Schools in Ibadan, Oyo state, witnessed varying levels of turnout on Monday as pupils and students resumed for the 2026/2027 academic session. While some schools recorded impressive turnout, others expected more pupils and students to resume in the coming days.

At Vine Branch Foundation School, Ibadan, pupils were received amidst pomp and pageantry as teachers expressed optimism about achieving academic excellence during the new session.

Abiola Olamide, a teacher and head of department at the school, said the institution’s major focus for the session was academic excellence and making pupils more responsible. Ms Olamide said the school would also rely on parents to support its efforts by working closely with teachers to help the children achieve their academic goals.

“Our focus for this session is academic excellence. We want our children to be responsible, more responsible than before,” she said.

She urged parents to remain actively involved in their children’s education, saying their support would help pupils feel encouraged and properly guided.

Also speaking, Tejumola Ogunsanya, a parent and a researcher at the Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria (FRIN), expressed gratitude for the successful holiday and excitement over the children’s return to school.

Ms Ogunsanya said she looked forward to a successful academic session while praying for the protection of the pupils.

Ayoola Olawumi, an account officer at Cooperative Ibadan North Local Government Area, also wished parents and pupils a happy resumption. Ms Olawumi expressed hope that the new session would bring improved performance and that “the school would do more than it did in the previous academic year”.

Meanwhile, two students of Emi Funmi College, Ayomide Alawode and Ayomiposi Alawode, said they were excited to resume and looked forward to new academic experiences.

Miss Alawode, who moved into Senior Secondary School II (SS II), said she planned to work hard and prepare adequately for her external examinations.

“My aspirations are to work hard and prepare well for GCE and other external exams,” she said.

Her younger sister, who resumed in Junior Secondary School II (JSS II), said she also intended to work hard and make her parents proud.

At IMG Primary School, Oniyanrin, Taiwo Onigbinde, a teacher, said the school expected its student population to return to full capacity by the second week of resumption.

Mr Onigbinde said only about half of the school’s population was present on the first day.

“Our goal is to increase the school population by going on an enrolment drive. This is important so that parents and students alike would be motivated to prioritise education,” he said.

Cenfex School, Mokola, also welcomed pupils amidst celebrations, music and dance.

At Anglican Commercial Grammar School, Emi Funmi College, University College Hospital (UCH) and Oritamefa Baptist Model School (OBMS), all around Total Garden, Ibadan, students were already at assembly.

Temporary traffic formed around OBMS as parents struggled to get their wards onto the school premises early.

At Community Primary School, Ikolaba, and Ikolaba High School, pupils and students were seen cutting grass and tidying their school environment.

Similarly, assemblies were ongoing at Oba Akinbiyi Model College, St Louis School and St Gabriel’s Secondary Commercial School around 8:00 a.m., where teachers charged students to maintain proper conduct and work hard throughout the session.

The teachers also encouraged the students to remain focused on their studies to achieve good academic results.

Meanwhile, the commissioner for education, science and technology, Olusegun Olayiwola, had over the weekend reaffirmed the government’s commitment to improving the quality of education and learning outcomes in public and private schools.

Mr Olayiwola also charged teachers to uphold professionalism through punctuality, proper lesson planning and regular classroom attendance, while urging parents and guardians to monitor their children’s academic progress and provide necessary learning materials.

(NAN)