An non-governmental organisation in Osun state, Funmilola Bamidele Oke Memorial Foundation (FBOMF) has urged governments at all levels to increase education funding, improve school infrastructure and prioritise teachers’ welfare, following concerns over inadequate learning facilities and personnel in public schools in Ayedaade Local Government Area of Osun State.
Barrister Adenitan Akinola, the secretary of FBOMF, made the call during an educational outreach on Monday to five schools in Orile Owu and Araromi Owu, where pupils and students received school bags, exercise books, biros, pencils and mathematical sets.
FBOMF was founded and chaired by Hon. Taiwo Oluga,a former member of the House of Representatives who represented Ayedaade/Irewole/Isokan Federal Constituency as part of its commitment to supporting education and improving the welfare of vulnerable members of society.”
The outreach covered Orile Owu Grammar School, Apostolic Grammar School, St Luke’s Primary School, all in Orile Owu, as well as Araromi Owu Grammar School and Ebenezer African Church Primary School at Araromi Market, Araromi Owu.
Speaking after visiting the schools, Akinola said the government must ensure that budgetary allocations for education translate into tangible improvements in classrooms, learning facilities and teachers’ working conditions.
He said access to education should not be limited by poverty, noting that some children lacked basic necessities such as school bags, uniforms and exercise books.
“Education is a right, and every child should enjoy that right,” he said, adding that interventions aimed at providing essential learning materials could encourage disadvantaged children to attend school and remain committed to their education.
Akinola called on governments to fulfil their responsibilities under the Constitution and the Universal Basic Education framework, stressing the need for adequate infrastructure, well-equipped laboratories, information and communication technology facilities and teaching aids.
He also urged authorities to strengthen school supervision, ensure the proper implementation of education budgets and improve teachers’ remuneration and training.
Akinola said FBOMF’s activities extended beyond the provision of educational materials, explaining that the foundation was also committed to supporting the education of girls through mentorship and promoting the economic empowerment of elderly women and widows.
He added that the foundation selected communities for its outreach based on its broader humanitarian objectives and would continue to support communities beyond the areas visited.
According to him, the challenges observed during the visits shows the need for greater attention to primary and secondary education, which form the foundation of the country’s educational system.
At Ebenezer African Church Primary School, the headmistress, Ajibade Moji, said the foundation’s intervention came at a critical time, revealing that she was the school’s only teacher.
Moji explained that she taught pupils from Primary One to Primary Six in a single classroom, adding that many of the children lacked school bags and other essential learning materials.
She expressed appreciation to FBOMF, saying the support would help address some of the immediate needs of the pupils.
Similarly, a teacher at Apostolic Grammar School, Smoller Mutiu, appealed to the government to provide laboratory equipment and recruit more teachers to improve learning conditions.
“We need laboratory equipment. Our students need equipment for learning. We are suffering here, and we also need teachers in this school,” Mutiu said, while commending the foundation for its intervention.
The school’s senior boy, Aremo Sunday, and the principal of Orile Owu Grammar School, Ganiyu Adejobi, also appreciated the foundation for supporting the students.
Other students and teachers from other schools appreciated the timely support of the organisation.
The delegation also paid a courtesy visit to the traditional ruler of Araromi Owu, where it briefed him on the challenges observed in the schools visited, including the shortage of teachers and inadequate learning facilities.
