The Bayelsa State Commissioner for Education, Chief Salo Adikumo, says the State Government would adopt a holistic method of learning by incorporating the study of Izon Language in primary and secondary schools .

The Commissioner also stressed the need for society to invest in the education of the girl child to bring equality in human capital development of the state and also to promote peace.

Speaking during a book launch, entitled ‘’Bring Back the Book’’ at the Glory Land Cultural Center, Yenagoa, Chief Adikumo noted that language as part of culture remains one of the essential elements which generations inherit from one another for the development of society.

Chief Adikumo, who explained that as part of government policy, children should learn the language of the areas they live and this will be included in the school curriculum for pupils and students to read and write in their mother tongue, said one among the dialects would be adopted as the central language.

The education, boss who described the book launch as timely and apt, contended that illiteracy has been the bane of societal development as its prevalence accounts for over 60 per cent of the total mortality recorded yearly, especially among females and called for a more proactive approach to be taken.

Chief Adikumo maintained that one of the weapons countries used in combating crime and other social vices, such as armed robbery, prostitution and cultism was proper evaluation and strategic planning for the institutionalisation of the studying of the culture among school children.

The commissioner observed that the declaration of a state of emergency in the education sub-sector by the Bayelsa State Government was a step in the right direction, noting that any nation that failed to make education a priority must be prepared to tackle disease, hunger, unemployment and poverty.

According to him, Bayelsa can only achieve its needed manpower requirement when education care-givers, including parents, evolve plans that would adequately address the standardization issue bordering the education sub-sector for better planning and budgeting.

He lamented the inadequacies in human capital development in the state as compared to other states in the federation, pointing out that something has to be done urgently to correct the imbalance.

He also said the education of both males and females is crucial because, according to him, education of the child cannot be compromised.