Enugu Spends N3.7bn On Education

Education took a chunk of Enugu State Government’s expenditure in 2013 as it gulped more than N3.7 billion in its bid to improve the standard of education in the state, the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Chris Okoro, said.

Okoro said in Enugu on Monday that the areas covered by the expenditure included  the renovation and construction of classrooms and hostels.

He said that this included the building of Information Communication Technology (ICT) centres, training of teachers and provision of modern laboratories and libraries in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the state.

He said, “This year, we began a massive reconstruction of school buildings and construction of new ones, totalling about 493 projects. That has cost the state government more than N3 billion and we hope to spend another N3 billion next year in the same infrastructure development in the primary and junior secondary schools.

“In the secondary school, we have been able to renovate about 391 blocks.We have three tertiary institutions in the state, the Enugu State College of Education (Technical); a total of N89.8 million was invested in it. In the Institute of Management and Technology, we were able to commission the ultramodern ICT centre costing N300 million. The ICT building for Enugu State University of Science and Technology is ongoing now and that project is costing N220 million”, he added.

Okoro said that the transformation had resulted in increment in the enrolment of children, adding that more than 63,000 pupils sat for the First School Leaving Certificate Examination in 2013.

According to him, the state government had also trained more than 2500 head teachers of primary schools to improve teachers’ performance.

The commissioner said the state would begin school census in the state by January, 2014,  to ensure effective planning and implementation.

According to him, the ministry will in 2014 begin the closure of private schools operating below the minimum standard of operation set up by the state government.

“By next year (2014), we will begin to shut down private schools that are operating below the minimum standard. We are placing emphasis on playgrounds now. Any school without playground, whether or not it has been approved before, we are going to close it down. Because we have found out that a playground is important in schools so that our children can exercise themselves.’’ he said.

Okoro assured the pupils, students and the teachers of the state government’s readiness to improve their general welfare.

L-R: Ozo Charles Onyia, ASUU Chairman, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Prof. Gab Agu, his wife, Edna and Secretary, Ubelenze Ozo Ngwo Clan, Ozo Egbuodike Onoh, during the coronation of Chief Agu as N’eche Ibe of Ngwo Clan in Enugu last Monday. Photo: NAN