In a bid to realise the  mandate given to it by the Rivers State Government in ensuring  the development of education in the state with regards to the rural communities ,the Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBEB), has inaugurated 1,400 learning centres for the commencement of the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programme in some  communities across the state.
The BESDA  programme is an  initiative of  the World Bank in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the State Universal Basic Education Board to eradicate the challenges of out-of-school children in  17 states of the country with a view to providing  basic education to the affected children.
Speaking at the flag off ceremony of the BESDA programme held at Egbeda community in Emohua Local Government Area of the state last Friday, the  chairman  of the State Universal Basic Education Board(RSUBEB),Ven. Fyneface Akah said the programme was targeted at the 110,654 out-of-school children of  age  6-11 years in the state who have  no opportunity to access formal education , adding that 300,000 facilitators  and 300,000 food vendors would  be engaged across the centers .
Akah stated that the programme  was in line with the mandate given to the board since 2016  by the state governor, Chief Nyesom Wike  to   develop education in the state through provision of infrastructure with focus on the rural communities.
The state SUBEB boss opined that the BESDA scheme would afford the  children the opportunity to learn basic literacy and numerical skills within the nine months duration of the programme and added that at the end of the programme ,the children would be enrolled into any UBE schools within their communities and where there is none, the World Bank would provide.
He further  disclosed that the commission had been consistent in providing educational infrastructure in  Egbeda community, saying that was why the programme was brought to the community in order for the board to  continue on its rural educational development in the area.
“The children will be taught twice a week and eight times in a month and it will last for nine months period.The programme can be hosted in town halls and even individual houses where available.
BESDA was borne out of years of research studies on children who have been out of school and do not have the opportunity to acquire basic literacy and numerical skills and not able to read or count. Rivers State is among the benefiting  seventeen states in the country.” he stated
Ven. Akah told the people that the state governor had mandated them to embark on sensitisation and advocacy campaigns in the state and urged the benefiting communities to support the board for the success of the scheme in the state.
Earlier in their various good will messages, the Nyenwe Ali Egbeda/Ubimini, Eze C.Didia, and the Amanyanabo of Ele community , King Fred l Trene Peref, , Ele V11 commended the state UBEB for their efforts in ensuring the implementation of the programme in the state and assured of their support to the board to enable it succeed
Our correspondent who covered the programme reports that the  enrolled children were provided with free school uniforms, books, shoes by World Bank and supported by the state government .