Maroof Asudemade

Education is the foundation of every prosperous society. It is therefore encouraging that the APC governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has pledged to restore the 30-student per class policy in public schools. The proposal is not only realistic but also represents one of the most important reforms capable of reversing the steady decline in the quality of public education in the state.

This is not an untested idea. During the administration of Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, Oyo State successfully implemented the policy to improve teaching and learning. Unfortunately, successive administrations abandoned it, leading to overcrowded classrooms where a single teacher often struggles to effectively manage fifty, sixty or even more students.

Recognising the growing infrastructural challenges confronting public schools, the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi introduced School Governing Boards (SGBs) alongside a modest ₦3,000 development levy per student per session. The funds generated were retained by individual schools and managed by their governing boards for infrastructural development and maintenance. Across Oyo State, many secondary schools witnessed remarkable improvements as classrooms, furniture, laboratories, libraries, toilets and school environments received much-needed attention through prudent community-based management.

The present administration of Governor Seyi Makinde abolished the ₦3,000 levy and dismantled the School Governing Board system. Since then, many public schools have experienced a gradual deterioration in infrastructure despite the significant increase in federal allocations, VAT receipts and internally generated revenue available to the state government. Many school buildings have become dilapidated, classrooms overcrowded, and learning conditions less conducive. Public school managers are said to be receiving regularly running grants needed to run schools. There have been words that principals assisted by teachers use their own money to buy chalks under Makinde administration!

Restoring the 30-student per class policy as pledged by Sarafadeen Alli offers an opportunity to reverse this trend. Educational research consistently supports smaller class sizes, especially at the primary and junior secondary levels. The landmark Project STAR (Student/Teacher Achievement Ratio) conducted in Tennessee, United States, found that pupils taught in classes of about 13–17 students significantly outperformed those in larger classes. The gains were particularly evident in reading and mathematics, and the benefits extended into later years of education.

Similarly, studies  have shown that smaller classes enable teachers to provide more individualised instruction, identify struggling learners earlier, and create stronger teacher-student relationships. While class size alone does not guarantee educational excellence, it becomes highly effective when combined with competent teachers, adequate facilities and strong school leadership.

The merits of the policy are compelling. A classroom of thirty students allows every child to receive greater individual attention. Teachers can identify learning difficulties more quickly, provide remedial assistance where necessary, and challenge gifted learners to achieve their full potential.

Smaller classes also improve classroom discipline. Teachers spend less time controlling overcrowded classrooms and more time teaching. Students participate more actively, ask more questions and receive immediate feedback.

Teachers themselves benefit immensely. With fewer students to supervise, they can prepare lessons more effectively, mark assignments thoroughly, conduct meaningful continuous assessments and monitor the academic progress of every learner. This reduces teacher fatigue and enhances instructional quality.

Parents equally benefit because communication between teachers and families becomes more meaningful. It is easier to discuss each child’s strengths, weaknesses and behavioural development when teachers are responsible for manageable class sizes.

Health and safety also improve. Adequate classroom spacing promotes better ventilation, reduces the transmission of communicable diseases and provides a more comfortable learning environment.

Beyond the classroom, the policy would stimulate investment in education. Government would necessarily embark on constructing additional classrooms, renovating existing school buildings, providing furniture, recruiting more qualified teachers, expanding libraries and laboratories, and supplying modern teaching materials. Such investments would create employment while strengthening the educational system.

Critics may point to the financial implications of implementing such a policy. Certainly, it requires substantial investment. However, quality education should never be viewed merely as a cost. It is a long-term investment in human capital, economic development and social stability. Every naira invested in improving public education yields dividends through a more skilled workforce, reduced crime, increased productivity and sustainable economic growth.

For the policy to succeed, however, it is recommended to Sarafadeen Alli, Oyo APC governorship candidate, to ensure that it should not stand alone. It should be complemented by a comprehensive programme of school rehabilitation, transparent funding, teacher recruitment, regular teacher training, digital learning resources and the restoration of a community-based school management structure similar to the School Governing Boards that previously contributed to improving public schools across Oyo State.

Oyo State has historically been recognised as one of Nigeria’s foremost centres of educational excellence. Reintroducing the 30-student per class policy is not simply about reducing classroom numbers; it is about restoring quality, rebuilding public confidence in government schools and investing in the future of the state’s children.

If faithfully implemented with adequate funding, transparent management and sustained political commitment, this policy could become one of the defining educational legacies of the next administration and place Oyo State once again at the forefront of educational development in Nigeria.

The proposed return to a 30-student per class policy is therefore not an extravagant political promise but a practical educational reform rooted in sound pedagogy and supported by global evidence. It is also consistent with the aspiration of maintaining manageable pupil-teacher ratios in line with accepted educational standards. If Oyo State could implement the policy under the administration of Senator Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, there is no reason it cannot do so again with proper planning, phased implementation, prudent financial management, and the political will to prioritise education.

The future of Oyo State will not be determined by the number of roads it constructs alone, but by the quality of the children sitting in its classrooms today. Smaller classes mean better teaching, better learning, stronger discipline, improved teacher effectiveness, and ultimately better examination results. Combined with renewed investment in school infrastructure, the recruitment of qualified teachers, and a transparent school management framework that gives communities a stake in their schools, the 30-student per class policy can restore the confidence of parents in public education.

For a state that proudly calls itself the Pace Setter, restoring excellence in education should not be negotiable. Reintroducing the 30-student per class policy would be more than a return to an old idea; it would be a bold investment in the intellectual future of Oyo State and a lasting legacy for generations yet unborn.