Good and well structured educational system is one of the vital factors in the socio-economic development of any society. Education is regarded as a critical instrument in the battle against poverty and ignorance. It empowers the individual with necessary knowledge and set of skills to actualize potential and maximize opportunities in life.
In the knowledge driven 21st century, education must be the key driver of socio-economic transformation.
It is for this reason that governments across the world devote a good chunk of available resources to the development of the educational sector.
Over the years, Ondo State has been noted for it's high drive in promoting qualitative educational system, with different government to have steered the affairs of the state adopting various suitable strategies and templates for the actualization of a literate society.
This is no different with the Akeredolu led administration in Ondo State, inaugurated 24th of February 2017, the Governor in his inauguration acknowledged the failures and loop holes in the educational system of the state, with the promise of an improved system that will see the state attain a more glorious heights than it had ever recorded.
In his words, he stated, "Any honest indigene of the state must be disturbed by the crisis in the educational sector at present. The philosophy of education, conceived on the idea of functionality for improved living by our forbears, has been reduced to a routine certification ritual, the culmination of which is the award of certificates, diplomas and degrees to graduates who are left more confused than when they enrolled in school."
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu in his commitment took it upon his administration to proffering a long lasting solution to these worrisome issues. Through the Strategic Development and Policy Implementation Committee, the Akeredolu led administration rolled out the blueprint for it's developmental works in the state.
This blueprint is anchored on five cardinal programmes, which are popularly known as our Platforms for Change (JMPPR).
These are:
1. Job creation through Agriculture, Entrepreneurship and Industrialisation.
2. Massive Infrastructural development and maintenance.
3. Provision of functional Education and Technological growth.
4. Provision of Accessible and Qualitative Health care and social service delivery.
5. Rural Development and Community Extension services.
With the Akeredolu led administration's commitment to this laid down blueprint over the past two years, the educational outlook of the state in terms of qualitative education and technological advancements is starting to pay off.
Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has within the space of two years created an impeccable mark on the educational fabrics of the good people of Ondo State.
Since his inauguration as Governor of Ondo state, the governor has stayed true to his promise of making basic education easily accessible, attractive and affordable to the good people of Ondo state, bridging the gap between the rich and the poor in terms of qualitative learning at the basic level.
About 700 public primary schools in Ondo State have been renovated, while another 314 projects would be awarded very soon in various primary schools, including agricultural materials, sporting equipment and 77 containerized toilets.
Not resting on these achievements, the Ondo State government has paid N3.7 billion as counterpart funding for basic education, which was matched by the Federal Government through the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to revamp the primary education sector.
Boosting teachers' morale, the state government recently rolled out promotion letters to 1,800 primary school teachers in the state. They were promoted after a rigorous screening exercise carried out by SUBEB.
In the area of technological advancement, Ondo State is the first and only State in Nigeria to establish five Digital Village projects within a year, ranking high in digital literacy programs across the Country.
The Digital Village projects are programs set up across the State to train over 90 youths monthly with a view to drastically reducing unemployment in the State. According to the Special Assistant to the Governor on ICT and Chairman of the State Information and Technology Agency, Olumbe Akinugbe, the ICT Reource-based centres are furnihshed with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment.
