The Rivers State

Government, has re-emphasised its seriousness in issues relating to examination malpractices in both public and private schools in the state.

The Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Lawrence Nemi, made the emphasis while interacting with pupils at the ‘Role Models Read To Children’, session of the Garden City Literary Festival 2011, at  Hotel Presidential, Port Harcourt, last Tuesday.

Dame Nemi told the pupils that the government was serious about examination malpractices and advised them to read hard and take their studies seriously.

The Commissioner admonished them to pray for Governor Chibuike Amaechi who organised the Garden City Literary Festival in partnership with a Non-Governmental Organisation, Rainbow Book Club, while urging them to send in their questions through their head teachers to her office.

She, however, did not discourage them from assisting their parents during the holidays but pointed out that it was important to go to school and remain good children in the society.

“Teachers are very important in the society, they made us what we are today, obey them, they will make you what you want to be, they will identify you, as lawyers, doctors, engineers, and  journalists.

The Commissioner, who noted that United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), tries to see and plan how the educational and health affairs of various nations look like as well as encourage Polio vaccination in children under the ages of 5, revealed that UNESCO had given the various countries 2015 to meet  their educational requirements as well as budget not less than 25% for education.

Speaking in an interview with our Special Correspondent, a teacher at Community Primary School, Amadi Ama, Mrs Tina Nwadigo, thanked Governor Chibuike Amaechi for organising the programme and said, “it is very fine, we appreciate it, even remembering our pupils in public schools, we thought it is only the private schools and honestly speaking, my pupils enjoyed it and performed well”.

Speaking on behalf of the pupils, a Primary 6 pupil of the School, Miss Karaisimeka Echendu, said, “I thank God for what the governor has been doing for us. I pray that Rivers State should become what the government is trying to make it. I am very happy. I  learnt that we should read hard.”

A teacher, Mr Amadi of the International College of Arts, Science and Technology, (ICAST), Mgbuogba, said that organising the programme was a way of reminding both the teachers and the pupils to read more.

Eunice Choko-Kayode