The Ondo State Government has banned illegal levies in all public schools and announced that student admissions will now be processed through a central digital platform.
The decision was disclosed during a strategic meeting convened by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, which brought together secondary school principals from the 18 local government areas, alongside leaders of key education unions.
Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Professor Igbekele Ajibefun, who addressed the gathering, commended the principals for their dedication to school administration and called for continued collaboration in implementing the government’s reforms.
“There are issues as far as the management of schools in Ondo State is concerned. It is our belief that this meeting will address these issues, and we will make decisions by the end of it,” he said.
Ajibefun expressed concern over the widespread practice of unauthorised collections in public schools, noting that any such levies must now receive prior approval from the ministry or attract stiff sanctions.
“We have received reports of schools receiving unapproved collections. It is now unlawful for any school to collect any amount without approval; serious sanctions will follow,” he warned.
As part of efforts to modernise school administration, the commissioner announced a phased transition to a digital platform for student enrolment. Under the new system, while schools will continue to admit students, the Ministry of Education will be solely responsible for issuing official admission letters to ensure standardisation and transparency.
“We want to gradually migrate all our students and our activities to the digital platform. This will make it easier for the Ministry to supervise from our end.
“The Ministry of Education has realised the importance of technology. Admissions will be digitised according to the carrying capacity of each school. The school will admit, but the registration will be transferred to the digital platform. No school can go beyond its carrying capacity. Anyone who goes against this will be sanctioned,” he explained.
Ajibefun also outlined several areas of concern ahead of the new academic session, including lateness among staff and students, cultism, absenteeism, vandalism, and unruly behaviour. He further warned against the illegal harvesting of economic trees on school grounds and encroachment by hoodlums.
“We are in for serious business; unruly behaviour in our schools must be reversed. We have our own culture of respect, and discipline must be returned to our schools. It is the principals’ responsibility to entrench this; they have to be firm. We are not going to sit in our offices to make these policies work. We will intensify monitoring of schools, so expect us anytime,” he said.
The commissioner also decried the decline in reading culture among students, which he attributed to widespread reliance on examination malpractice. He vowed to restore academic discipline and ensure that cheating is eradicated from schools across the state.
“Let us not lie to ourselves; there is a poor reading culture in our schools today because of over-dependence on ‘expo’ during examinations. Ondo State will not condone this anymore; we will bring back our reading culture.
“We all have a role to play. There won’t be cheating in any of our schools. We will come up with strategies to combat this. Any school found culpable will be sanctioned,” he stated.
In her remarks, the President of the All Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS), Dr. Fadekemi Jogbodo, commended the state government’s reforms, describing them as long overdue. She pledged the full support of principals across the state in executing the new directives and urged the involvement of security agencies, as well as government-led sensitisation for parents.
She also appealed to the state government to prioritise the welfare of teachers.
“We can achieve all these reforms. We are still pleading for the promotion of principals to Grade Level 17, the recognition of best teachers and principals during World Teachers’ Day, the training of teachers, the recruitment of ICT teachers in our schools, and infrastructural development.
“We pledge to support the quest for the repositioning of education in our great state. We recognise the importance of collaborative leadership, and we are eager to work closely with you to ensure the success of these initiatives,” she added.
Ondo plans major overhaul of public schools ahead of the 2025 session, focusing on digital admissions and discipline.
