Policy Gaps Leave Children Trekking Miles to Access Education in Oyo State
In Olokiti, an agrarian community in Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State, education is a daily struggle for children who must travel miles to access schools. This predicament stems from the absence of a functional Education Sector Plan (ESP) in the state, leaving communities like Olokiti underserved and marginalized.
Dorcas, a 12-year-old girl, and her younger brother are among the many children forced to trek long distances to attend school. They attend Cashdemy International School, a private institution in Akufo, located miles away from Olokiti. “We wake up early, around 6:30 am, to begin our journey. The trek is tiring, but we manage to catch up with the first class,” Dorcas explains.
The lack of a nearby government school compels children as young as five to endure this arduous routine daily, risking fatigue, poor concentration, and reduced academic performance.
Research has shown that trekking is a good form of exercise and keeps the body fit, however trekking kilometers to school can cause fatigue, and lack of concentration in class which affects academic performance of pupils.
Kamaldeen, a 7-year-old boy, also treks 45 minutes to St. Matthew Anglican Primary School, Akufo, also in Ido LGA. Despite his eagerness to learn, he often misses the assembly and the first lesson. His teacher, Mrs. Akintola, acknowledges his diligence but highlights the toll of long treks on his focus and energy levels.
“I trek to school with my sister who attends Akufo High school. Our normal routine is to wake up around 6 am and do some house chores before preparing for school. At times, I joined other pupils like me on the assembly ground but most times, we always arrived late. I get tired after the long trek but I like learning,” Kamaldeen said.
Even for those with access to transportation, such as Emmanuel David, who rides to school on his father’s motorcycle, the situation is challenging. Schools in the region adjust assembly times to accommodate children traveling from distant areas, yet many younger children below the age of five remain excluded from education entirely.
Economic Burdens of Inaccessible Education
Parents in Olokiti face significant financial burdens to ensure their children receive an education. Mr. Abbas, a father of four, recounts spending between ₦7,000 to ₦10,000 weekly on transportation. This expense diverts funds that could otherwise be spent on school supplies or other essentials. With limited alternatives, his younger children sometimes resort to trekking long distances, adding to their physical strain.
“Two years ago, It cost me N8000 weekly to transport my young kids to school but now I have a motorcycle and I transport them myself. So, I spend about N7000 to N10000 weekly due to the increase in fuel price.
“The school fees are quite affordable because it is a missionary school, however the textbooks and notebooks are compulsory and the money on transportation would have been spent on that. My two kids are in primary 2 and nursery 2 and they resort to trekking, which takes more than 45 minutes, when there is no money for fuel,” Abbas concluded.
The only nearby government school, located in Ipakuru, is plagued by dilapidated infrastructure and a severe shortage of teachers, making it an unreliable option for families. Mr. Ubeke Haycent, another parent, has no choice but to send his young children on foot to Akufo, a journey of three to four miles. “It would be a great relief to have a functional school in our community,” he says.
Lack of an Education Sector Plan in Oyo State
The root of these challenges lies in the absence of an Education Sector Plan in Oyo State. An ESP is a critical policy framework designed to guide the development, implementation, and monitoring of educational initiatives. It includes a clear vision, objectives, needs assessments, funding strategies, and evaluation mechanisms to ensure targeted progress.
Although Oyo State has a general development roadmap, it lacks the specificity and rigor of an ESP. For example, while the roadmap includes a promise to construct 30 model schools in underserved areas, no comprehensive needs assessment has been conducted to identify priority communities like Olokiti. This oversight perpetuates educational inequities and neglects the urgent needs of rural areas.
Call to Action
The absence of an ESP leaves Oyo State’s education sector disorganized and unresponsive to local needs. Oyo State Governor, Engr Oluwaseyi Makinde, must prioritize the development of a robust Education Sector Plan to address gaps in infrastructure, teacher deployment, and access to quality education. Such a plan would ensure that resources are allocated effectively, especially to underserved communities like Olokiti, where children currently bear the brunt of the system’s inefficiencies.
Efforts to get the reaction of the Oyo State Government through the Commissioner for Education, Professor Salih Adelabu, proved abortive as multiple calls and WhatsApp messages sent to him were unanswered as of the time of filing this report, highlighting the need for greater accountability and transparency in addressing these systemic issues.