Osun State Government has abolished same uniform policy and other nine policies introduced by the immediate past administration of former governor, Rauf Aregbesola, to the education sector.

The government retained ‘Opon Imo’ initiative, introduced by the same administration but cancelled the introduction of 4-5-3-4, which saw the creation of middle schools and reverted to the national education policy of 6-3-3-4.

The state cabinet subsequently directed that all the reversed policies would take effect starting from the next academic session.

The decision of the cabinet was announced by Funke Egbemode, the State Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, after the State Executive Council meeting held earlier in the day.

Egbemode, who was flanked by the Commissioner for Education, Folorunso Oladoyin, and Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Jamiu Olawumi, explained that the cabinet considered ten recommendations from those submitted to it by a panel led by Prof. Olu Aina set up to review education policies of the past administration.

She said after exhaustive deliberation on the recommendations, the cabinet outrightly reversed nine of the policies adding that the ‘Opon Imo’ education tablets would be enhanced and reintroduced to schools.

Other policies that the cabinet unanimously agreed to reverse included, return to previous names of the schools before renaming by government and revert to single-sex schools those schools that had been turned to mixed schools among others.

Egbemode said,

“The first issue that was deliberated and discussed was the disability or otherwise of continuing with the current policy of merging pry 5 and 6 with junior secondary school to form middle schools and how it is not in conformity with the national policy on education, council unanimous agreed with the expert report that the State of Osun will reverse to the 6-3-3-4 structure as opposed to the 4 -5-3-4 education policy. The government will provide adequate physical instructional facilities at all levels to make the new policy we are reverting to effective.

“The second issue was the desirability or otherwise to continue with the current policy of common uniform for all schools in Osun contrary to the practice of each school having its own unique identity of separate uniforms as we use to have it. Council agreed that the state will henceforth allow every school to return to its old-established and recognized public uniform.

“The third issue was the review of the current arrangement for managing new model high schools. The council agreed that the operations of the Omoluabi Education Services Limited would be wined up since it has not been fulfilling the mandate for which it is established.

“Council also adopted the recommendation that the state will in the future engage facility management contractors that will have formalized terms and conditions and deliverables in black and white, and there would-be penalties also included in such contract put in place for defaulting contractors.

“Council agreed that early childhood education be restored in the state and the state will make adequate arrangement, employed well trained professionals to handle the early childhood education that has been suspended before.

“There is also issue of the desirability of continuing with the current policy of mixing and female learners in schools established for single-sex learner only. The council unanimously agreed with the recommendation of the expert committee that schools be restored to their formal status whereby only the single-sex identified with those school names should be admitted.

“Students already affected by the name change will be issued a letter of attestation by the ministry of education. A male student who is currently in SS 1 and SS 2 in a school established for female learners only will be relocated immediately and same will happen to the female now currently in schools established for males.”