The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has pledged its support to the Ajimobi-led administration in its bid to revamp and develop education in the state.
The students during a meeting with Governor Abiola Ajimobi on the crisis over the alleged plan to privatize public schools in Ibadan on Friday, stated that they identified with the governor for being the “most student-friendly and approachable” in the history of the state.
The students’ leaders had sought audience with the governor on the proposed public-private participatory management of some public secondary schools in the state, an initiative that had pitted labour against the government.
The South-West Zonal Secretary of NANS, Mr. Olanrewaju Oloja, said that the students decided to hear from the horse’s mouth because of their concern for the welfare of teachers and the future of students in the public schools likely to be affected in the new initiative of the government.
“We decided to embark on this clarification trip, as we are aware that some people would want to derive unnecessary political pleasure in any misunderstanding in the polity. We will not want any of our schools to be privatised.
“The assurances we want is to the effect that your government would not retrench teachers or workers and also ask that no student should be forcefully converted to other religions because of a change in the management structure of the schools in question,” he said.
He recalled the last meeting the students body had with the government, which, he said, also bothered on consultation and clarification on government policies.
(Today.ng)