The Ondo State Government has suspended 27 students from three public Secondary Schools in Akure over alleged acts of misconduct, warning that it will not tolerate behaviour capable of disrupting learning in schools.
The affected students are from Oyemekun Grammar School, Aquinas College and Christ Apostolic Church (CAC) Grammar School.
They were handed immediate and indefinite suspensions by the state Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.
The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Dr Akindele Ige, said the disciplinary action followed persistent cases of indiscipline despite repeated warnings and engagements with school administrators on measures to curb misconduct.
Ige, who visited the affected schools to enforce the suspension, explained that several meetings had earlier been held with principals and other stakeholders to address the growing trend of indiscipline, but some students continued to engage in unacceptable acts.
During separate meetings with principals, vice-principals and heads of departments, he urged school authorities to strengthen supervision, monitoring and enforcement of disciplinary measures.
He expressed concern over the rising cases of bullying, fighting, truancy and the circulation of obscene videos on social media, noting that such behaviour was damaging the learning environment and the reputation of the state’s education sector.
According to him, the ministry has adopted a zero-tolerance policy against acts capable of undermining discipline and academic excellence in public schools, stressing that schools must remain centres for learning and character development.
Under the suspension, the affected students are barred from entering their schools or participating in any school-related activities pending the outcome of investigations by the schools’ disciplinary committees in conjunction with the ministry.
The permanent secretary also appealed to parents and guardians to monitor their children’s activities more closely, describing discipline as a shared responsibility between the home and the school.
He added that the ministry would sustain routine inspections across public schools to ensure compliance with established regulations, warning that students found guilty of bullying, fighting or other serious misconduct would face appropriate sanctions in line with existing disciplinary procedures