…Begins maths drill
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Abia State Government, has announced mass recruitment of teachers for primary and secondary schools to boost education in the state.
Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu, who disclosed this during a press briefing in Umuahia, said over 2500 teachers would be employed during the exercise.
He said that the new teachers to be recruited would help fill up the existing vacancies in the school system.
“The State Government has also concluded plans for massive employment of teachers in the state for both primary and secondary schools. This of course is another pointer to how important this sector is to the governor,” Prince Kanu stated.
Prince Kanu also announced that the full implementation of the out-of-school children policy had commenced.
He said that sequel to that, school marshals had been appointed to work with the harmonised taskforce in the state to achieve the objective of government in that regard.
He noted that having commenced compulsory free education for pupils and students of basic education, there was need to ensure the out of school children policy is made effective.
The Commissioner also announced that government had introduced mathematics clinics for students in examination classes of JSS 3 and SS3 which will hold Tuesday and Thursday of every week between the hours of 7-7:45.00 am to fully realise the STEM policy of the present administration.
“The Abia State Ministry of Basic Education has fully commenced with the enforcement of Our of School Children Policy initiative with the appointment of Education Marshalls.
“Also to strengthen its programme for our schools the state government had introduced a Mathematics Clinc that would run from Tuesdays through Thursdays to enhance the teaching of Mathematics.
“Mathematics we know is very basic to the realisation of the STEM subjects. STEM subjects involve Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics and Mathematics is the bedrock for the development of science and technology,” Prince Kanu maintained.
Contributing, the Commissioner for Basic Education, Elder Goodluck Ubochi, stressed the essence of quality education and said that it cannot be achieved without teachers.
“There is no way we can talk about quality education without teachers. In our schools we don’t have sufficient number of teachers to handle most of the subjects.
“Before now, there has been speculations all over the place about employment of teachers. It is now, within the week we are going to make public the modalities. It is not going to be a process where you bring your application to the Ministry or to whoever. We are going to have a platform where we do it online.
According to Elder Ubochi, enforcement of the free and compulsory basic education policy of the state government is essential as education is pertinent to Dr. Alex Otti led administration.
“To make this work, the Ministry established what we called ‘Education Marshalls.’ They will work like taskforce but not in the same modality.
“The essence of setting up this group is to move around during school hours, any child that is of school age seen around will be picked up, not to be beaten or embarrassed but be taken to the school nearest to him or her.
“But before he or she is taken to the school, we will use the child to locate the parents or guardians or whoever has been keeping the child and we will be able to find out why he is holding back the child from going to school,” Ubochi clarified.
He equally explained that the reason for the STEMS education programme is that government wants to build confidence of the external examination or certificate class students of JSS 3 and SS 3.
Ubochi said they would be resuming classes from 7,00 am before the normal school period commences and that they would be learning Mathematics from seasoned teachers in the morning and extension of closure time from 2pm to 4pm for other science subjects such as Biology, Physics, Chemistry and English.
