ONE YEAR OF SHARED PROSPERITY IN IMO
EDUCATION
The education sector is of tremendous importance in all levels of governance and strict attention should be paid to it. This is because the growth of any society is dependent on the level of education of its citizens. Perhaps this is one of the biggest challenges Nigeria has as a country. With a population of over 170 million people, this puts the illiteracy rate at over 35%. In a fast developing technological world, Nigeria has its problems cut out for it with its high illiteracy rate, low computer literacy rate and the education system continually producing half-baked graduates that are unable to compete in a technologically inclined world.
The importance of education cannot be overemphasized as development thrives on literacy. A reliance on developing infrastructure and roads alone cannot go far in improving the economy if the quality of manpower is low. This is why Gov. Hope Uzodimma have decided to place the education sector high with so much attention and ever ready to do all that can give a facelift to the sector in order to produce intellects that can in return give back to the state their expertise and technical know-how.
Education without the availability of essential materials at no cost amounts to a system whereby education is for the rich alone and alienates the right of the poor masses to quality education. Hence, the state government flagged off the Imo State Education Support Scheme whereby Primary School Pupils and Secondary School Students were given free Exercise books, Pens, School bags, Foot wears, etc. This is coupled with the existing order of no payment of any fee or levy in every government school in the state.
The recent upgrade of the the Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo to a University of Agriculture and environmental sciences shows the readiness of the state government to diversify its economy by promoting agriculture and training young minds in the technological advanced methods of agriculture. This will further bridge the unemployment gap and widen the horizon of our students in the area of agriculture.
The Imo State University over the years has been bedeviled with so many issues ranging from infrastructure to corrupt practices. On assumption of office, Gov. Hope Uzodimma allowed the committee set up by the previous administration to investigate the happenings in the school. The report was submitted to the governor and immediately the state government began the rehabilitation process of the school through the act of changing its leadership, working towards rebuilding the structures and ensuring that courses in the institution gets full accreditation.
Unlike what the education sector use to be before the present administration, Gov. Hope Uzodimma has rejigged the sector and at the same time standardized it thereby making government schools look attractive more than before. The influx of pupils and students in government owned schools is a clear indication that the shared prosperity is indeed doing wonders in the education sector of the state just in one year of been in office.
Imo Pupils and Students can attest to the positive changes in the education sector in this one year in office of Gov. Hope Uzodimma irrespective of the Covid-19 pandemic that paused academic activities and very much happy that in the coming years that the shared prosperity government will change the tides in such a way that private schools can never beat the reach of government schools in imo state.
