New face of public primary schools in Benue state

By Isaac Uzaan

The Universal Basic Education program which aims to provide free, compulsory, and Universal education to children from primary up to junior Secondary level in Nigeria has experienced a steady decline in infrastructure and manpower, beginning from the last quarter of the twentieth century till now.

Public basic schools in Benue State have gone through long years of inattention and neglect causing significant decay in infrastructure thus infringing on the fundamental right to quality education and creating an unsafe, unhealthy, and unengaging environment for learning and teaching.

Poor infrastructure, unavailability of clean water, and lack of sanitary facilities like toilets increased the risk of illness among pupils and led to high teacher absenteeism. Other inciting causes for the decline included poor policy implementation and corruption, shortage of qualified teachers, inefficient management and supervision.

The Poor infrastructure and lack of qualified teachers crippled basic education in Benue State. This development which lasted for many years, impacted negatively on the state overall productivity and economic growth. Some of the schools have no active population till now, since parents refused to enroll their children in schools with no qualified teachers, dilapidated structures, and bushy environment.

The system witnessed deliberate inclusion of fake employees (ghost workers) on the payroll. The existence of this category of workers in the basic education sector led to significant financial loss for the state through corruption and payroll fraud. The practice also impeded hiring of qualified teachers thus undermining the integrity and efficiency of basic education in the State.

Paying phantom employees contributed significantly in pushing Benue State to the higher rung of debt. It created a culture of corruption and compensated for idleness which goes against the principle of paying for productive work.The whole system was left in comatose lying helplessly in a state of prolonged unconsciousness.

Governor Alia, after taking over the reigns of the state, quickly fashioned out policies aimed at ensuring quality education for all citizens. His choice of the Chairman of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) was borne out of necessity to revive the sector and provide quality basic education for Benue citizens. Dr. Grace Adagba, a seasoned academic with a sound wealth of experience in management and teaching has displayed relentlessness in her pursuit of excellence ensuring that every child in Benue State has access to quality basic education.

Through the mandate given to her by the Governor, the SUBEB Chairman, Dr. Grace Adagba has fostered a culture of transparency by conducting regular audits and multiple reviews using biometric systems and other verification methods to ensure staff are real and present thus putting to rest the issue of ghost workers which has bedevilled the system for many years.

In prompt response to lack of qualified teachers, Governor Alia has recruited about nine thousand, seven hundred (9,700) teachers with sound knowledge and expertise to effectively manage classroom, keep students focused, deliver quality lessons, and provide constructive feedback.

With their wide range of knowledge and skills, the newly recruited teachers have already created an engaging learning environment, set high expectations aimed at promoting students’ achievements, and encouraging social – emotional growth among them.

Except where the population is displaced by insecurity and the schools are non-functional, all the public primary schools in Benue State now have enough teachers who are well trained to effectively teach and cater for individual student needs.

Additionally, the Governor has decided to invest heavily into school infrastructure by building standard storey buildings in over 250 public primary schools across the 23 local government areas of the state. This became necessary because, Governor Alia understands that high-quality infrastructure facilitates better teaching, improves students outcomes, and reduces dropout rates.

Who could have thought that public schools in Benue State will have storey buildings? With this quality of infrastructure in public primary schools in Benue State now, Governor Alia is not only building the schools, he is creating a homely and welcoming atmosphere that will make the schools a desirable place for students to learn.

To promote critical and creative thinking in children, Governor Alia is also building and equipping ICT centres in primary schools across Benue State. This will help to develop foundation for 21st century skills, enhance learning through technology, bridge the digital divide, and prepare pupils for the future workforce. Primary schools pupils in Benue State now have access to tools that improve creativity, problem solving, collaboration, and digital literacy, making learning more engaging and relevant.

Governor Alia’s commitment to long-term development and improvement of quality of life for the people of Benue State should attract commendations from all, especially advocates of positive change and supporters of social reforms and societal improvement.

Reviving public primary schools in the state will lessen the burden of high tuition fee imposed on parents by proprietors of private schools. In his attempt to ease this burden on parents, the Governor has put a stop to the growing trend of unlawful levies imposed on parents by proprietors of elementary schools in Benue State.

He expressed strong disapproval for the compulsory provision of sanitary items such as brooms, soaps, tissues, and napkins, which are often demanded from parents as part of school requirements. According to him, these are unjustifiable financial burdens, especially for families already struggling to provide basic education for their children.

The SUBEB Chairman, Dr. Grace Adagba has been visiting public primary schools and UBE centres in the state conducting regular supervisions to ensure that educational standards are maintained and that the schools are functioning effectively. Her regular visit to these schools will also help identify problems, provides guidance to teachers, and ultimately contribute to better pupils learning outcomes.

Governor Alia has been calling on parents to take advantage of this opportunity and enroll their children/wards into public schools where there is free tuition and a wide range of specialized services, and where their children/wards will be exposed to a broader spectrum of cultures and perspectives, preparing them for a diverse world.

Isaac Uzaan is Principal Special Assistant (PSA) to the Governor of Benue State on Media and Content Creation and he writes from Makurdi.