Newsfront Online …Telling the Public as it is
…. Tasks Parents To Live Up To Their Responsibilities
By Eddy Umoette
In a bid to ensure teaching and learning are carried out in conducive environments, Governor Udom Emmanuel-led administration has constructed and rehabilitated over 5000 classrooms in public primary and secondary schools across the State in the last six years.
The Commissioner for Education, Mrs Idongesit Etiebet made this known while interacting with members of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists led by its Chairman, Mrs Idongesit Ashameri at her office in Uyo.
She disclosed that Governor Emmanuel had declared a state of emergency on Education and places education on the front burner hence the set up of the Professor Hillary Inyang – led think-tank Committee which was mandated to proffer solutions to the problems confronting the sector.
On funding, the Education Boss noted that Government has invested hugely in sustaining the free and compulsory education policy despite daunting economic challenges, payment of WAEC and NAPTEB fees for exiting secondary school students, payment of subvention to schools as well as payment of Teachers’ salary as at when due.
Describing the Governor as education-friendly, Mrs Etiebet further explained that State Government pays for accreditation of courses and subsidizes fees for students studying in State- owned tertiary institutions as well as purchasing writing materials for students writing internal examinations.
Speaking on steps taken to curb examination Malpractice, Etiebet, a seasoned educationist opined that mechanisms have been put in place to effectively monitor external Examinations and that a Taskforce will be set up to enforce sanctions on anyone that will be caught abetting such misconduct.
On illegal charges, Mrs Etiebet stated that about 17 Principals who were found culpable have already been demoted, adding that a Committee made up of Chairmen of Boards, Permanent Secretaries, and herself has been set up to curb the menace.
Shedding light on what the Government has done to eradicate cultism in schools, the former Governor’s aide opined that modalities have been put in place to checkmate activities of cultism, assuring that it would soon be a thing of the past.
She however called on parents as first teachers to live up to their responsibilities of instilling moral values on their children as Government alone cannot do all in that direction.
