GOVERNOR OKOWA INAUGURATES BOARDS, WANTS OUR SCHOOL CURRICULAR TO REFLECT 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION SYSTEM

… Pledges Administration’s Commitment To Free Education

The Governor of Delta State, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa has called for urgent steps towards making school curricular and co-curricular programmes reflect 21st century educational system.

According to Governor Okowa, education in the 21st century goes beyond rote learning, assuring that his administration was committed to making education accessible to all Deltans through its free educational system.

The Governor spoke today in Asaba during the inauguration of the Post-Primary Education Board (PPEB), State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and Direct Labour Agency (DLA) Board.

Sir Patrick Akporuno was inaugurated as the chairman of the PPEB which has as members, Mrs Ifeoma Agbomah, Mrs Esere Atumu, and Chief Christiana Etaluku, the SUBEB has Hon. Sunny Ogwu as Chairman, while Hon. (Mrs) Gbubemi Ikolo, Chief (Mrs) Lina Osuya-Eni and Mrs Philomena Ededey are members. For DLA Board, Rt. Hon. Frank Enekerogha (Director-General), Mr Smart Meka, Engr Blessing Enamuotor and Engr. Austin Bebeteidoh are members.

“The underlying philosophy of 21stcentury education is that it is transformative in nature, it is child-centred and holds a conceptually different view of the tutor system,” he said, asserting, “education in the 21st century is not about rote learning, it is personalised learning.”

He emphasised, “the teacher is to create an environment where the students can learn and enjoy learning instead of the norm in the past where the teacher is made the sole reservoir of knowledge and I expect members of the PPEB and SUBEB to take active interest and participate in how we can reflect these changing dynamics in our curricular and co-curricular programmes and help drive the process that will move our education system forward in this regard.”

Governor Okowa stated that “the ability to adapt to changing situations quickly is what is needed now among operators and stakeholders in our education system,” adding that his administration has an unwavering commitment towards free education in all parts of the state.

“If you find any teacher or school head collecting money from students, there are many ways you can reach me, either through the Boards, you know the ways because we believe in free education, we have not re-introduced school fees and we don’t have the intention to introduce school fees,” the Governor said amidst applause from the people.

He charged the board members to imbibe the concept of team work, strategic planning, and financial prudence warning that they should guard against intrigues, bickering, nepotism, bias and prejudice and make the principles of fairness, equity and justice their watchword.

The Governor emphatically urged members of the board of the DLA to be aware that as an interventionist agency, the DLA is to construct and rehabilitate link roads and urban roads excluding expressways in the urban centres advising, “Systems, processes and the right persons have to be engaged for quality assurance, credibility and optimum service delivery.”

“You should do everything within your powers to pre-empt the human tendency towards insider abuse, sharp practices, over-invoicing, substandard work, bribery and corruption,” Senator Okowa added.

While disclosing that appointments by his administration were to boost government efforts towards delivering on its prosperity agenda, Governor Okowa observed that it was impossible for his administration to give political appointment to all those who worked for him during the electioneering period.

“I want to make a special appeal that it may not be possible for me to appoint all who worked during the elections because, we know that it is near impossible but, we will meet many as the resources at this state will take for the purpose of good governance and I know that there are several other means of reaching out to our people, I believe your hard work will not be forgotten,” he said, reiterating, “this administration is determined to deliver on its promise of prosperity for all despite the challenging economic climate, this will only become reality through well thought-out policies and quality governance devoid of greed, parochialism and selfish ambition.”

Responding on behalf of those who were inaugurated, Rt. Hon. Enekerogha stated, “the purpose of these appointments is for people to perform for the generality of the people to feel the impacts of good governance, we will give you and the state all our cooperation and don’t hesitate to replace anybody who fails to perform, even if I am the one"