The Ondo State Government has indefinitely suspended 27 students from three public secondary schools in Akure over alleged acts of gross misconduct, as part of efforts to restore discipline across the state’s education system.
The affected students are from Oyemekun Grammar School, Aquinas College and CAC Grammar School.
They have been barred from entering their school premises or participating in any academic or extracurricular activities pending the outcome of disciplinary investigations.
The action was announced by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology in a statement issued by its Press Officer, Bisi Lawani, who disclosed that the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Akindele Ige, personally visited the affected schools to enforce the suspension.
According to the ministry, the decision followed repeated warnings, consultations and interventions involving school authorities and relevant stakeholders, which failed to curb persistent cases of indiscipline among some students.
Dr. Ige expressed concern over the rising incidents of bullying, fighting, truancy and the circulation of obscene videos on social media, describing such behaviour as a threat to the learning environment and the reputation of public schools in the state.
He stressed that the state government would not tolerate conduct capable of undermining academic excellence or moral standards, reaffirming the ministry’s zero-tolerance policy against serious misconduct.
The Permanent Secretary also directed school administrators to strengthen supervision, improve monitoring and ensure strict enforcement of disciplinary measures to maintain order in schools.
He explained that the suspended students’ cases would be reviewed by the respective school disciplinary committees in collaboration with the ministry before any further decision is taken.
Dr. Ige urged parents and guardians to take greater responsibility for monitoring their children’s behaviour, noting that instilling discipline is a collective responsibility shared by families and schools.
He further assured residents that the ministry would intensify routine inspections of public schools across the state to ensure compliance with established rules, warning that any student found guilty of bullying, fighting or other serious offences would face appropriate sanctions in line with existing regulations.
