BAYELSA GOVT TO TRAIN AND RETRAIN TEACHERS FOR ENHANCED PRODUCTIVITY

14/08/12
BAYELSA GOVT TO RETRAIN TEACHERS FOR ENHANCED PRODUCTIVITY
In its bid to improve on the standard of teaching in public primary schools across inthe state,the Bayelsa State Government is to organize a one-week intensive training andretraining programme for Headmasters and Teachers in the state.Bayelsa State Governor, Hon.Seriake Dickson who announced this at a meeting with Education stakeholders at Government House, Yenagoa stated that only those who distinguished themselves at the end of the exercise will be allowed to remain in the school system.
According to him,the exercise is part of Governments plan to make drastic changes in the education sector in line with its free and compulsory education policy,stressing that teachers will henceforth be regularly exposed to the basic rudiments and modern methods of teaching.Governor
Dickson disclosed that a total of 5,119 teachers and 541 headmasters from public primary schools in the state are expected to be trained, retrained and be tested on the skills acquired at the end of the exercise.He remarked that the Ministry of Education has been directed in conjunction with the StateUniversal Basic Education Board, SUBEB to begin the recruitment of three hundred science and ICT teachers to be deployed to all primary and secondary schools in theState.
Commenting on theratio of Non-Academic Staff to Academic Staff in the primary school system,which is 5,119 teachers to 4,287 Non-Academic Staff, the Governor described the situation as worrisome.He therefore directed an immediate downsizing of the non-academic staff so as to free upfunds for other essential needs.According to him,the current steps have became necessary as education occupies a central placein the policy thrust of the present administration coupled wit the need to make a crucial impact in the educational sub-sector in order to secure the future of the state.
The Governor stated that the meeting is an avenue to take a comprehensive review of theeducationalsub-sector with a view to successfully implementing the ambitious programme of turning around the educational infrastructures and procedures in the State.While describing the members of the newly inaugurated State Universal Basic Education Board(SUBEB) as the instrument with which government can achieve its laudable objectives, Governor Dickson said certain decisions need to be taken in thereform process to move the educational sub-sector forward. He used the forumto announce that the Bayelsa State College of Arts and Science (BYCAS) willbegin academic session by September this year.
This, the Governor explained will go a long way in giving those youths who are roaming the streets a second chance to remedy their educational careers.On the role of LocalGovernment Chairmen, who were present at the meeting, Governor Dickson urged them to be alive to their statutory responsibilities as major stakeholders in the successful implementation of government policies in primary education.He noted withdismay, the existing trend, where the State Government has virtually taken over between eighty to ninety percent of the payment of primary school teachers salaries as against the laid down policy with Local Government Councils to to pay atleast Seventy-five percent.Also speaking, the Commissioner for Education, Hon. Salo Adikumo said the meeting was a stepping stone to enable the stakeholders rub minds together on the way forward.
In her contribution,the Chairman of SUBEB, Mrs. Flora Williams Ebi expressed the need for acomprehensive reorganization of the board, noting that a lot of reformsneed tobe carried out. She also describedthe staff strength of the board as over blotted, adding that steps will be taken reposition a sizeable number of the staff to enhance thep roductivity of the board.
DANIEL IWORISO-MARKSON
Chief PressSecretary