The Osun State Commissioner for Education, Hon. Dipo Eluwole, has said there are no school fees in public schools across the state, explaining that payments running into
tens of thousands in some schools are contributions arranged by Parent-Teacher Associations.
Eluwole made the clarification on Thursday while speaking with journalists at the Annual Nation Building Conference organised by One House Development Initiative at NMA House, Osogbo.
The conference, themed, “The Peaceful Way Forward,” and brought together government representatives, lawmakers, security personnel, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
Responding to concerns over varying charges in some public schools, the commissioner said the Osun State Government only collects a ₦500 Education Trust Fund contribution from pupils and students in public primary and secondary schools.
He said, “There’s no school fees in Osun. Osun does not charge any school fees. Education in Osun is free.”
Eluwole explained that additional payments reported in schools such as Ataoja School of Science, Fakunle and Osogbo High School were arrangements made by the respective PTAs to meet specific needs.
According to him, such expenses could include maintenance of large school premises, purchase of lawn mowers and fuel, payment of workers, provision of customised exercise books and uniforms, as well as the engagement of additional teachers where necessary.
He said the payments should therefore not be described as government-imposed school fees.
On the shortage of teachers in public schools, Eluwole attributed the situation to funding constraints, saying the state government was currently managing available resources to pay teachers’ salaries.
He said, “We are unable to get enough teachers because of paucity of funds. Government is managing from other sources to pay the salary of teachers as and when due. So that is why we have some lapses.”
The commissioner added that the state planned to use available manpower to support schools affected by teacher shortages, particularly graduates with education backgrounds.
Speaking on the broader focus of the conference, Eluwole said education and healthcare remained central to the state government’s development agenda.
He said, “Mr. Governor is really, really concerned about education and health in the state. And if you take those two major things out of governance, the government is nothing. Health and education are very important.”
He said improvements had also been recorded in healthcare facilities across the state, including the provision of electricity, water and other facilities to make the institutions more conducive.
In his goodwill message Governor Ademola Adeleke, represented by Eluwole, said peaceful coexistence required more than the absence of conflict, stressing the importance of creating conditions that allow citizens to live with dignity and contribute to society.
The governor commended One House Development Initiative for its focus on children, adolescents and young people, particularly in education, healthcare, governance and inclusion.
He said, “Sustainable development cannot take place in an atmosphere of violence, exclusion or distrust.”
Adeleke also called for greater opportunities for young people, women, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups, saying inclusion strengthens peace because people are more likely to identify with and protect a society in which they feel they have a stake.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Osun State House of Assembly Committee on Youth, Sports and Special Needs, Hon. Abiola Awoyeye, called for greater integration of persons with disabilities into society.
Awoyeye said although the state now had a legal framework protecting the rights of persons with disabilities, more needed to be done to ensure that citizens understood the law and that people living with disabilities could effectively access their rights.
“There is still a lot of work to be done. We are going back to the House of Assembly to inform our colleagues and Mr Speaker. We know the things we have to do, and we’ll do them. We will not shy away from doing the right things,” he said.
He also urged Nigerians to be active in civic affairs ahead of forthcoming elections, particularly by obtaining their Permanent Voter Cards and participating in the electoral process.
The Persons With Disabilities Desk Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Osun State Command, DSC Peter Oladele, urged government and other stakeholders to focus on the abilities of persons with disabilities rather than their disabilities.
Oladele said, “People should not look at the disability in a person. They should see the person first.”
He noted that persons with disabilities had the capacity to contribute meaningfully to national development when given the right environment and opportunities, citing professionals with disabilities in fields such as law and medicine.
The conference concluded with calls for stronger collaboration among government, civil society organisations, communities and other stakeholders to promote inclusion, peaceful coexistence and sustainable development.