May 25, (THEWILL) — Only a few days ago, the Oyo State Government announced the immediate suspension of all school excursions, field trips, inter-school sports competitions and other activities that require students to move outside school premises, citing growing security concerns across the state.
The directive, which affects both public and private schools, was contained in a circular issued by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Mrs Bamidele Oyinloye.
According to the ministry, the decision forms part of urgent precautionary measures aimed at protecting students, teachers and other school personnel amid the prevailing insecurity across the state.
The circular, addressed to the Executive Chairman of TESCOM, Permanent Secretaries, Tutors-General, Local Inspectors of Education, principals and head teachers across the state, stated that all previously approved trips and outdoor activities have also been cancelled until further notice.
“In view of the recent security concerns, the Ministry is taking proactive steps to safeguard the lives of students and members of staff in all schools across Oyo State,” the statement read.
It added that “prior approvals granted by the Ministry are hereby overridden by this directive.
The statement stressed that the welfare and safety of students must remain the highest priority of every school authority, insisting that no academic or extracurricular programme should compromise the security of children.
“The safety of our children is non-negotiable and takes precedence over all academic and extracurricular activities,” it stated.
The circular also instructed school administrators to strengthen internal monitoring within school environments and maintain close communication with security agencies in their respective areas.
Schools were specifically advised to ensure students remain within school premises during school hours and to promptly report any suspicious movement or activity around school communities to law enforcement authorities.
“This directive takes immediate effect and will be reviewed as soon as the security situation improves,” the statement concluded.
By now, the development will have generated mixed reactions among parents, students and school administrators, no doubt.
While some students would express disappointment over the cancelation of planned excursions and sporting events, many parents are most likely to commend the government for prioritising the safety of children.
As expected, many parents strongly commended the directive, stating that safeguarding children’s lives must be the absolute priority.
Students are bound to express significant disappointment over the cancellation of long-awaited educational trips, outdoor learning events and sporting competitions.
What about school administrators? In their argument against the state government’s action, several public and private school administrators highlighted the massive logistical and financial challenges caused by the immediate ban, particularly for schools that had already made non-refundable payments for planned trips.
The government has come under severe criticism for “surrendering to criminals”: Critics and public commentators on some major media platforms like have labeled the memo a “superficial response”.
By insisting on keeping schoolchildren within school premises all the time and denying them extracurricular activities does not guarantee them safety and protection from marauding kidnap gangs. Doubtless, this is a temporary measure giving the circumstances surrounding the kidnapped teachers and school children in the state and the ongoing attempts to rescue them.
What is needed urgently is active security.
We urge that instead of shrinking the freedom of students with a circular, the state government in collaboration with the federal government needs to deploy a coherent, aggressive tactical plan to secure communities and actively rescue those still in captivity.
