Make education accessible, affordable for the poor, average pupils

Sir: The translation of work into world languages has been on the rise. It means that in the past, when technical, commercial, science and even polytechnic students graduated, jobs awaited them just for the fact that they carried out practical activities while in school.

Moreso, many technical schools were managed by missionaries and were equipped for practicals.

Just imagine the difficulty associated with 6-3-3-4 systems of education being introduced without proper organisation to students, causing them to fail due to a lack of equipment and professional teachers; how then do we expect better results or good performance from those students graduating out of schools to look for work in line with their choice subjects or courses.

Sir, we had very few of these technical schools in the state in those days, but it created some impact in the country within and outside. If I may mention those schools, they were: Ewet Technical School, Uyo; Ikot Akatah Technical school, Ikot Abasi and Technical School, Abak.

In the commercial, there were: Adiaha Obong Secondary Commercial School, Uyo; Modern Vocational Commercial School, Uyo; Efficient Commercial School, Uyo, etc.

The emergence of private and missionary schools and their counterparts in 1970-1990 marked a milestone in the state’s history, due to the presence of equipment they had in place for students to do their practicals.

Sir, please, I urge you to equip these public schools with modern equipment for science and technical school teachers to meet the standard of learning of this century, starting from primary schools, to build solid foundations so that after JSS examinations, students would be able to know whether they are good in science, commercial and technical subjects which would be determined through the Junior WAEC examinations to make suitable choices for his/her future. I also plead for Efik language and History subjects be restored. If this foundation should start from primary school through to high school, it should also go alongside training teachers in the public schools to know how to handle these modern equipment and also assessing their performance. When performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported, rate of performance accelerates.

Sir, if you have a man or woman that is not disciplined, it will be a waste of time because your efforts would be counter productive. A disciplined man/woman is better than an intelligent person who is not disciplined. A disciplined person can improve themself overtime.

Sir, let Akwa Ibom go back to her old roots, which is to teach primary to secondary pupils handwork, to rescue education from jeopardy. Let Akwa Ibom campaign at the bite in the hope of coming out in flying colours; this is to allow the ambitious students who wants to make the best of his/her educational pursuits. Bearing that in mind, he/she could become a societal model, though character training is a joint venture both at home and at schools.

I am pleading sir, to look at this sector with keen interest for those serious students in the state to invest in knowledge for it pays the best interest. Moreover, education is a right of every citizen and not a privilege. If this can be done, the present and unborn can never forget you sir.

You have received Thisday and Arise newspaper Awards of excellence in celebration of this milestone of achievement for few months of your administration. With this, the state shall continue to propel greater heights to those serious students. Moreso, if this could be done to alleviate problems of staying away from school due to high cost of school fees, many awards await you, temporal and spiritual blessings for your efforts and upliftment and beautification of this land of promise (Akwa Ibom).

I know Akwa Ibom will lead in terms of this while others will strive to follow, just like in the case of Ibom Air.

God bless Akwa Ibom, the land of promise.

God bless Nigeria.

• Effiong Edeson, President, Nka Ibibio Association, Behind NAF Base, Ikeja, Lagos State.