The Ebonyi State Executive Council on Thursday moved to rescue the state’s education sector by setting up and inaugurating a committee to prepare a working plan for making the learning convenient for students in the state.
The decision followed the presentation of a preliminary report on the state of public schools in the state by a consultant hired by the State’s Universal Basic Education Board to the EXCO at the Government House in Abakaliki.
The committee headed by the Senior Special Adviser to the Governor on Religious and Welfare Matters, Rev. Father Abraham Nwali, is expected to submit its preliminary report on September 15 and final report on October 15.
Among its terms of reference are:implementation of teacher –student ratio of 35 to 40 in near compliance with UNICEF standard;conduct of examinations for all teachers in the state’s public schools;return of some schools to missions and preparation of a practicable three-year rolling plan for the education sector. Part of the plan is to ensure that every pupil has a seat in his school;
Others are introduction of sports as a core component of school curricula;introduction of school farms;designation of some schools as Science, Arts and Science/Arts schools;develop a model for effective supervision of schools in the state;develop strategies for interventionary measures in the public schools every year;develop a system whereby the performance of students would be tied to that of their teachers and develop a model of schools to be built in each of the 13 local government areas of the state to serve as a benchmark for what all public schools should be in a no distant future.
While inaugurating the committee which membership comprises the main stakeholders in the education sector, Governor Umahi said; what is happening today is the basis for the take-off of our state,
“If these assignments are done well, we will know where we are going. I want you as members of the committee to know that you are about to midwife a new era not just in our education sector but in our development as a state.”
Engr. Umahi had before inaugurating the committee said he was concerned more about the state of schools, the health sector in the state and the number of teachers in public schools than just paying salaries of people working in the schools.
Describing the interim report as an eye opener, the governor directed the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Daniel Umezurike, to carry out a similar survey on both primary and secondary health institutions in the state.
Earlier, the EXCO directed that nine teachers who were captured in pictures taken in two schools the survey consultants should appear before it on Wednesday with their writing materials.
During the meeting, EXCO also considered a memo for the establishment of Ebonyi State Investment Promotion Council to among other things, encourage, promote and coordinate investments in the state.
It consequently asked the Attorney General of Justice and Commissioner for Justice, Augustine Nwankwegu and all lawyers who are members of the council to produce a bill on the issue for presentation to the state House of Assembly.
