By Christian ABURIME
Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo has announced that his administration will soon recruit a minimum of 3000 additional teachers to be posted exclusively to public schools in the state. It will be recalled that about 5,000 teachers were recruited last year when the administration was barely nine months old in office
Governor Soludo made the announcement to recruit additional 3,000 teachers during a visit to Community Secondary School, CSS, Isuofia, Aguata Council Area.
According to the Governor, the recruitment of these additional teachers is part of his agenda to end the era of PTA Teachers and provide accessible, qualitative education for all children in the state.
He revealed that the public sector sets the standard and model for education, and that his mission is to take public sector education to enviable heights, transforming it into pacesetters for education.
The Governor added that his administration is working round the clock to provide accessible and quality education as the foundation for the future.
He reiterated the commitment of his administration to recruit the very best teachers regardless of where they come from, because, according him, all Anambra children deserve to be taught by the best teachers in the world.
“When we say free education, people think it is free tuition but there are dozens of fees students pay,” Governor Soludo said.
“It has taken decades for the public system to come down. You can measure the quality of every educational system by the quality of teachers and quality of teaching.”
The Governor maintained that in the face of the glaring difficult times in Nigeria, his administration intends to mainstream the full meaning of “free education” and ensure that the children of the poor have access to quality education.
“The future of Anambra is with the students and our children. Without knowledge and wisdom, it becomes raw power.
“This is the digital age and we are taking this message to every child in primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions, to seize the moment. Our Government is about them.
“Getting the public school system to work is something I am very emotional about because it is what got me to where I am today. “I attended a public primary school and public secondary school. We were the pioneers of Uga boys secondary school. I proceeded to UNN Nsukka, another public school,” Governor Soludo noted.
Speaking earlier, The Principal of CSS, Mrs Chidimma Egboh Ngozi, who was excited to welcome the Governor to his hometown, expressed her gratitude for the Governor’s commitment to education in the State.
She said that the ICT hub cited by the Governor will help students become digitally inclined, adding that the Governor’s announcement of abolishing fees and levies in public schools in the state, is a way of creating a sustainable future.
The Principal highlighted some challenges facing the school including bus repair, more teachers, sports equipment, among others, asking for prompt intervention.
The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Mr Ernest Ezeajughi, Commissioner for Education Prof Ngozi Chuma-Udeh, Chairman Post Primary School Service Commission, PPSSC, Prof. Nkechi Ikediugwu, Chairman Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board, ASUBEB, Mrs. Vera Nwadinobi, Transition Committee Chairman for Aguata, Prince Chibueze Oforbuike, among others attended the event.
