Another critical look at Oyo free education policy: Gain or pain? By Ben GEORGE
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The current administration in Oyo state headed by Engr Seyi Makinde was emphatic about bringing back the regime of free education during the campaign towards the 2019 general elections. “No kid in public primary and secondary schools in Oyo state will pay a dime as fees,” was the popular mantra. It resonated well with the (local) populace and it contributed to the success recorded by Engr Seyi Makinde in 2019. His predecessor (now late) Senator Abiola Ajimobi introduced payment of N1000 fee per student per term. But this was abolished at the advent of Makinde and students started to enjoy fee-free academic pursuits.
Six years on, how has the policy fared?
Strictly, the government has adhered to the programme; it successfully eliminated payment of fees or levies in public primary and secondary schools but how has it impacted impartation of knowledge and educational advancement in the state? Free education is wonderful, it opens up opportunities for the children of the poor especially, however, let’s look at it, what actually constitutes free education? The free education unfurled by Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Bola Ige was all encompassing. Free books – relevant texts (all subjects) and notebooks, massive construction/rehabilitation of classrooms, quality metal furniture, coupled with adequate funding of schools through regular payment of grants. There were no chaos, things worked smoothly. And it reflected in students’ performances in external examinations.
In the present situation, circumstances have changed making it extremely difficult to foist free education. Population has quadrupled multiple times making the free education of today mere appearance and never in its real format. Investigations, without any pretensions or sinister motives, have revealed that what we have is pseudo-free education, thus igniting a chaotic situation, which manifests in several forms. Therefore, attempting it (free education) without solid genuineness will only lead to unfoldment of inevitable crises.
One down side of the policy in the present generation is that the policy has made parents and students to be inculcated with a sense of superiority over teachers, that they have the backing of government, making them to be driven by some reckless irresponsibility which rubs adversely on academic seriousness. It instills some stupid braggadacio from a feeling that the wings of teachers had been clipped. This makes education to lose its allure and value to them and many stomp the arena with a candour of conquest that instigates chaos. The saying that a medicine not paid for is never valued also comes to mind. Chaos? Yes! Truancy is aggravated. Loitering has become the order of the day. Inter-school clashes. Increased rudeness among students. Because they are not conferred with much responsibility in any way that payment of a token as school fees would have conferred, a sense of nonchalance towards excellence in education is provoked. Perhaps it is the reason students now seek to sit for WAEC/NECO while still in SS 1 or 2. It’s an irony, students that didn’t pay fees in the public school now pay through their nose to write WAEC and NECO in private centres/schools and other “miracle” centres making mockery of the whole system and policy. In fact, this has become rampant; public schools that had over 200 students promoted to SS 3 would struggle to have 60 candidates registering for WAEC/NECO – the students have left to write the exams elsewhere because they had no commitment to the school that trained them from JSS 1, which payment of a token as school fees would have instilled.
Then reality be told, the government now lacks the wherewithal to properly fund standard free education. Students are barred from paying, that means government should pay a sum as running grant to the school managements. But this has become herculean for the government coughing out money to pay the running grants. And that is the scenario now. The paltry sum being paid as grant, it is found out, doesn’t always come regularly. Grants for three terms are often owed, that is, a session might have ended before grants for the first two terms are disbursed. In the intervening period school authorities face financial challenges. They run schools on debt, maintenance of schools’ facilities especially classrooms buildings suffers greatly, teachers’ furniture are often inadequate, utilities like chalk, attendance registers etc are purchased on credit, making many principals and stationeries’ sellers to often lament. Teachers expect more from their school management but this is not often forthcoming and so frustration and the spirit of indifference set in, underscored by sub-optimal performance. Output cannot be greater than input in most cases.
It’s incontestable that government is caught in politics which isn’t good for our education. It wants to push the narrative of a considerate, people-oriented government but it looks like a scam altogether because it can’t keep up with the narrative being projected, thereby shifting the burden on the school managements.
In another perspective, payment of school fees was abolished, but then we witnessed payment of WAEC fees for SS three students being abolished – formerly this was paid by government but this had been discontinued under the present regime.
When N1000 was paid as school fees per student per term, schools recorded incredible growth, many got school hall built from the fund so generated from the fees, how many halls have government built in schools since its free education policy? Classrooms were also built and adequately maintained then. Though there were school principals who mismanaged the funds, but a greater percentage utilised the funds from the meagre school fees well. Yes, meagre school fees! What is N1000 per student per term? Or even N2000, to parents and also students who commit greater amount to frivolities? Such amount would go a long way in restoring Oyo state pacesetter’s status in education. There is no doubt that the abolishment of fees has made parents and students vulnerable to irresponsible behaviours that breed chaos leading to poor academic returns. Check results of Oyo state children in external exams in public schools for confirmation of the effects of the so-called free education. How many public schools’ students notch top grades in WAEC, NECO or JAMB except exceptionally bright ones once in a while!
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The culture forged in public schools presently does not promote excellence at all. Distinction is sacrificed at the altar of political sentiment. It is harmful to our tomorrow.
Payment of a token cannot be regarded as payment of school fees. The token will be just to stoke the commitment of parents and their wards and maybe provoke better performances. It will also give schools’ managers some relief as well as government. When late Ajimobi introduced his fee regime he refrained from giving running grants, that made him concentrate on other things without distractions.
Thus, there is need to re-appraise the policy for the betterment of our tomorrow. Government cannot continue to pretend to operate free education policy. Free education cannot be total, is it even appreciated? Who even applauds it? In the long run it is harming the society. It all looks like sakamanje giving much pain and insignificant gain. Government should be courageous enough to admit this and chart a profitable course going forward.
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