By NewsBits
The Ebonyi Government has restated its commitment to revamping the education sector, insisting that education remained the only instrument for peace and socioeconomic development of any society.
The Secretary, Ebonyi Universal Basic Education Board (EBSUBEB) Dr. Livinus Ezeoha stated this at the education stakeholders’ summit to mark the 2024 International Day of Education with the theme, “Learning for Lasting Peace Through Community Participation.”
Ezeoha, who noted that sound education would foster greater peace and development urged participants at the one day event to collaborate with the state government to achieve its goal of restoring the lost academic glory of the state.
He said that addressing the social ills plaguing the society would start with providing sound and functional education which he opined was a key policy thrust of the current administration under Gov. Francis Nwifuru.
According to him, the governor has emphasised the need to develop education stressing that a lot had gone wrong with the sector.
“Education enthrones peace in the society; education is the only trusted instrument to promote peace and well-being in the society this is because education enlightens, education creates awareness.
“This is why the governor is emphasising too much on the need for developing education; we are all aware that a lot of things have gone wrong with the sector hence the governor is doing something positive to overhaul the system,” Ezeoha said.
He commended the Development Integrity Goal (DIG) Foundation for organising the summit and partnering the state government to ensure the revamping of the sector.
Earlier, Chief Oliver Aja, Executive Director of the foundation in a speech said that the overall goal of the education summit was to review successes and challenges facing the basic education sector.
He identified the challenges as; poor funding, inadequate qualified teachers and need to provide a well-thought-out solution as a manifesto that would include demand for sustained education budget increase, community involvement in the budget development and utilisation process.
“The outcome of this summit – manifesto and school prioritised needs will be delivered to policymakers including the executive and legislative arms of government during advocacy visits and engagement,” Aja said.
Aja commended the participants for attending adding that it was a manifestation of their commitment to ensuring that the education sector was lifted from its present state of decay.
One of the participants, Mr Emmanuel Oghele, a teacher commended the state government and organisers of the summit for the partnership stressing that revamping the basic education sector required such healthy collaboration.
NewsBits reports that the summit brought together members of the Civil Society Organisations, primary schools pupils drawn from selected schools across the three senatorial zones, teachers, members of the parent-teacher associations among others.
It was learnt that the programme is supported by the Youthhub Africa Palladium Accountability for Good Governance in Education (AGGE) project with funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
