From: Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
The compulsory primary and secondary policy of the Governor Henry Seriake Dickson-led administration in Bayelsa State received a boost, over the weekend, as stakeholders endorsed the policy during a Public Hearing organised by the state’s House of Assembly.
The bill was coming five years after Governor Dickson declared a state of emergency on education with a pronouncement of free and compulsory education during his inauguration for first term in office in 2012.
The stakeholders advised the state government to ensure proper funding of the scheme including adequate provision of teaching aids to avoid the temptation by any school management to collect any form of fee from the students.
The public hearing organized by the State House of Assembly Committee on Education on the ‘Compulsory Primary and Secondary Education bill, 2017, sponsored by the leader of the House, Mr. Peter Akpe.
According to the Chairman of the Post-Primary School Board, Mr. Dein Benadoumene and Chairperson, State Universal Basic Education Board, Mrs. Flora Williams-Ebi, adequate funding should cover provision of free school bus service to pupils.
“The government has done it before. Free school bus should be provided to support the free education policy and all teaching aids be supplied so that the head teachers and principals will not fall into charging any kind of fees”, Benadoumene stated.
Also, the State President, All Nigerian Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools, Mr. Abbey Ayebaemi River, who said that government must also provide funds for sports and examinations, suggested that punishment for offending principals that charge illegal fees should carry suspension from office rather than jail terms.
Giving an overview of the bill, the sponsor, Mr.Peter Akpe, said education remains the rights of every child and that any parent or adult who contravenes any provision of the law would be deemed to have committed punishable offence.
The Commissioner for Education in the state, Mr. Markson Fefegha, said the present administration was making huge investments in the sector and that building the future of the children was very paramount to the development of the state.
The Chairman, House Committee on Education, Mr. Gentle Emelah, who commended the participants for their inputs, assured that the House would consider the various contributions into the bill.
Other stakeholders at the event include representatives of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Civil societies group, Nigeria Union of Journalists, and Association of Private School owners.
This is the first time in a long time that the State House of Assembly had organised a public hearing for inputs into a bill before the lawmakers.