The Kwara State Government has announced plans to upgrade 30 secondary schools to first class in the state.

Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, Alhaji Saka Onimago said on Thursday in Ilorin, at a public lecture/book launch to mark the centenary anniversary of Government Secondary School (GSS), Ilorin that 10 of the schools will be picked from each of the senatorial districts of the state.

nimago who is also a product of the school said government was considering GSS and Queen School both in Ilorin for special role.

He said, "Today's occasion calls for a little reflection on how far this institution has gone. We want to recall that some few years' back when Senator Bukola Saraki was the governor of Kwara state four schools were specifically picked for complete renovation and rehabilitation and I believe GSS was one of the schools.

"I have something in the offing for you not minding what I have heard today, Governor Abdulfatah Ahned has picked 30 schools; ten from each senatorial district of the state for first class rehabilitation. The good thing about it all is that GSS and Queen Elizabeth School Ilorin are being considered for special unique role. I want to assure you that what you have seen in a couple of months or probably before a year there will be a complete change."

The National President of the school Old Boys Association, Alhaji Nurudeen Alabi fingered explosion in student population and inadequate infrastructure behind decline academic standard and discipline in the school.

The president said that: "Over the years, the situations and circumstances have changed culminating in the decline of academic standard and discipline in school. With the explosion of student population came its attendant challenges of inadequate infrastructure and the decay of the existing ones.

"There is also the challenge of exchange students which accounts for about 70 percent of the student population.

"The once cherished academic standard has fallen as a result of the very low academic standard of the exchange students. Whereas the best students in the state were selected for admission into the school, the school has no control on the quality of intakes from other states, yet these exchange students constitute the bulk of the student population. The consequence of this anomaly is better imagined than described.

"We have had a running battle securing our land as a sizeable portion of our school's land had been grabbed. The recent land encroachment has been successfully resisted. Our appreciation goes to the commissioner for education for timely intervention which has now given us a respite."