SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ON RAMPAGE IN OYO TOWN OVER MASSIVE FAILURE

Recently, the Oyo State Government moved to tackle the poor academic performances of students by abruptly raising the general academic cut-off for promotion of students to 50% as against the initial 35%. This allegedly led to massive failure and the government, still resolute on its decision, insisted that the failed students must repeat a class.

This obviously did not go down with some of the secondary school students who have decided to take the laws into their hands by taking to the streets, vandalizing properties and threatening lives of innocent citizens, especially colleagues and teachers. 

Such was the case on Friday, 21st October, 2016 when the students of Olivet High School protested the alleged massive failure. The students upon discovering that they failed massively pounced on some of their teachers. This protest also led to a part of the school fence being torn down. According to information at my disposal, over 600 students were involved in the massive failure. It also took the smart efforts of the school bus driver who immediately took off with the bus before it would be destroyed by the angry students. As at the time of this report, the bus is parked at a station.

The protest reached its climax today, Monday 24th, 2016, when some angry and concerned secondary school students also joined their colleagues to protest the decision. Popular among them are the notorious students of the Anglican Grammar School, Oba Adeyemi High School and Abiodun Atiba Memorial High School. 

At Anglican Grammar School, the students had the weekend to prepare for the 'war' after collecting their results on Friday. Threats were made and even, threat text messages were sent to some of their teachers. They boasted to raze the school.  

True to the words, the angry students came to the school this morning, harmed with dangerous charms and weapons. Some allegedly came in with guns, knives, cartons of bottles and amulets. One wonders where these young students could lay their hands on all these. They descended on students and teachers. They terrorized the citizens within the Ajagba environs, properties were vandalized, vehicles windscreens got smashed, purses snatched and people got injured. According to a source, an innocent student was allegedly stabbed in the stomach during the riot. 

It took the combined efforts of the officers of the Nigeria Police and some vigilante members before sanity could be restored. Upon siting the Police, the protesting students fled the scene while only  one of them was unlucky and got arrested. Some identified students like 'Azeez Omo Iya Ponmo', Wasiu Tijani, Wakili, Ologbojo, 'Yinka and Kehinde Oparinde who partook in the breakdown of law are still at large. 

Upon visiting the school, teachers were still in shock and some were standing about in groups. Students have deserted the school compound but the look of  violence was evident. 

The case wasn't much different in the other two schools; Oba Adeyemi High School and Abiodun Atiba Memorial High School, both in Oyo town. The students also protested; colleagues were harassed and teachers were attacked.

According to a source, students of Oba Adeyemi High School came to the school brandishing loaded guns and other weapons.  

Presently, some secondary schools who are yet to release the results are nervous and skeptical as the release could incite the students to cause violence. 

I was able  to visit one of these other affected schools and I was lucky to interview one of the Vice-Principals. Here is the brief interview; 

OmoIyaKunmi: I heard your students protested their massive failure in the exams. I don't see students failing as a new thing. It has always been happening, what is different now? Why are the students protesting now? 

VP: Yes, it has been happening but in this case, the government abruptly raised the cutoff for promotion from 35% to 50%. This caught most of the students unaware and majority of them are caught in the mess. 

OmoIyaKunmi: Ma, if I may ask, how massive is the failure? 

VP: Haaa, its really massive. In a class of about 60students, we have just one students promoting into the other class. That's an instance. As it is now, the affected students are close to 700 in my school. Just this morning, the principal of another lamented that almost all  the students in his school couldn't meet up with the very strict guidelines for promotion into another class. Now, he is even scared to release the results to the students. 

OmoIyaKunmi: But, don't you think the government is being insensitive to the students' plight. I mean, raising the cut off, isn't that too sudden? 

VP: Hmmm.. We feel for the students too. What should have been done is that instead of suddenly raising to 50%, they could have raised to 40% from 35% and the subsequent sessions too. By so doing, the students would have been preparing against the failure.  We have approached the government to at least lower the standard a bit but they seem resolute on their decisions. Now we are appealing to the PTAs to come into this matter and appeal to the government. 

Now, who are we to blame? the government that intended to improve the education quality by raising the standard abruptly without considering the students or the students who are products of the system and decided to take laws into their hands?