The Rivers State Governor Rt. Hon. Chubuike Amaechi said the education sector in Rivers State needs critical intervention, where everybody will be committed to it success.
The Governor stated this during at the two Education summit in the state. The summit which was held on 25th and 26th March, 2013 took place at the Banquet Hall Government House Port Harcourt. Governor Amaechi said the issue of education should not be politicize because education is a right of the people and government will do more to invest in the education sector of the state.
The State Governor told participants that he is worried when people say the dreams and the effort put into education will die after his tenure, saying there are more hardworking people, more stubborn people and may be his successor might do well more than him.
He said his policy towards education in the state is to reposition the sector so that our children in the rural communities and the children of the poor can compete favourably with those of the rich anywhere in the world. The governor maintained that everybody should contribute to the educational sector but the rich should contribute more because of their advantageous position in the society.
Earlier, Prof. Wole Soynika has call for more support to education in the country and Rivers State in particular. Prof. Soyinka said people should be more involve in the issue of education and it should not be left in the hands of government alone. Some of the reason for low level of education have been identified which include poor training of teachers and lack of attention and lack of motivation are among things discouraging teachers.
Also speaking, the commissioner for Education in the State Dame Alice Nimi said the purpose of the two day education summit it to fashion out ways to improve education in the state.
She maintained that the need to carry out a reform in education is to redirect the minds of on young ones who will use education to create wealth for themselves.
In his keynote address, titled “An Agenda for Educational Development, Prof. Emeritus Ayo Banjo said every investment in education yields very rich dividends and in the current knowledge based global culture, any people left behind will be reduced to the status of hewers of stone and drawers of water in the global village.
He call the attention of educationist to the decay of adult education which in the past help rural people especially the farmers and business people liberate themselves from ignorance even with a view to gaining admission to the university.
In his paper on quality teacher professional development in Rivers State, Prof. Emeritus Joshua U. Aisiku identified a number of issues to the development of education in the state, such issues are quality teachers, motivation; teachers testing, competence base curriculum and teachers based competence among others.
Helen Fadipe one of resource persons gave an in-depth submission on “An impact and Needs Assessment of Education Service Delivery, the paper capture some of the key challenges in the educational sector especially on the finished modern school, these are lack of potable water at the schools, lack of electricity and others things needed to be put in place. Some of the resolution reach at the commissioner include review of the curriculum of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology UST and the Ignatius Ajuru University. The permanent secretary Ministry of Education Mr. Richard Ofuru used the occasion to thank all those who honour our invitation especially the commissioners from other states.
It was revealed at the summit that out of the 13 thousand who apply for teaching job in Rivers State only 47% were qualify and the Governor have directed for their immediate employment.
Some of the dignitaries who were at the summit are the Deputy Governor, Engr. Tele Ikuru, Secretary to government George Feyii, Prof. Karibi white and Senator Magnus Abe, Prof. Baidneme Fakae V/C UST and Prof. Otonti Nduka. ###
Pius Dukor
