Anambra Lawmaker calls for additional public schools in strategic parts of the state

The Anambra State House of Assembly has passed a resolution, urging Anambra State Governor Willie Obiano to direct the State Ministry of Basic Education to take the necessary steps towards setting up additional public schools in certain strategic areas within the state.

The House passed the resolution following a motion sponsored to that effect by the member representing Oyi Constituency, Charles Obimma during today’s plenary.

Section Eighteen of the 1999 Constitution as amended states that the Government shall direct its policy towards ensuring that there are equal and adequate educational opportunities at all levels so as to eradicate illiteracy.

The increase in population resulting in ongoing structural developments across parts of the state have engendered the establishment of new housing estates and expansion of existing ones, with no public schools insight.

There is also a significant increase in a number of private schools whose cost most times, is too exorbitant for residents of the estates to afford.

Presenting the motion at the floor of the House, Hon Obimma expressed the view that setting up additional government-owned schools will facilitate easy access to quality and affordable education, thereby waging a massive war against illiteracy as well as create numerous direct and indirect jobs for the teeming unemployed youths.

“Ensuring equitable quality education and promoting life-long learning opportunities for all is the fourth Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) earmarked by the United Nations to be attained by its members by 2030. I am worried about the paucity of public schools in these areas. The government regulatory bodies seem to believe that private schools can substitute public ones. This development will make it difficult for the poor masses to access quality education,” he pointed out.

According to him, public schools have varied curricula and facilities for sports development and also affords the students the opportunity for social interaction with their peers.

“Some of these Private schools are in two-bedroom apartments and do not have the necessary facilities that promote the comprehensive development of the child. This motion is intended to spotlight the pole position of public schools in the education curriculum and ensure that government does the needful in establishing them anywhere they are required to ensure that no child is denied a quality education because of distance or cost.”

The motion also got favourable support from the House Committee Chairman on Basic Education, Hon Ejike Okechukwu, the member representing Ogbaru One Constituency, Hon Noble Igwe and his Nnewi South Constituency One counterpart, Hon Sony Ozobialu spoke in favour of the motion.

The Deputy Speaker who presided over the plenary, Right Hon Paschal Agbodike, while passing the resolution, acknowledged that most indigenes and residents of Anambra State, residing where there are no government-owned schools, are now at the mercy of private school proprietors, whose services are often times very exorbitant for the commoners to afford, despite the fact that public schools provide more quality education than their private counterparts.

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