Ogun State Government through its Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has announced plan for the commencement of this year's Annual School Census, threatening to sanction schools that fail to comply with the directive
The Zonal Education Officer for Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government, Mrs. Ayoola Sherifat who read the riot-act in an interview with newsmen in Ota, encouraged education stakeholders to see the census exercise as a collective responsibility aimed at strengthening the education sector in the state
The Annual School Census according to her, remained one of the most important data-gathering exercises in Nigeria's Education Sector, providing the foundation for evidence-based policies and sustainable educational development as well as critical exercise for educational planning and development across Ogun State and Nigeria.
Mrs. Ayoola explained that the census was a Federal Ministry of Education initiative designed to provide accurate data that would enable governments at all levels to formulate policies, allocate resources and implement developmental programmes effectively within the education sector.
According to her, the exercise served as a vital tool for gathering comprehensive information on schools, student enrolment, teaching personnel, facilities and other educational indicators necessary for informed decision-making, noting that while officials from the Federal Ministry of Education were previously deployed to schools to conduct the exercise physically, advancements in technology had transformed the process into a fully digital operation.
"The Annual School Census is no longer conducted through physical visits by Federal Officials as was done in the past. Since 2024, the exercise has become strictly online, allowing schools to submit their data electronically," she said.
Mrs. Ayoola, however, lamented the poor level of participation recorded during the 2024 exercise, revealing that many school administrators were indifferent to the process, a development that prompted the Zonal Information Office to create 3 operational groups to cover all approved primary and secondary schools within Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government and ensure improved compliance.
"The school census is not just a routine government exercise; it is a vital process that helps educational authorities gather accurate data for planning, development, policy formulation, and effective decision-making in the education sector," she explained.
She revealed further that to facilitate the exercise, schools had been grouped according to designated axis and were expected to participate on their scheduled dates, just as Proprietors and Administrators had also been directed to attend with laptops or smartphones to enable seamless online submission of data.
"Quality education planning began with quality data. By participating actively, schools are not only helping themselves but are also contributing significantly to the growth and advancement of the entire education system in Ogun State and Nigeria at large," she maintained
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