Free Education: Parents Risk Jail Terms In Rivers

Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi (left) congratulating Pastor David Ibiyeomie, during the celebration of the pastor’s 50th birthday at the Salvation Ministries (Glorious Chapel), G.R.A, Port Harcourt, yesterday

Rivers State Government has announced  plans to make the government’s free education policy compulsory to all children of school age in the state.

Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi disclosed this while presenting prizes to winners of the Garden City Literary Festival in Port Harcourt.

According to Governor Amaechi, parents would be required by law to send their children and wards to both the state government new model primary and secondary schools and other government primary and secondary schools that would be renovated and made to meet required standards.

“We are about to send to the state  House of Assembly a bill that says it is a crime not to send your children to school… The reason is when you say education is free and compulsory, parents don’t take it seriously until you say they will go to jail if they don’t send their children and wards to school.

“We would not collect fees, so it becomes criminal if you don’t send your children to school. From next year, we would criminalize the act for those who don’t take their children or wards to school because we will try everything possible to ensure that we provide infrastructure and facilities that will back our free education”, he promised.

“Let me tell you the things that will happen very soon. Those of you who are in government schools that are not up to standard we are trying to raise our government schools to the standard that we require… When we get to that standard, we will in the next few months set up the Agency for Quality Assurance. If you don’t meet the standard, whether you are government school or private school, you will be closed down,” he said.

“All primary schools must have Information and Communication Technology (ICT) including the ones that belong to the Rivers State Government. We believe that the same thing should apply to the secondary schools”.

Governor Amaechi later at the event presented certificate prizes to top three winners of the essay competition for the Garden City Literary Festival.

Meanwhile, Governor Amaechi has tasked the state House of Assembly to pass the Education Qaulity Assurance bill, as a way of raising the standard of education in the state.

Speaking at a special red carpet ceremony to honour past  and present members of the Assembly held in Port Harcourt at the weekend, the  governor, who was among the seven past speakers of the House who were honoured for their contributions to law making in the state and conferred with the title of ‘Ambassadors of the House’ said,” we need it as soon as possible, so that we can move our education forward ‘’.

He recalled that as Former Speaker to the House, laws that affect the state were adequately passed and deliberately upon.

Amaechi believed that the former speakers made tremendous contributions in setting the pace for the present Assembly, saying, I thank those who are currently serving, you may not for now have any gratitude from the state…but when you leave, they would look at the history of your service. They would know that whatever achievements that we made were not possible without you’’.

The governor, however, noted that since after their tenure, many bills have been passed to further the state development strides, adding that “ if you check your records, you will see the number of laws that we passed when we were here. And those who were before us when we came’’.

He, therefore, lauded the present assembly members for initiating the programme and urged them to write their names in gold for posterity.