“You can not boast about free education when even a gateman in a public school in this state does not send his children to the same school he’s working” – Respondent
By Ime Silas and Chucks Nwonye
Indigenes of Akwa Ibom State have lambasted Governor Umo Eno over what they described as the deplorable state of public education in the state, challenging him to emulate the bold education reforms recently introduced by his Abia State counterpart, Governor Alex Otti.
The citizens, who reacted to recently publicized claims by the Umo Eno administration of having invested heavily in the education sector, dismissed the claims as mere political rhetoric that does not reflect the reality on ground.
Amidst the claims, Akwa Ibomites have risen to disprove the government’s position, insisting that public schools in the state have become shadows of themselves.
“You can not boast about free education when even a gateman in a public school in this state does not send his children to the same school he’s working. Nearly everyone in Akwa Ibom State sends their children to private schools in spite of high cost. What the governor calls ‘schools’ are mere carcasses of deserted buildings, most of which are dilapidated,” one of the respondents, Akaninyene Ufot said in a chat with our Correspondent.
According to our respondents, the collapse of public schools has created an avenue for private school owners to exploit parents through exorbitant fees and unnecessary charges.
“The private schools’ proprietors are taking advantage of the poor academic standard in public schools to ripoff parents and guardians in Akwa Ibom State, even when what they offer is not even acceptable standard,” another concerned resident, Ekaette Jumbo lamented.
She continued: “The proprietors of private schools in Akwa Ibom extort parents, through customized exercise books, uniforms, unnecessary charges, etc. The governor and his Commissioner for Education cannot caution these proprietors because most of them are stakeholders in the various education parastatals of the state government.”
Our respondents while relieving their experiences raised critical questions about conflict of interest in the management of the state’s education sector, alleging that many top government officials and political actors are themselves owners of private schools.
“How do you expect a state to have good public schools when State Education boards are controlled by big private schools proprietors? How do you expect good public schools when State Assembly members, commissioners, Council Chairmen, political party leaders, and so forth, are direct or indirect proprietors of private schools?”, one of our respondents who craved anonymity queried.
“If the governor wants an improved education sector in the state, he should emulate the reforms as put in place by his Abia State counterpart by banning inappropriate practices in schools.”, she noted.
The indigenes also decried the poor motivation of teachers in public schools, attributing it to poor working conditions and poor salaries.
“The teachers are not motivated due to poor working conditions and poor salaries. So, you cannot get anything good from nothing. Governor Umo Eno should emulate Governor Alex Otti of Abia State,” they said.
Meanwhile, Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has signed new Education Reforms capping First School Leaving Certificate fee at ₦2,000.
In a bold and significant move to sanitize the education sector and reduce financial burden on parents, Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti has approved major education reforms that will apply to both public and private schools across the state.
The reforms, which were announced by the Abia State Ministry of Education and the Government House, Umuahia, are aimed at stopping extortion of parents, curbing examination malpractice and restoring discipline and uniformity in the school system.
According to the government, quality education must be affordable, credible and focused on learning rather than what it described as ‘cash-outs’ by some school proprietors.
A statement from the Ministry of Education listed six key changes that every parent, school owner and student in Abia State must know.
The first major reform is the capping of First School Leaving Certificate, FSLC, fee. The government has directed that no school, whether public or private, should charge more than ₦2,000 for Primary 6 First School Leaving Certificate. The measure, according to the government, is to stop the ugly trend where parents abandon their children’s certificates in schools due to high and arbitrary charges.
The second reform is the ban on transfer of students from SS2 to SS3. Under the new directive, students can no longer switch schools between SS2 and SS3. Wherever a student finishes SS2 is where he or she must write the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE, and the National Examinations Council, NECO.
Government sources said the move is targeted at curbing examination malpractice, as some students were in the habit of moving to so-called special centres in their final year to cheat in external examinations.
Closely related to this is the third reform, which introduces a mandatory State Promotion Examination. To enter SS3, all SS2 students in Abia State, both in public and private schools, must pass a Government Centralized Promotion Examination. The ministry said no student who fails the central promotion exam will be allowed to be registered for WAEC or NECO.
The fourth reform, which has generated wide applause among parents, is the ban on lavish graduation ceremonies for Nursery and lower Primary classes. Government said extravagant graduation parties for Nursery, Kindergarten and lower Primary classes are now banned in Abia State. Graduations are now allowed only for Primary 6 and SS3, which are considered transition classes.
The fifth reform concerns the use of textbooks. The government has banned pupils and students from doing assignments inside textbooks. It said all assignments must be done in notebooks and not inside the textbooks themselves. The directive is to make textbooks reusable, so that siblings can reuse books previously used by their older brothers and sisters.
The sixth pillar of the reform focuses on accountability and uniformity across the education system in the state.
According to the Ministry of Education, all the directives are aimed at reducing financial pressure on families, promoting a reading culture, and bringing uniformity and standard to the education system in Abia State.
Reacting to the reforms, many parents in Aba and Umuahia have commended Governor Otti for the initiative, describing it as people-oriented and timely.
The Abia State Government has warned that any school, public or private, that violates the new directives will face sanctions, including possible closure.
“The message is clear: Abia wants quality, not cash-outs,” a government official was quoted as saying.
Akwa Ibom citizens say they expect Governor Eno to take a cue from this model if he is truly committed to revamping education in the state.
