The Oyo State Government has commenced the distribution of motorcycles to School Support Officers and School Mobilisation Officers, alongside 72,000 notebooks, under the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) AF-TESS project.
The exercise, according to the state government, is aimed at strengthening basic education delivery, improving school enrolment and attendance, and providing essential learning materials to pupils across the state.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Barrister Bayo Lawal, said the intervention demonstrated the government’s determination to make basic education more accessible, inclusive and effective.
Lawal said the motorcycles would enhance the mobility of education officers and enable them to reach communities where their services were needed.
He said, ‘The provision of these motorcycles will enable our School Support Officers and School Mobilisation Officers to reach communities more efficiently, identify out-of-school children, encourage enrolment and regular attendance, and strengthen the relationship between schools, families and communities.’
The Deputy Governor added that the distribution of 72,000 notebooks would complement the mobility support by providing pupils with the basic materials needed for learning.
According to him, ‘These 72,000 notebooks will provide essential learning materials for our pupils, helping them to participate effectively in lessons and complete their schoolwork.’
Lawal said the government would continue to support initiatives that address barriers to education and improve learning outcomes across the state.
Also speaking, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education Intervention, Oloye Suraj Abiodun Tiamy, described the initiative as another milestone in the state government’s efforts to improve access to quality basic education.
Tiamy said, ‘This initiative marks another important step in the Oyo State Government’s commitment to improving access to quality basic education and supporting those who are working tirelessly to make learning possible for every child.’
He disclosed that the BESDA AF-TESS project had recorded other interventions, including the distribution of 18,000 tablets to teachers and innovations in 29 public primary schools across the state.
He said the various interventions reflected a broader investment in schools, teachers and communities, noting that improving education required the collective efforts of the government, parents and community stakeholders.
Tiamy therefore urged parents and community leaders to collaborate with education officers to ensure that children are enrolled in school, attend classes regularly and receive the necessary support to remain in school.
He said, ‘We need the support of parents and community leaders to ensure that every child is enrolled, attends school regularly and receives the support necessary to learn and succeed.’
He added that the state government would continue to strengthen interventions designed to improve access to education and create a more supportive learning environment for children across Oyo State.