RSG’ll Continue To Fund Free Education – Amaechi …Plans 3-Year Teachers Re-Certification Policy

Rivers State Governor and Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has urged teachers in the state to be committed in their responsibilities.
He urged them to meet the challenge of delivering the best to pupils and students in model primary and secondary schools across the state built by his administration even as  he also pledged to continue with the free education policy in the state.
Amaechi spoke at the public presentation of the Rivers State Ministry of Education Sector Strategy Plan and the Education Service Charter at the Conference Hall of Port Harcourt Technical and Vocational Centre, Old GRA, with the theme: “Enhancing Sustainable Development in Education”.
According to him, training for teachers and their salaries form the bulk of the administration’s education expense in addition to providing a conducive learning environment in all public schools across the state.
Governor Amaechi maintained that despite the challenges of running a free education system, he was prepared to continue with the policy and provide welfare for all teachers.
He disclosed that the recent fall in the state’s revenue seriously affected the execution of its education policies, but assured that his administration would not back off from its resolve to provide quality and sustainable free education.
“I never thought that there would be a time our revenue would fall from N20 billion to N13 billion, and in the past six months, that’s what we have been suffering, he stated.
He said Rivers State pays the highest salary to teachers in the country, and promised to fund the quality assurance department to enhance its effectiveness.
Presenting the state’s education sector strategy plan, Vice-Chancellor of Ignatius Ajuru University and guest speaker at the event, Prof. Rosemund Green-Osahogulu listed the numerous objectives of the education plan, which she said, would be achieved.
She said the state plans to revitalize technical and vocational education and promote teachers’ welfare, adding that the state would recertify all serving teachers, which she said, was crucial to the success of the education policy.
Prof. Green-Osahogulu also noted that boosting teachers’ proficiency and professionalism would significantly reduce the incidence of examination misconduct in the state.
Another education objective in the state, she said, would be to “render the typical staff, members and students in the education sector sufficiently ICT-literate and practically skilled for life and work in a globalized and digitalized world”.
The state Commissioner for Education, Dame Alice Lawrence Nemi said the state education sector strategy plan would last for the next three years and would cover access and equity in education, strengthening institutional management of education and standard and quality assurance.
Other areas, she said, would include teacher education and development, and technical and vocational training and funding.
She commended Governor Amaechi’s foresight in the education sector, appraising his educational drive and plan as one of the country’s best.
She said the governor not only built model primary and secondary schools but also equipped them with modern facilities and well-qualified teachers to impart quality education to pupils and students in schools across the state.
Before presenting the state’s education service charter, Mr Suleiman Adediran commended Governor Amaechi for embarking on such gigantic and ambitious education projects in Rivers State, and thanked him for taking the necessary steps to ensure that education becomes sustainable in the state even after his exit from office.
Meanwhile, teachers in Rivers State would undergo re-certification every three years if plans by the state government for a new Teacher Registration and Qualification Bill sails through in the House of Assembly.
Governor Chibuike Amaechi gave the hint while unveiling the State Three-Year Education Sector Strategic Plan and the new Education Service Charter on Monday in Port Harcourt.
The policy would form the fulcrum for the running and management of the State Education Quality Assurance Agency and would boost quality manpower in non-tertiary schools across the state.
Amaechi said the state government is tinkering with the policy framework and would send the bill to the House once it is concluded.
Reiterating Governor Amaechi’s plan, House Committee Chairman on Education, Hon. Paul Ngo submitted that already, the bill was being considered on the floor of the Assembly, adding that  “ we are representing the bill to the Assembly such that every three years, teachers would be recertified.’’
He assured that the House would give the governor the necessary backing to ensure that the standard of education in the state was raised high.
However, it was the Vice Chancellor of the Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Prof. Rosemund Green-Osahogulu that threw more light on the policy, saying that teacher re-certifcation was necessary for the new State Education Sector Strategic Plan to succeed.
According to the vice chancellor, the policy covers 28 policy framework and implementable objectives covering non-tertiary education in the state between 2014-2017.

L-R:Vice President Namadi Sambo, President Goodluck Jonathan and Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mr Olusegun Aganga, at the launching of Nigerian Industrial Revolution in Abuja, yesterday