EDITORIAL: A Forward Thrust In Human Capital Development
The opinion of the philanthropist Bill Gates has certainly raised a fire storm. Whatever the pros and cons of the salient points raised, it has achieved a laudable goal of putting human capital development back on the front burner. For an underdeveloped country, this new thrust should act as a vitally needed catalyst.
The visitation just concluded this week of the Universal Basic Education Board (UBEC) to the State of Osun has also given us an insight into the positive gains made in the arena of human capital development by the Osun State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB). As can be seen from the positive response of the visitors from Abuja to the site inspection of various projects in the state of Osun, the SUBEB, imaginatively led by Prince Felix Awofisayo has in a tight fiscal climate delivered on its mandate.
Prince Awofisayo in a response made a very insightful observation about the synergy induced as reflected in the trickledown effect it is having on the development of the state. To us the trickledown effect is important. The synergy achieved in the State of Osun between students and teachers is paying off and will ensure long-term sustainability.
Sustainability can also be seen in the excellent initiative of the Osun Teachers Housing estate in Ile-Ife which is a great motivational flip to encouraging teachers and complement the magnificent newly-constructed schools in the state, thereby merging as it were, hardware with software.
This is also reflected in the policy initiatives of the state government. Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola highlighted the efforts of the government towards developing the education sector at the basic level, saying no fewer than 250,000 pupils from grade one to four across the state are being fed daily with nutritious meal through the state school feeding programme known as OMEAL.
He pointed out that his administration has rehabilitated and built modern schools with over 1,633 standard classrooms which accommodate 98,150 pupils, ICT rooms, good offices for staffers as well as safe playing ground across the state.
We are delighted that the Executive Secretary of UBEC Hamid Boboyi expectedly gave kudos to the work of the State Universal Basic Education Board.
According to him, a lot has been heard about Osun in terms of its investments in the education sector and was amazed with the effort put in place by the state government, saying the commission would do all it could to help the state move the education forward.
Commending the state government for its effort at raising the standard of education in the state, he stated that the issue of technology and the availability of instructional materials remain one of the challenges of education in Nigeria, adding that the materials will help complement efforts of teachers.
He however urged the government to invest more on the provision of instructional materials.
We give kudos to everyone involved in the forward thrust on human capital development in Osun State, principally the state governor, Ogbeni Aregbesola and the state SUBEB; they have done an excellent job.
