Why students should be happy as WAEC exams take new turn

Ayinla Yeketi is the Kwara State Commissioner for education and human capital development who hails from Asa local government area, he is one of the most experienced amongst the Commissioners in the cabinet of Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara state

He has worked virtually in all sectors of the state ranging from education, where he was the chairman Kwara state Polytechnic Board of Directors, a position where he excelled to the admiration of all. He came on board when the institution was faced with the twin problem of cultism and non-payment of staff salaries which led to an industrial action that grounded the school for months.

Record shows that, when he was at the helm of the board in conjunction with the school’s management, they were able to settle the industrial dispute as well as reduced cultism among students to minimal level.

Similarly, he was appointed as the pioneer Director General of the Kwara State Road Maintenance Agency (KWARMA), where he was said to have performed excellently.

The Commissioner for education also served as the Director General of Mandate office, the campaign machinery of the Senate President Bukola Saraki where he was able to organise a huge success for the party in all elections it participated in.

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In this interview with NAIJ.com’s reporter Ibitoye Shittu in his office in Ilorin, the Commissioner for Education revealed how his ministry on monitoring exercise has angrily closed fifteen illegal schools among other issues.

Ayinla Yeketi, Kwara State Commissioner for education and human capital development

Since your appointment as the Commissioner for education and human capital development, how far have you been able to improve education sector?

As a Commissioner, my role is simple because I am to suggest ideals on how to improve the sector but if the governor, Dr Abdulfatah Ahmed reject it, there is nothing I can do; therefore, the governor is the one improving Kwara state Education sector and he is doing all his best to ensure the sector receive best policies and remain the best in the country in term of policies and infrastructure in which you can confirm this from school Principals across the state.

We observed that International vocational centre in Ajase-Ipo is yet to kick off, can we know the present status of the centre and level of it development?

All the infrastructure in the centre have been completed. Infact, we have advertised various vacancies in the centre in few national newspapers such as Rector and other relevant positions and we are planning that by January next year, the centre would take off.

So what are the likely effects the centre would have on the state education and socio-economy?

The centre would not only contribute positively on Kwara State education and economy but the entire Nigeria because the school is the first of it kind in the country and it is going to take care of Primary, Secondary schools pupils, graduates of various tertiary institutions, Civil servants, officers across the country who may want to acquire vocational skills.

Can you tell us the efforts of the Kwara State government to curb examination malpractices among school pupils especially those preparing for Senior School Certificates Examinations (SSCE) in both WAEC and NECO?

I want to thank you for this question, and I want to reveal that we are not leaving any stone unturned, infact we are closely putting Principals of various schools under close monitoring especially on the manner at which they are admitting the so called “repeaters students” into SS three classes for final year examinations.

We discovered that most schools do have large number of students enrolment at their SS three classes when May-June WAEC is approaching and June-July NECO examination. So, we are shifting Mock examination for all SS three students to first term so that they can work hard ahead of their final examinations; this would prevent those that are not genuine students to be registered for both WAEC and NECO and stop examination malpractices among those that didn’t sit for Mock because the essence of Mock is to put both students and teachers on their toes. It would give them room to prepare ahead for their final examinations.

Ayinla Yeketi, Kwara State Commissioner for education and human capital development

When are you implementing this new strategy to curb examination malpractices in Kwara State?

It would definitely commence fully when students resume next session which will be September this year.

It came to our notice that the immediate past governor of this state renovated few secondary schools to reduce decadence of infrastructure in education sector. Is their any plan by this present administration to follow the same step?

The governor, Abdulfatah Ahmed is working hard to get more fund to ensure some of our schools lacking good furnitures, infrastructures are rehabilitated and properly position to meet international standard and I hope as soon the state get more fund, such action would be taken.

How do you handle discipline of teachers found wanting on duties?

Kwara State government is not interested in punishment of any teachers or civil servants, what the government want is teacher who would always be at the duty without being reminded by any authority and as a Commissioner, my work is not in the office, I’m suppose to be on the field to monitor our schools and how teachers and pupils are doing.

If I discover that some teachers are not in their duty as expected and they are collecting their salaries, I think we can find fresh teachers who want to work, stay in their schools to replace them because at the end of the month, they would be paid.

During my routine monitoring, we even discovered few mushrooms schools that didn’t complies with our law and regulations, we closed them. So, I believe if these teachers know that Commissioner would come to their schools at any time, they would definitely stay in their various schools.

Notwithstanding, a reasonable teacher, disciplined one would not wait until he or she will be told to be regular at school.

During your school monitoring, how many illegal schools were closed by your ministry?

We have closed down 15 illegal schools and by next session, we shall embark on more aggressive monitoring to sanitise the state of any school that didn’t follow our rules and regulation.

What is your views on the campaign for free education?

It is good if government can fund it, but to be candid with ourselves, nothing is free in this 21st century. Any country where education is free, it would mirage and I want to believe that funding of education should be responsibilities of all stakeholders.

It suppose to be partnership between government, parents and stakeholders and I am only using this opportunity to tell our people that there is need for private sector to partner with government on the funding of schools.

That is why we are seeing springing of many mushrooms private schools because the proprietors can fund it and parent pay huge money for their pupils such N20,000, N25,000 per term while public schools is not adequately funded.

 

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It would even surprise you that most of these private schools may not even have professional teachers, now tell me how do we want our children to be nurture under such teachers. So, it is high time parents and stakeholders cooperate with government to fund our schools.

Imagine how government would utilise PTA fees if it were channels to State government purse. Therefore, free education is good but I don’t think any government in this era would be able to fund it because in the 60’s, our population is not as big as today when we are over 170million and our population will continue to increase.

As a Commissioner for Education and former Chairman Board of Directors of Kwara State Polytechnic, what is your views of cancellation of post UME in Nigeria?

What the Minister of education is saying on this is that once JAMB has conducted examination for fresh candidates, there shouldn’t be double payment for the same candidates who had paid to JAMB, so that settle the argument but I believe all tertiary institutions have the right to conduct their own examination as it was done in the past but there shouldn’t be double payment.

What are the plans of the state government to further improve education sector in the state?

We shall continue to do the right thing, good policies, monitoring and implementing of approved policies.

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