Some parents and guardians in Ikere-Ekiti, Ekiti State, have protested the alleged failure of the state government to place their wards in secondary schools despite meeting the requirements for admission.
The parents, who spoke in Ikere-Ekiti, said they had been seeking a resolution to the issue since August, expressing disappointment that their children were still at home while their colleagues had already resumed classes.
They said the situation was particularly concerning at a time when governments at all levels were expressing concern over the rising number of out-of-school children in the country.
One of the parents, a retiree identified as Folorunso William, said he had written to the Ekiti State Ministry of Education in August over the matter.
He alleged that the authorities had not shown enough urgency in addressing the situation, despite the emotional trauma being experienced by the affected children.
William said the children had become distressed watching their peers attend classes while they remained at home.
Another parent, Pastor Christopher Adeoye, questioned the admission process, alleging that some pupils who scored lower marks in the entrance examination had been offered admission, while some candidates who scored close to 400 marks were yet to secure placement.
Also speaking, Mrs Sarah Ojo said the parents were further disappointed after the Area Education Officer in Ikere Local Government reportedly told them on Tuesday morning that she could not say when the issue would be resolved.
Mrs Folashade Omoyeni appealed to the Ekiti State Commissioner for Education, Dr Bimpe Aderiye, to urgently intervene and ensure that the affected children are placed in secondary schools.
She said resolving the matter would enable the children to join their classmates and allow their parents and guardians to return to their normal daily activities without further anxiety.
When contacted, the Ekiti State Commissioner for Education, Dr Bimpe Aderiye, could not be reached for comment, as calls placed to her phone were not answered.
