji Omole who in his own speech maintained that the so-called
poor attitude of students and parents to education are largely induced by bad governance
by members of the political ruling elites
Omole believes that the so called
poor attitude to education by students and parents would die a natural death
once the affair of the country is under the control of a pro-people government
that would at all-time willing to invest huge resources at the disposal of the
country in the area of need of the poor working people in which education is a
key. He therefore, charged the government across the country including the Oyo
State government to comply with the UNESCO recommendation which suggest that at
least 26% of yearly budget must be voted on education. This was believed that
is capable to commence the process of reversing the growing and threatening
ugly trend in the country education sector.
Omole also commended the parents and students for the role they played
during the last year struggle of the Oyo state working people against the
attempt by the Ajimobi-led government to sell off some public secondary schools
in the state. He therefore assured while making his submission that ASUU will always
stand with workers and poor in the struggle for a better society in which
struggle for a free and quality education is inclusive.
Professor Akinwole supported all the political points raised by Omole, while
making his own contribution. According to him, the reason while government
after government in Nigeria regardless of political parties continue to deny
public education adequate funding is to continue to keep the working people and
the poor in a perpetual state of ignorance. He therefore, submitted by urging ERC
to design a way to continue to monitor and organise the participants in the
free holiday lesson even after the free holiday lesson.
The highpoint of the programme was when students
and their parents were given opportunity to make comments and share their views
about the lesson. The five parents who spoke expressed their gratitude to the
ERC for organising the free holiday lesson at the same time urged for wider
publicity and awareness for the next edition of the lesson. The students on
their own part shared the tremendous positive impact
the coaching had on them. For instance, Adam Erepomini Joy, a female student from
Community Grammar School, Mokola said that “lessons where money is paid could
not have been better in terms of quality than the ERC free lesson”. She added
that, “none of the lessons where students pay huge amount of money could boast
of set of quality volunteer teachers which include university professors, PHD
holders and principals of secondary schools that came around to teach in the
free holiday lesson”.
Another student from same Community Grammar
school, Mokola, Sunday Ajayi also said that “the lesson offered me an
opportunity not only to be taught by professor and university lecturers but
also an opportunity to have an handshake with all kinds of important and
credible personalities like lawyers and radio presenters”. Awal Resqot, a
female student from Methodist secondary school, Bodija, said that “the lesson
was a great improvement over what we are used to in our school. For instance,
important subjects like English, Mathematics, Physics, and chemistry that we
rarely have teacher to teach in my school are being handled by two or three
different teachers in the ERC free lesson”. Bankole Rukayat from Ibadan
Municipal Government, IMG Grammar School said “I’m glad for being part of the lesson.
Am now convinced that public education can actually be better than private
schools if it’s properly and adequately funded and organised”
Other highlight of the symposium was the general
overview of the free holiday lesson given by comrade Abbey Trotsky, the Oyo
State Coordinator of Democratic Socialist Movement, DSM. Abbey Trotsky in his
speech established the fact that ERC is not a charity organisation but a
campaign platform for free and quality education. The point was raised to
emphasized the central motive behind the lesson which is to demonstrate the fact
that a free and qualitaty public education is possible if the enormous
resources at the disposal of the Nigeria state is judiciously used for the need
of the people and not for the greed and profit interest of the few rich Nigerian
ruling elites in both business and polity. The initiative of the ERC is not to
give credence to the impression that government alone cannot guarantee free and
qualitative education as often advanced by many non-governmental charity organisations.
Abbey revealed that the four week lesson which
started on the 7th August, 2017 was a huge success in the sense that
it was able to record an enrolment of no fewer than thirteen (13) volunteer
teachers and ninety five (95) students from eight secondary schools situated
within Ibadan North local government
area in Ibadan. The schools include the Community Grammar School, Mokola; the
venue for the free holiday coaching; St. Theresa College, I.M.G Grammar School;
St. Louis Grammar School; Baptist Secondary School and Sacred Secondary School,
Abadina Secondary School, UI and Queen
Secondary School, Apata.
Among the volunteer teachers are academics in the University of Ibadan
and professional teachers in public
secondary schools in the state. A total number of 10 subjects were taught in
the four weeks the lesson lasted. These include: Mathematics, English Studies,
Physics, Economics; Biology, Chemistry, Commerce, Account, Government and
Literature in English Abbey also revealed that while the normal academic works
hold from Monday to Friday some
extra-mural activities like career and counselling talks; drama and poetry are part
of the activities undertaken in course of the lesson. The extracurricular
activities were no doubt provided an avenue for students to showcase their
abilities and potentials. Important personality with credibility which includes
lawyers, broadcasters and professors were also invited at different occasions
to talk to the students during the extra-curricular activities.
Also important to mention is that over 30 copies of Socialist Democracy
(SD), paper of DSM, were sold to students. Political discussion and debate were
often initiated around different articles in the SD. This no doubt offered an
opportunity to introduce to some of the students to the programme and ideas of
the ERC as well as that of the DSM. Abbey in his submission appreciated both students
and their parents for making the lesson possible at the same time urge for their
support in the subsequent edition of the lesson especially in the area of
mobilisation and publicity.
Gifts were also presented to the three best students in science, art and
commercial. This presentation which was done by Dr Deji Omole was followed by a
brief word of appreciation given by one of the recipients, Ejaife Roselyne, a
student of community Grammar secondary school
on behalf of the two other recipients who are: Awwal Resqot and
Olamiposi Ayuba; a female and male students from Methodist Secondary school,
Bodija, respectively.
The symposium was covered by
galaxy television station and was brought to end with an ERC anthem led by
Comrade Shewa Adekoya, the Oyo state Co-ordinator of DSM women wing, who also
doubled as the moderator of the symposium. After which a five student
co-ordinating committee was set-up for organising further activities of the ERC
including a monthly meeting of students who participated in the lesson. Two
students and two parents including comrade Segun Ogun, the Oyo State coordinator
of ERC later featured in a brief television interview
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