Amaechi Declares Emergency in Education
...Offers Free Tuition for Primary, Junior Secondary
"We need your motivation, we need your passion and we need your hardwork to turn around the education crisis in our state. On this note, I wish to declare before you a state of emergency in the education sector in Rivers State. "And, in the same vein, we have also declared the determination of our government, your government to reward and motivate those who like us want to turn the page and give our children what is their right by law: that is their right to have free primary and junior secondary education."

This was the high point of an address by the Rivers State governor, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi at the formal opening of a two-week teachers' orientation workshop at the Alfred Diette Spiff Sports Complex in Port Harcourt. In furtherance of the Rivers State government's plans to adequately reward public school teachers in the state, governor Amaechi assured the teachers that about 2.7 billion naira will be set aside annually to cater for teachers incentives in the state. To this end, he announced the division of the state education into Urban, Semi-Urban and Rural areas, with a view to improving the teachers' lives appropriately.

Explaining the details of the teachers welfare package along the line of the three divisions, Amaechi says: "Those in rural areas will earn more incentives than those in the semi-urban, those who are in the semi-urban will earn more incentives than those in the urban areas. But every body will have incentives." Subject to their qualifications to teach in the classroom, administrative staff who turn to teaching staff will be given necessary incentives. But the governor added that, for any teaching staff to leave the classroom for administrative cadre, such people would lose their promotions.

"We want you to feel proud of being teachers in Rivers State," the governor justified. In the same manner, the governor promised to put in place a resource centre for the production of infrastructural materials aimed at fostering the regular training of teachers in the state. The government also promised that it will embark on a comprehensive staff survey to ensure that only the right number of teaching staff are hired. According to the governor, this would further enhance children's access to qualify education in the state.

Amaechi who expressed his administration's determination to build relevant infrastructure, including provision of good libraries warned that government would not hesitate to sanction teachers in both private and public school categories, where the set standards are not strictly adhered to: "If it falls short of your professional responsibilities, we shall punish you." The occasion was attended by key government officials and teachers in the public school sector. The on-going teachers orientation exercise which commenced on September 16 is expected to end by end of the month after spreading across all the 23 local government areas in the state.
Olawale Lamina


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