The reported ranking of Oyo State as third in Nigeria’s education quality index, with 55.2 points out of 100, may provide the Seyi Makinde administration with an opportunity for self-congratulation. But before the government begins to celebrate another supposed achievement, it must confront an uncomfortable question: does the reality of education in Oyo State justify the celebration?

A ranking is only as meaningful as the data, methodology and realities underpinning it. While the assessment attributed to NigeriaPolls and shared by StatiSense places Oyo behind the Federal Capital Territory and Lagos State, the published list reportedly covers only 12 states and the FCT. It is therefore necessary to establish whether this represents a comprehensive national comparison or merely a selection of states. This is clearly a random ranking that shouldn’t call for encomium.

More troubling, however, is the apparent disconnect between the ranking and the realities confronting pupils, students, parents and teachers across Oyo State. A favourable position on a league table cannot substitute for demonstrable improvements in academic performance, access to education and the quality of learning in our schools.

Consider the performance of Oyo candidates in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination. A report published by DevReporting, citing available examination records, put the state’s pass rate at 38.32 per cent, a substantial decline from the 54.18 per cent recorded in 2017. Although examination-related difficulties were cited as a factor in the 2025 result, the decline raises legitimate questions about the consistency of academic outcomes and the effectiveness of interventions in the education sector.

This is not to suggest that one examination result should determine the overall quality of an entire education system. Rather, it illustrates why a credible assessment must be tested against actual learning outcomes. If pupils are struggling academically, if examination results fluctuate significantly and if parents remain concerned about conditions in public schools, a ranking alone cannot settle the debate about educational progress.

Even more disturbing is the persistent challenge of out-of-school children. Figures attributed to Oyo State’s education authorities put the number at 674,324 children aged three to 17, representing approximately 20.1 per cent of the relevant population in the cited dataset. That is more than half a million children whose access to formal education remains a serious concern.

The condition of school infrastructure, the availability of qualified teachers, overcrowded classrooms and access to essential learning materials must also feature in any serious evaluation. Nigeria’s education management information system, for instance, reports a learner–teacher ratio of 41.8 and a learner–classroom ratio of 86.0 for Oyo State in its 2024 school census data. Both figures exceed the cited Universal Basic Education benchmarks of 35 learners per teacher and 35 learners per classroom. These statewide indicators point to substantial resource pressures that a headline ranking should not obscure.

The good news on the horizon in respect of learner-classroom ratio is that Senator Sharafadeen Alli, Oyo APC Governorship Candidate has pledged that he would return 30-student per class to Oyo schools as obtained during the governorship reign of Oba Rashidi Ladoja in which Senator Sharafadeen Alli was the SSG.

The Makinde administration should therefore resist the temptation to turn this ranking into political propaganda. If Oyo’s education system is genuinely improving, the government should demonstrate it through transparent data showing better literacy and numeracy, stronger examination performance, improved school infrastructure, adequate teacher provision and a sustained reduction in the number of children excluded from education.

There is also a need for the publishers of the ranking to make their underlying data, methodology and indicator weightings available for independent scrutiny. Without that transparency, the score of 55.2 remains an index result whose implications must be interpreted cautiously, rather than definitive proof that Oyo has achieved a high standard of education.

Ultimately, the purpose of education is not to secure an impressive position on a ranking table. It is to ensure that children can read, write, calculate, think critically and acquire the knowledge and skills required to contribute meaningfully to society. If hundreds of thousands of children remain outside the classroom, if academic outcomes raise serious concerns, and if schools continue to struggle with inadequate facilities and overcrowding, then a third-place ranking risks becoming a pyrrhic victory for Oyo’s education sector.

The state may have won a place on a league table, but the more important contest is being fought in its classrooms, examination halls and communities. Until the evidence shows that more children are accessing quality education and learning more effectively, celebration should give way to honest scrutiny, urgent reforms and measurable results.

Oyo does not merely need a good education ranking. It needs an education system that works for every child.