Posted by No amount will be too great to ensure that the children of Akwa Ibom State receive a proper education, according to Governor Pastor Umo Eno.
“If I can get one Akwa Ibom child motivated with our education exchange with the United Kingdom, I would have succeeded,” Eno stated, reiterating his determination to guarantee that every student in Akwa Ibom receives a free and high-quality education.
To that end, during the mayor of London Borough of Southwark’s recent working visit with a British delegation, Michael Situ, the governor recently formalized an education exchange agreement with Situ in his office at government house.
Thanks to the exchange, both the students and the teachers have a better chance of taking advantage of opportunities overseas.
Human capital development and the benefits for children of Akwa Ibom above the cost, according to the governor, even if the project could be costly in light of the current economic climate and unpredictable currency rates.
Students from both countries would have the chance to learn about each other’s cultures, sports, and educational and vocational traditions through the program, which DAILY POST learned about.
The purpose of the visit was to seek areas of partnership, as Mayor Situ had informed Gov. Eno during the exchange bond signing.
Although he did not reveal how enthusiastic the schools in the London Borough of Southwark were about the exchange program, he was hopeful that the residents of Southwark, particularly those of African origin, would be just as thrilled to have the chance to visit Akwa Ibom.
He said that the show will facilitate communication between people with shared interests in the arts, sports, and other fields.
“Arrangements have been finalised by the State government for commencement of the exchange program that will enable successful students from public schools in the village to travel to London for the program,” Education Commissioner Mrs. Idongesit Etiebet revealed during her interview.
About thirty-one bright but economically disadvantaged indigenous students from public secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State have been chosen by the state government to study in the United Kingdom as part of the program’s preparations for implementation.
This was a component of Gov. Eno’s Educational Advancement program, which he pledged to implement as part of his ARISE agenda to strengthen the state’s current system of free and mandatory education.
The governor has also made an effort to use the program as a tool to entice and urge kids to stay focused on their studies, avoid social vices, and work hard. He claims that the program only accepts the most intelligent pupils who have passed tough exams.
“The reason for this program is for the brilliant child in a public school in the village who didn’t even think of it or have hope of going to the airport to have the opportunity to sit on a 6-7 hour flight to arrive in the UK. What you tell him is this is just the beginning. If you take your education more seriously, it can take you to any part of the world and you can sit at the table with anyone,” he says.
“That’s the catch in my opinion. I consider this a project that will be successful if it will inspire even one child from Akwa Ibom.
The governor was optimistic that the exchange program would be good for both towns and promised that all of the students and teachers who went to the UK will come back.
Every single student and employee who is going to the UK on an official mission will come back. I promise that with all my heart. “We hope this to be a continuous thing,” the governor declared, making that commitment.
The state administration went above and beyond by organizing a two-day course on Education Skills Upscaling for the principals of Uyo’s public secondary schools. This was done to demonstrate how seriously the initiative was taken by the government.
Training facilitator David Bromfield of the United Kingdom emphasized to the principals of Akwa Ibom public secondary schools the importance of effective curriculum inspection and quality leadership in education. Bromfield emphasized that principals, as leaders in education, must be cognizant of the myriad of factors involved in implementing change.
As he pointed out, school administrators can’t only depend on kids’ test scores to judge how well teachers are implementing the curriculum; such metrics can be deceiving. Instead, thorough curriculum inspection and monitoring are required.
In addition, he clarified that “graded and non-graded” curriculum inspections exist. The two are executed in distinct ways and serve distinct purposes.
“But crucial evaluation is a shared denominator. Evaluation of course material is essential. There may be things you can’t check, but that’s okay. Policy and curriculum implementation in schools runs the risk of going awry if not double-checked.
At the workshop, participants voiced their opinions on the future of education and offered several suggestions, including that the government create an Institute for Policy Research, give educators more autonomy in the classroom, and guarantee consistent, long-term financing.
Public schools in Akwa Ibom State, according to Mr. Stephen Akpabio, Chairman of the All-Nigeria Conference of Principals of Public Schools (ANCOPPS), would improve their performance and teaching quality if they put what they learned at the workshop into practice.
The effective London model has been brought to Akwa Ibom, and there is no doubt that education in Akwa Ibom will soon be as good as in London, he stated.
Our eyes have been opened to new methods of doing our job via this workshop. Without a doubt, increased involvement will lead to improved academic outcomes in our schools.
“The essence of the exchange program was to allow participants to learn and embrace global best practices in education delivery,” said Commissioner for Education Mrs. Idongesit Etiebet. She urged the school heads to make judicious use of the knowledge they acquired during the workshop for policy formulation and implementation.
In his remarks, Comrade Ini Ememobong, the state’s commissioner for information, said that the workshop provided a springboard to several opportunities for improvement in the state’s educational system.
School administrators were able to share their experiences with Mr. Bromfield, whom Ememobong, a workshop co-facilitator, praised for skipping his 61st birthday party to make sure the event was a success, and he thanked Governor Eno for that.
Dr. Folasade Yemi Esan, the Federation’s Head of Service, was also visited by Mayor Situ and his entourage to apprise her about the education exchange cooperation.
“Education for all is a responsibility for all,” the Federation’s Head of Service said, complimenting the effort.
We believe that education has the power to liberate individuals and make them positively contribute to society growth, so we want to do all in our power to make sure that our citizens are well-educated at all levels, she added.