Government assures that free education will continue

olamide oni

December 31, 2015 2:43 PM

Akpan also addressed rumours that the administration needs to employ 20,000 more teachers for it to be able to sustain the educational standard

Free education in Akwa Ibom

The Akwa-Ibom government has come out to put to rest rumours that the it will be introducing fees from 2016.

The Commissioner for Education, Rt. Hon. Aniekan Akpan, in an interview with The Nation, has assured citizens that the free education policy introduced by the previous administration would be sustained by the Udom Emmanuel-led government despite paucity of funds.

“The administration of Governor Udom Emmanuel is continuing with the free and compulsory education of the state in the primary and secondary schools. The government does not have the intention to introduce school fees in the system. The fear is unfounded,” said Akpan who advised the public to always seek information from credible sources.

READ: President to provide free education for students

Akpan also addressed rumours that the administration needs to employ 20,000 more teachers for it to be able to sustain the educational standard.

“The system is dynamic. There was recruitment in 2013 and another in 2015. The process is still on. The government is being careful and systematic. We don’t want to bring in people and in the next months cannot pay. Teachers’ recruitment into the system is ongoing,” he said.

“You don’t need 20,000 new teachers to ensure quality. You don’t need to put 25 teachers in a school to ensure quality. What is really needed are trained teachers who are ready to teach,” he said.

olamide oni