BRACED States Vote N319bn For Education … In Two Yrs

The six states in the South-South geo-political zone (Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta, have recorded a total of 1,655,238 students enrolment in public schools and 824,257 in private schools making a total of 2,479,475 students in two years while 2,484,227 and 943,286 pupils have been enrolled in public and private primary schools, respectively. This brings the total number of pupils and secondary schools students’ enrolment in the six states to 5,909,006 in two years.

The Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Lawrence-Nemi who disclosed this in her presentation at the BRACED summit on education in Port Harcourt at the weekend also disclosed that capital spending for education by the six states for the 2011 was N146,307,244,917 while the sum of N172,917,213 was appropriated for 2012 bring the total sum to N319,385,908,839.00.

In her paper titled, “Empowering all through quality education,” the commissioner said the responsibility rests squarely on the shoulders of the state governments as a large number of students attend public schools, adding that, “5,904 or 68.3 per cent of one primary schools in the zone are owned by government, with 2,484,229 pupils enrolled in those schools, as against 943,286 enrolled in the 2,759 private schools in the zone.”

According to Lawrence-Nemi, there is primary education in the zone, stressing that “Bayelsa has the highest teacher-pupil ratio of 1 to 151, followed by Akwa Ibom, with 61, Rivers with 30, Edo with 26, Delta with 23.”

“Delta state topped the list in funding this year with 11.77 percent of its budget allotted to education and 52 per cent of that go to primary education. It was followed by Rivers State which allocated 11 per cent of its budget to education and 56 per cent of that to primary education. Edo State was next with 8.911 per cent, 14 per cent of its devoted to Primary education.

It was closely followed by Cross River State that allocated 8.8 per cent to education and 5.4 per cent of that to primary education, Akwa Ibom allocated 5.7 per cent of its budget to education and 6 per cent of this to primary education, followed by Bayelsa with 4.3 per cent of its budget voted for education and 26 per cent of that for primary education,” she added.

She remarked that the gap between the numbers of public and private secondary schools in our zone is narrower than that of the primary, adding that only 2,067 or 50.3, adding that only 2,067 or 50.3 per cent of the 4,109 secondary schools in the zone are government-owned, as against 2,042 or 49.7 per cent private secondary schools.

The Rivers Education Commissioner noted that Edo with 612 public and 636 private schools has the highest number followed by Rivers with 266 public and 514 private schools and a total of 780. Delta is next with 404 public and 249 private secondary schools totaling 635. Cross River has a total of 589, consisting of 230 public and 359 private secondary schools, while Akwa Ibom has a total of 475 comprising 234 public and 241 private schools and Bayelsa has 364 of which 321 are public while 43 are private secondary schools.

She said talking about funding for the subsector, Edo Stat, this year, made the highest allocation of 53 per cent of its education budget to secondary education, followed by Cross River with 31.76 per cent, Rivers, 27.14 percent, Bayelsa 19.2 per cent, Akwa Ibom 19 per cent and Delta 17 per cent.

Rivers State according to her topped the list this year with 20.79 per cent of its total budget going to education, followed by Bayelsa with 16.66, Cross River with 12.55, Delta with 11.77, Edo with 8.9 and Akwa Ibom with 5.76 per cent.

In terms of quantum funds, there has been a noticeable increase in 2012, but the total picture was worrisome because no state in the zone has been able to spend at least 26 per cent of its total budget on education.

She revealed that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) did not recommend that member states must spend 26 per cent of their budget for education but that it advised that any country that hopes to develop and remain on the upward swing should aim to spend not less than 26 per cent of its total budget on education.

Eunice Choko-Kayode

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo (right), discussing with Governor Gabriel Suswan of Benue, during the ``Fidau'' Prayer for Late Dr Olusola Saraki, at the Metropolitan Square, Ilorin, yesterday.