Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State has given reasons why he returned the 6-3-3-4 education policy to the state and abolished the single uniform policy immediately on assumption of office in 2018.
The governor disclosed the reasons in Abuja on Sunday.
He explained that his decision was based on the overwhelming demand of the people of the state who called for the reversal of the 4-5-3-4 policy introduced by the immediate past government of Rauf Aregbesola.
The governor said that there were indications that the policies were not in tune with what parents and students in the state desired at the time.
He also revealed that the previous policies, according to security reports, were encouraging cultism and other social vices among students in Osun.
Oyetola added that the abolition of the policies was part of the recommendations of a committee of experts set up to review the initiatives in the education sector in the state.
“When we came on board, we decided to look at the totality of the activities of the government.
” We went round to do a thank you tour for the people who voted us in and where we decided to harvest all their demands.
“The first major demand from the people generally was the reversal of the single uniform policy. They believed that it was not something they wanted.
‘’They believed it was not a popular decision. And I was getting reports from security agencies that the single uniform policy was encouraging cultism and other vices.
”They were unable to know who and who committed what? In that case, everybody is wearing the same thing, so they commit crimes and disappear.
“We then had the opportunity of the Department For International Development (DFID) who went round to do what they called citizens’ demands.
” Part of what they came up with in their report was that the people said they didn’t want this single uniform policy.”
On the 4-5-3-4, Oyetola said the policy did not align with the National Policy on Education such that most development partners and agencies refused to support the state on educational projects.
