‎Protests Greet Take-Off Of Osun’s New Education System

The kick-off of the new educational system in Osun State and resumption of pupils in public schools were marred with pocket of protests from some aggrieved students of Baptist Girls’ High Schools, in Osogbo, the state capital. The pupils of the schools shut their main gates against the pupils of Fakunle Comprehensive High School (FCHS), who were merged with their school by the state government as a result of the new educational policy, also known as 4-5-3 education system. The pupils of Baptist Girls’ High School contended that they could not allow male students to be merged with their school, exclusively populated by female from the its inception in 1956. The protest staged by the students drew the attention of policemen, who stormed the school premises around 9.15 a.m to restore normalcy. Worried by the development, the state deputy governor, Mrs Titi-Laoye Tomori, who also doubles as the Commissioner for Education, had to come to the school premises around 10.35 a.m to appeal to the pupils to cooperate with the merger policy. But, the Osun State Baptist Convention said it would not allow pupils of Fakunle Comprehensive High School to be merged with the Baptist Girls’ High School. According to the Christian Education Department Officer of the Baptist Conference, Osun State, Reverend Bisi Oluwadamilare, “the stand of the Baptist is that we would not allow male students to be merged or mingled with our students here. “For God’s sake, this is a female or girls’ school. How can you decide to bring male students here? We are not against the new educational system, but things must be done accordingly.” While expressing the readiness of the Baptist Conference to enter into dialogue with the state government, he said “pupils of FCHS would be allowed to stay today (Wednesday), considering the pleas by the deputy governor, so that they would not roam the streets. But, from tomorrow, we would not allow them in.” Similarly, pupils of the Baptist High School, Ede, also staged a peaceful demonstration against the re-classification of schools. However, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Osun State chapter, described reports that they had given their consent to the new educational policy as untrue. In a press release issued and signed by the state CAN chairman, Reverend Elisha Olukayode Ogundiya, on Wednesday, the body said “we wish to explain it clearly that at no time has the new leadership of CAN in Osun held any meeting with the state government on the issue of merger of schools. “Therefore, the statement that we gave our consent to the state government on this policy was untrue.” The Christian body said all attempts by its leaders to meet with Governor Aregbesola to discuss the issue and other matters had been unsuccessful. “For emphasis, CAN is not against any new educational policy being put in place by either the federal or the state government, but we vehemently kick against any educational programme that will obliterate the mission schools and affect our tenets of faith, particularly in the state. “We have maintained this stand from inception and we will continue to defend lawfully what belong to us as Christians in the state. “As a major stakeholder in the state, the leadership of CAN expects the state government to invite us to discuss this issue and other related one without delay,” the release said.