AN APPRAISAL OF THE RESTORATION AGENDA [2] RESTORATION IN THE EDUCATION SECTOR [Cont’d] • Compulsory and free primary and secondary education The prevailing scenario in the education sector that greeted Governor Dickson and his team on assumption of office made it quite imperative for them to declare a state of emergency in the sector, as we rightly noted in the vignette. We must add that it was a disconcerting scenario in the sector, which imposed a particular obligation on the Restoration Team, to first, articulate a needs-driven holistic and dynamic policy, and a no-holes-barred implementation template in order to make educational development gain desired traction. To show how committed the administration is to the educational growth and development of Bayelsa State, Governor Dickson pronounced the free education policy in the state, right in his inaugural address on February 14, 2014. Governor Dickson said, “In the course of our campaign, we promised massive investment in education, critical infrastructure, agriculture, health, as well as peace and security. The development of human capital is our most compelling and urgent need. That is why we promised you free and compulsory education for all our children in primary and secondary schools with emphasis on computer literacy, science and technology. I hereby announce with effect from today the take-off of free and compulsory education at primary and secondary school levels across Bayelsa State.” It would seem that the implementation of the free and compulsory education programme at primary and post-primary levels is a measure of the Dickson Administration’s credibility, in matters of principle and commitment. As we write this, the free education policy is now in full-swing in public schools throughout Bayelsa State. Of course, it is point of fact that this is first in the history of Bayelsa State when a comprehensive free education policy is put into action in the state. Now, when we mention here, comprehensive free education policy, some persons who are not conversant with what is really unfolding in Bayelsa State are liable to wonder what we really meant by that. Well, the policy in our estimation is comprehensive because the Bayelsa State Government under Governor Dickson is providing virtually every pedagogical requirement of students. Under the free education policy, the Administration provides free notebooks and textbooks in all public primary and secondary schools in Bayelsa State. Speaking on this initiative, the Commissioner for Education Hon. Adikumo Salo pointed out that in the 2012/13 academic year alone, the Administration incurred more than N600 million for the provision of the free books and school sandals from the primary to secondary level. The free education policy also encompasses the provision of free school uniforms and sandals to pupils and students in the sector. This, according to the Governor, was critical to the overall success of the policy, stressing that such component ought not to be left out in the package of free education. Also not left out in this regard is the provision of basic school equipment as a metric of quality-assured education. The Administration through its supervising ministry, the Ministry of Education, has procured thousands of desks, computers, and furniture and laboratory equipment for the schools. The policy implication that can be extrapolated from the foregoing is that primary and post-primary education is now totally free in Bayelsa State. With biblical faithfulness demonstrated in the implementation of the policy, school enrolment figures in the public schools have since shot up and they are expected to rise because the long-lost public confidence in the integrity of the school system has been restored. What is more, many children from indigent homes have been provided a safety net to acquire the basic education they need to survive in the digital age society through the Dickson Administration’s free education policy. Added to this, the restoration scholarship scheme is also catering to the education needs of Bayelsans. As we write, for two successive academic years running, no parent or guardian in Bayelsa State has paid out a dime for the WAEC and the NECO fees because the Dickson Administration underwrite all such fees for students of the state. The idea behind this is to lessen the financial burden on parents and guardians whose children and wards didn’t have the opportunity to be part of the State Government scholarship programme. The Dickson Administration has also invested heavily in the Restoration Scholarship scheme. At present, over 500 Bayelsans are studying under the scheme in various universities around the globe in PhD and Master’s Degree programmes in different fields of study. Scholarships have also been extended to 250 brilliant students at the secondary school level. This category of scholars are studying in some of the best private secondary schools Nigeria can boast like the Nigerian Turkish International College, Lagos. With this free education policy institutionalized, we don’t need to entertain any fears that the future of Bayelsa State secure and restored for greatness and greater glory.
Posted on: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 16:59:26 +0000
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