As part of measures to address challenges and as well ensure quality and improved education in Kwara, the state government has approved the payment of N30.5 million in penalties imposed on some schools in the state for malpractices in the last year secondary school leaving examination.
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, who disclosed this at the flag-off of rehabilitation of schools in Ilorin, the state capital attributed this to a lack of an enabling learning environment and longstanding failure to properly fund education. The state last accessed Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) fund in 2013 –examination malpractices have been rampant too. “We are working to end this menace and return Kwara to the top of the table in the north-central and beyond,” Abdulrazaq said.
Speaking at the official flag-off of the rehabilitation of public schools across the state, the Governor noted that the 31 schools to be rehabilitated are the first phase of the exercise, saying that it required to gradually guarantee decent learning environment for children.
Abdulrazaq flagged off the exercise in Baboko Community Secondary School in the capital city Ilorin where three blocks of six classrooms are to be fully rehabilitated and fixed with modern information communication facilities.
The rehabilitation of the Baboko School according to him is to last six weeks. Earlier, Abdulrazaq supervised the distribution of 932,572 free copies of customized 20, 40 and 80 leaves of exercise book to public school children in Kwara State.
He, however, disclosed that government will soon hold an education summit bringing together all the stakeholders and private sector players to discuss the challenges and evolve with workable solutions.
Fatimah Ahmed, commissioner for education commended the governor for his giant strides in the sector, including the establishment of an Information Communication Technology centre in the school for special needs, settling outstanding arrears of N55m feeding allowance of exchange students inherited from the past administration.
Ahmed also said the administration has also provided N5m worth of teaching aids and other basic equipment at the special needs school sponsored the 2019 common entrance, and the recent approval of routine training for teachers on the state. Various stakeholders in the education sector commended the Governor for his determined effort to bring sanity and standard to the sector.
SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin
