‘Many public schools in Ogun have 1,000-student-to-one-teacher ratio’

Barrister Sunday Oduntan, President of Abeokuta Grammar School Old Boy’s Association (AGSOBA), Ogun state, has lamented congestion of the public secondary schools in the state.

He expressed this concern while briefing journalists on the activities to mark the 115th founder’s day anniversary of the school.

Oduntan explained that the school established in 1908 is currently battling students’ population, saying the school could no longer continue to carry 7,000 students.

According to him, Abeokuta Grammar School has the second largest student population in the state, adding that 90 percent infrastructure in school is built by the Old student association.

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Oduntan called on the government to improve the standard of education by investing more in the sector, especially infrastructure.

He said, “When you have over 1,000 students per teacher, it is a problem and it will affect the quality of education.

“What the government can do is to either build more schools or build more classrooms in schools, I can tell you the number of classrooms built here (Abeokuta grammar school) by the government, we have been building classrooms with our money so we can let go of our value.

“Abeokuta grammar school has the second largest population school in Ogun state, while the Iganmode high school has the largest. Imagine a teacher marking over 1, 000 scripts, that is why many teachers give scripts to senior students to help mark. So, overpopulation in schools affect the quality of education.”

He appealed to the state government to cede the abandoned model schools built by the last administration of Ibikunle Amosun to Old Student associations to renovate so as decongest public schools.

Oduntan also called on President Bola Tinubu to pay serious attention to the education sector if Nigeria must develop beyond its current state.

He said a week-long activities marking the 115th founder’s day include commissioning a Fine Art studio constructed by Club 8893 of the association.