The Oyo State Government has reiterated its policy thrust to develop sports at the primary level, saying its pupils would soon dominate sporting events at the National level.
The Co-ordinating Director, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board (OYOSUBEB), Jacob Dairo made this known at the distribution of sporting equipment donated by Oyo State Government, in collaboration with Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) to 82 primary Schools held at the Board’s headquarters, on Tuesday.
Dairo said that the Board is not only poised to restore the leading position of the state in primary sporting activities but to take school sports to an enviable height in Nigeria.
He revealed that benefitting schools got sporting equipment such as Handball goalposts and nets, skipping ropes, table-tennis bats and nets, handballs, Badminton rackets, and other equipment distributed to schools in the 3 Senatorial districts in the state.
Dairo, who heads the Board’s Schools Services department, said the Board got delivery of sporting items courtesy of Governor Seyi Makinde and that the essence of the occasion was to officially flag off the distribution of the items to the various beneficiary schools in the state.
He said the Oyo State Government intends to catch them young with the facilities, adding that the items would enable pupils to participate actively in sports.
The coordinating director said the Oyo State Government would organise a sporting competition among schools at local and Zonal levels, while the overall winner would represent the state in National competitions.
Dairo, therefore, charged the beneficiary schools to take care of the items delivered to them, urging them to make proper use of the equipment for the purpose for which it is meant.
The Co-ordinating Director added that, earlier, the Oyo State Governor approved the commencement of the Agricultural Education Training Programme for 73 primary schools.
He said the programme would train Education Secretaries, Head of Section, schools services of each local government, Headteachers, Agricultural studies teachers, and School Based Management Committee (SBMC) representatives from different local governments.
Dairo said the Oyo State Government has approved funding of the Agricultural training programme, in the 33 Local Governments in the state.
Dairo said the trainees in turn would train pupils on crop farming, snailery, and livestock farming.
Dairo said that a monitoring team would go round the schools to ensure that funds allocated for the training programme are properly utilized.
Speaking earlier, the Chairman, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Oyo State Chapter, Com. Raji Oladimeji applauded the initiatives put in place by the Oyo State Government for pupils.
The NUT Chairman said sporting activities, which are almost moribund in most schools, is due to the topography of land in most schools.
He therefore said the development will resuscitate the almost-moribund sporting activities in most public primary Schools.
Also, the Chairman, the Association of Primary School Headteachers of Nigeria, AOPSHON, Oyo State branch, Comrade Adedeji Adekunle appealed to the trainees to pay full attention to the teachings.
Adekunle also applauded Governor Makinde for his unwavering support of wholesome basic education in the State, saying the Agricultural training programme would put basic education in the state on a leading path, among its contemporaries.
The Zonal chairman, School-based management committee, Egbeda Local Government, Deacon Adegbite Omoniyi said the Agricultural training would encourage younger ones to participate in agriculture.
He said the SBMC and other stakeholders are committed to the new project, which would accelerate agricultural development in schools.
The NUT Chairman said sporting activities, which are almost moribund in most schools, are due to the topography of the land in most schools.
He, therefore, said the development would resuscitate the almost-moribund sporting activities in most public primary schools.
Also, the Chairman, the Association of Primary School Headteachers of Nigeria, AOPSHON, Oyo State branch, Comrade Adedeji Adekunle appealed to the trainees to pay full attention to the teachings.
Adekunle also applauded Governor Makinde for his unwavering support to wholesome basic education in the state, saying the Agricultural training programme would put basic education in the state on a leading path, among its contemporaries.
The Zonal chairman, School-based management committee, Egbeda Local Government, Deacon Adegbite Omoniyi said the Agricultural training will encourage younger ones to participate in agriculture.
He said the SBMC and other stakeholders are committed to the new project, which would accelerate agricultural development in schools.
