The Oyo State Government has reiterated its policy thrust to develop sports at the primary level, saying its pupils will soon dominate sporting events at the National level.
The Coordinating Director, Oyo State Universal Basic Education Board, Mr. 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.
Mr. Dairo said that the Board was not only poised to restore the leading position by the State in primary sporting activities, but to take school sports to an enviable height in Nigeria.
He revealed that benefiting schools got sporting equipment such as Handball goalposts and net, 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 beneficiaries in the State.
He said Oyo State Government intended to catch them young with the facilities, adding that the items will enable pupils to participate actively in sports.
The coordinating director said the Oyo State Government will organise a sporting competition among schools at local and Zonal levels, while the overall winner will represent the State in National competitions.
Mr. Dairo therefore charged the beneficiaries 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 Coordinating Director added that, Oyo State Governor had earlier approved the commencement of the Agricultural Education Training Programme for 73 primary schools.
He said the programme will train Education Secretaries, Head of Section, schools services of each Local Government, Head teachers, Agricultural studies teachers, and School Based Management Committee (SBMC) representatives from different Local Governments.
Mr. Dairo explained that Oyo State Government had 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.
Mr. Dairo added that a monitoring team will 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, Comrade 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, Association of Primary School Head teachers of Nigeria, AOPSHON, Oyo State branch, Comrade Adedeji Adekunle appealed to the trainees to pay full attention to the teachings.
Mr. Adekunle also applauded Governor Makinde for his unwavering support to wholesome basic education in the State, saying the agricultural training programme will 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 will accelerate agricultural development in schools
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