Ogun Records Over 80% Shift from Private to Public Schools

Ogun Records Over 80% Shift from Private to Public Schools

Ogun State has recorded a massive influx of students from private schools into its flagship public secondary schools, with more than 80 per cent of parents reportedly moving their children to the state-owned institutions.

The development, according to the state government, is attributed to improvements in educational standards, learning environments and students’ moral conduct across the flagship schools.

Speaking at a press conference held at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology’s Conference Room, the Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, said the state had witnessed unprecedented admission into its flagship schools.

Arigbabu disclosed that 96 per cent of candidates who participated in the screening exercise for admission into the flagship schools passed the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) test.

He also said the state had broken a long-standing record by releasing the 2026 BECE results before the commencement of the new academic session.

According to him, results of the BECE had traditionally been released after schools resumed, but the present administration had changed the narrative by ensuring that the results were processed and released ahead of resumption.

The commissioner attributed the achievement to the resilience and commitment of the administration of Governor Dapo Abiodun, particularly its prioritisation of education as a major component of its development agenda.

He noted that the governor had approved the acquisition of an optical marking examination machine for the ministry, which he said had significantly improved the efficiency and speed of processing examination results.

“Our statistics show that more than 80 per cent of parents are moving their children from private schools to flagship public schools. Some of them are not even from Ogun State; they are coming from Lagos, Ibadan and other states,” Arigbabu said.

He added that the growing preference for the state’s flagship schools was an indication of increasing public confidence in the quality of education being provided by the government.

The commissioner further assured parents and other stakeholders of the government’s commitment to providing a secure and conducive learning environment for both students and teachers across the state.

He disclosed that more than 2,000 stakeholders, including parents, school administrators, security agencies and old students’ associations, had been mobilised to develop strategies aimed at ensuring a hitch-free 2026/2027 academic session.

Arigbabu said the government would continue to strengthen collaboration among relevant stakeholders to safeguard schools and sustain the gains recorded in the state’s education sector.

He urged parents to continue to support the government’s efforts to improve the quality of education, assuring them that the administration remained committed to producing students who would be academically sound, morally upright and adequately prepared for the future.