A Kwara based educational group, Ameliorators International Initiative has called on the state governor, Mall AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq to employ capable hand to head the education ministry.
In a statement by its Chief Executive Director, Ishowo Yakub, they expressed dissatisfaction at the declining quality of education in the state tasking the governor to live up to his campaign promises of revamping the sector.
Read full statement below:
AMELIORATORS INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE.
A better society, the responsibility of All.
A PASSIONATE APPEAL TO HIS EXCELLENCY, THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF KWARA STATE, MALLAM ABDULRASAQ ABDULRAHMAN ON THE CHOICE OF COMMISSIONERS TO OCCUPY THE MINISTRIES OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT AND TERTIARY EDUCATION.
It is a popular saying that, ” No Society will grow beyond her standard of Education ”
For the past few weeks, there have been mixed reactions from different quarters of the state and the country at large on the choice of the Commissioner nominees by your Excellency, however, Ameliorators International Initiative, a Non governmental Organization with focus on Education, Leadership, Entrepreneurship and community development at large believe your choice is best for you to pilot the affairs of the state under your watch. Irrespective of the gender posture, the most important end result is for the citizens of Kwara to enjoy the dividends of good governance which they voted in you.
Your Excellency Sir, this body wants to remind you that, it was the top priority of your campaign promises that you will take Education very important and recently you reemphasized your readiness to give Education sector the needed attention in your reign.
Our research on the development in the educational sector of Kwara state revealed that, there were a lot of innovations introduced to the state Ministry of Education in the past especially when Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi was the commissioner for education and Human Capital development. then, Kwarans didn’t get the best but something more improved than what we are seeing today.
Teachers Training is key in ensuring effective discharge of their duties but, it is quite unfortunate that a comprehensive Training of teachers took place in Kwara state long ago therefore, no miracle should be expected of teachers who are not well equipped to discharge their duties that will meet up the minimum standard.
In the past, we used to have a security outfit that monitored the movement of Students when the daily activities in the school were in progress, the students for the fear of being arrested and punished will remain in their schools till closing time. No students will go unpunished for any act of misconduct then. But today in our secondary schools, your Excellency Sir, students now threaten teachers and nothing will happen. In fact, there have been cases where students invaded their own school, beat teacher in a day light and nothing happened. In the light of this common instances in our various school, I hope, pray and wish discipline will be restored to our public schools.
In recent time, The National Bureau of Statistics released the statistics of Students that have 5 Credits including Mathematics and English in WAEC examinations with Kwara at the top of performance in the North Central states with 49.24% which is below average and it may interest you to know, your Excellency Sir that, the 49.24% obtained by Kwara state as reported by NBS was with a huge students involvement in examination malpractices. So, if Kwara can record 49.24% with students involving in Examination malpractices you would have imagined where we would have been without malpractices.
How about our Higher institutions in the state?
The standard, the tuition fees, the type of graduates we produce, your Excellency, you will agree with me there are a lot to be done as soon as possible.
Understanding your interest in the education sector both at secondary and tertiary level, we passionately appeal that, competent hands should be appointed to Pilot the affairs of both Ministries of Education and Human Capital Development and that of Tertiary Education.
To conclude this piece Sir, we understand there will be a lot of expectations from different quarters and aspects of Governance, but a huge investment in Education will go along way in automatically fixing the other sectors of Governance.
AMELIORATOR ISHOWO YAKUB.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR,
AMELIORATORS INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVE