Dipo Olowookere
By Dipo Olowookere
No fewer than 10,000 SS3 students participated in the Oyo State government’s WAEC Boot Camp in 66 centers across the Local Government Councils and Local Council Development Areas in the state to prepare students for the forthcoming examinations.
This information was revealed on Thursday by the Special Adviser to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Education, Dr Bisi Akin-Alabi.
The Governor’s aide said that 300 pupils between the ages 14 and 18 from both public and private schools participated in its OyoMesi Job Experience (OJE) scheme initiated to reignite the learning passion in pupils and give them appropriate exposure in the work place in order to imbibe relevant work ethics to prepare them for an excellent future.
She said another set of about 1000 pupils partook in a 4-week French Clinic and Cluster learning on Digital Literacy with three pilot centres including St Annes School, Molete, Lagelu Grammar School Agugu and Anglican Commercial Grammar School, Orita-mefa.
Dr Akin-Alabi noted that the French Clinic was organized to expose pupils to fresh as a second language for social interaction on global scene, adding that the digital literacy was meant to give pupils access to ICT as tools for learning and education enablers.
The Special Adviser, Education, explained that the WAEC Boot camp was organized to keep the pupils focused and prepare them for future examinations, stating that the long vacation represents a risk period in education for teenagers as they become restless and often engage in mischievous activities.
According to her, “All the OyoMesi activities, OJE, French Clinic, Digital Literacy and WAEC Boot Camp, have a common objective. They are meant to get pupils engaged in purposeful activities that are value adding to their education, discourage anti-social activities and vices as well as juvenile delinquency during the long vacation. Most parents are not around to properly monitor their wards during the long vacation.”
Dr Akin-Alabi added that the Oyo State Government took the novel steps to prepare the pupils for future challenges and engage them in productive things rather than discouraging activities.
