As part of the state government’s agenda to reform the educational system, Abia State Government (ABSG) has concluded plans to train 2000 master trainers for teachers in the state.
The Commissioner for Information, Prince Okey Kanu disclosed this while briefing the press in Government House on the outcome of this week’s executive council meeting presided over by Governor Alex Otti.
He said that already 200 teachers have passed through the training while the remaining 1,800 would have theirs soon, adding that schools would reopen on 16th September, 2024. He said the Abia State Basic Education Board,ASUBEB has screened, interviewed and shortlisted 40 teachers for training under the Abia State School Enhancement Team Program, a quality assurance initiative , preparatory for the resumption of the schools in the state.
He further disclosed that the posting of security personnel to public schools in the state has begun, a measure he said is aimed at safeguarding lives and property in the schools.
“This is part of the wider agenda of the state government to reform our education system.
“Also as part of the ongoing reform agenda in the educational system, the promise that the state government has made in the past has come to fulfilment with the posting of security personnel to our schools.
“Posting security personnel is aimed at securing the lives and property of both the students, teachers and the property of the schools involved” He stated.
Prince Kanu also revealed that a total of 5,746 ASUBEB staff have been earmarked for promotion and said that it is a way to motivate the staff for greater productivity. According to him, under the Abia State School Enhancement Team program , the board has screened 40 persons to ensure quality assurance and compliance to schools’ guidelines.
The Commissioner announced that the state government would commission the newly upgraded eye centre,an annex of Abia Specialist Hospital at Amachara , on Tuesday, 3rd September, 2024.
“The facility will be declared opened for the eye healthcare of Ndi Abia and residents. The commissioning of the project is a pointer to the premium government places on the healthcare of Abians.
He also disclosed that a panel of experts have been constituted to midwife the upgrade of the eight (8) Schools of Nursing in the state into a College of Nursing Sciences . All the eight Nursing schools will merge with one as the main campus for the emergent college of Nursing Sciences
“This move is aimed at enhancing the qualification and production of top grade nurses in the state, Prince Kanu noted.
Contributing, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Education, Dr. Kenechukwu Nwosu stated that the state at present is mapping out all the schools in line with the security needs assessment of the schools and also considering fencing the schools in the state
“We know that our schools have long issues of vandalism hence, the AVS (Abia Vigilante Services) is being deployed to the schools. It is not only in Umuahia. In this first phase, we are also expanding to Aba and to other parts of the state as the Abia Vigilante Services continues to build required capacity.
Also, speaking, the Chairman, Abia State Universal Basic Education (ASUBEB) , Lady Lydia Onuoha said the government has properly selected those teachers that would benefit from the planned trainings, adding that they have divided centres for the trainings into five after selecting participants from across the 17 LGAs of the state.
She further explained that the Abia State School Enhancement Team would be the eye of the government in the schools to ensure adequate compliance to the plans of government in the schools.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mr. Ferdinand Ekeoma was present at the briefing.
Azubuike Jinanwa/ Divine Nwankwo
Govt. House Press, Umuahia.
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