“Catch Them Young”: OYOSUBEB Chairman, Dr. Nureni, Fowokanmi, Adigun To Launch Grassroots Talent Haunt In Public Schools
•By OYENIYI KAZEEM
IBADAN – THE Chairman of Oyo state Universal Basic Education Board Dr. Nureni Adeniran has emphasized the pivotal role of teachers in mentoring school pupils and students to fully realize their potentials and become the true leaders of the future.
Adeniran disclosed this on Thursday when he returned to his alma-mata, Ansar-ud-deen primary school, Oke-Foko to launch “CATCH THEM YOUNG” project; a public schools talent haunt initiative, aimed at identifying and mainstreaming talents in public schools in Oyo State.
The arrival of the SUBEB chairman at the school premises along with the Honorable member representing Ibadan South West II in Oyo state House of assembly Hon. Oluwafemi Fowokami and Hon Tajudeen Adigun, political head of Ibadan West Local Government Development Area shortly before the morning assembly began, donning the school uniform sent the pupils to a frenzy as the they welcomed a proud alumni of the school.
Addressing the pupils at the morning assembly session, Adeniran recalled his formative days in the school that ultimately prepared him for the tough journey of life: “If some of us passed through this same school and were able to make it to where we are today, then you can become even greater than we are.” He reminded them that the type of school they attend, or the area they come from, should never limit them from realizing their life ambitions.
He expressed confidence that future Lawyers, doctors, architects, engineers, commissioners, governors, senators, even presidents, can and will emerge from public primary schools like Ansar-ud-deen.
Speaking on the bold exploits of OYOSUBEB under his watch, Adeniran Said: “when I came in as SUBEB chairman that was in 2019, close to 7 years ago, the situation in our public primary schools was not something to write home about because I just discovered that the situation we passed through they are no longer there. Like this school, then we have a field but you see that everywhere is occupied now. The classrooms were built around so the field was in the middle and the school that I attended was Ansar-ud-deen Primary School. Now we have school 1, we have school 2, we have school 3 which explains the reason why we have classrooms all over the place.
“So, that is growth and development. because the number, the population at that period is not the same thing as now and the number of school age children that are of school age then it’s not the same thing as what the situation is now. So, we have to move with time and provide a solution to the problem.
And it’s giving me a kind of impetus to say, okay, what can we do to better the situation? if you have been to this school the time I came, you will know that there is a complete transformation.
“There was no fence at that time, no fence. We put the fence there, we did the renovation, we did some constructions and the school is good, I mean, very beautiful now.
“The learning environment is conducive and the children, I know, they will latch on that to ensure that they learn. Because when we came in, we know the number of students and the population enrollment. By the time this free education program was introduced we have surged in the enrollment number because a lot of students that had either withdrawn from school, they all came back.”
Adeniran further urged parents to compliment the efforts of the Governor Seyi Makinde led administration by providing basic school items for their wards: “The parents should also ensure that they take very good care of the children. I told you of a letter written by my teacher when I was a primary one pupil to my dad. And my dad still gave me that letter. I have the letter with me. So, which makes it imperative on my dad to see that, oh, this boy, I should mentor him, I should guide him. So the parents should take responsibility for these children.
“The government is providing free education for them. The parents should be able to clothe their children, give them food, and ensure that they buy books for them. It’s not all books that are provided by the government. So, because this is their future.
“So, if the children grow up tomorrow, the parents will sit back and will be happy.
My own dad is still alive. And he’s happy seeing me in his lifetime doing all this. So, it is the joy, for the parents to see their children growing and become good in the society.”
Both Hon. Oluwafemi Fowokami, Member representing Ibadan South West II in Oyo state House of assembly and Hon Tajudeen Adigun, political head of Ibadan West Local Government Development Area while hailing the grassroots talent haunt initiative, said that the larger population of the young ones are I. Public schools, hence the need for intensified effort to strengthen education system in public schools.
CATCH THE YOUNG PROGRAM
“Catch Them Young” is a brainchild of BRIGHTLENS MEDIA NETWORK seeking to identify and mainstream special talents in public schools in Oyo state. Burdened by the fast eroding moral standards of the evolving society, the initiative aims to inculcate the required mentality in the minds of the young ones in public schools to lay a solid foundation for a bright future.