The Executive Chairman of Enugu State Universal Basic Education Board, ENSUBEB Assoc. Prof. Hyginus Banko Okibe has charged the Education Secretaries in the state to be more responsive and innovative in the discharge of their duties.
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The Chairman gave the charge at a one-day meeting he held with Education Secretaries in the Local Government Areas and Development Centre which focused on three thematic areas: inspection activities in schools, challenges encountered in the process since the 1st Term started, and innovation introduced to improve the literacy, numeracy and writing skill of the pupils.
The Chairman reminded them that reports on their monitoring activities must include what they have done, what they intend to do to achieve better results, achievements recorded in their various schools since the beginning of the term, and the impact on their pupils and learning environment.
According to the ENSUBEB Boss, “What we call improvement in school monitoring and supervision includes observed changes in the reading ability of the pupils, measurable improvement in literacy competence, numeracy, and proper identification of words and letters, among others”.
The Executive Chairman used the occasion to remind them that imposition and collection of any levy are prohibited in all basic public schools in the state, adding that anybody caught in such an act will be dismissed from service, arrested, and handed over to law enforcement agencies.
On their complaint about how to source funds for the production of examination question papers for their pupils, the Chairman directed them to work out the cost of the production and forward it to his office for consideration and necessary action.
The Chairman told them that the type of technology software being witnessed in Owo Smart Green School will address most of the problems and challenges they face in their present schools, especially the issues of supervision, monitoring, and printing of examination question papers.
“Once Enugu State migrates to the SMART School system in September 2025 where there is an internal regulatory mechanism with High-Tech monitoring devices, a new regime of school management will emerge to disrupt the old order”. “This explains why every stakeholder in the education sector must brace up with the innovative programs of ENSUBEB.”
In her brief remarks, Member III in the Board, Dr. Mrs. Ego Aja, appreciated the Education Secretaries for their active participation at the meeting and advised them to develop more interest in what the government of Enugu State is doing in the education sector to better the lots of our children.
Dr. Ego Aja explained to them the meaning of the Enugu State Education Management System (ENEMS), adding that as major stakeholders in the education industry, they should develop an inquisitive mind, ask questions when in doubt, and be open to information and ready to learn at any time.
Some Education Secretaries, in their contributions, thanked the state Governor for his efforts to take basic education to an enviable height in the state and pledged their support, loyalty, commitment, and determination to complement the government’s efforts in this direction.
The Dean of Education Secretaries in the state, Mr. Sylvanus Egbo, spoke on their activities in the areas of school monitoring/supervision, checking of lesson notes, lateness, and absenteeism to school by Head Teachers and teachers, and measures adopted to check them.
Other Education Secretaries from Udi, Ezeagu, Enugu North/South, Aninri, Enugu East, Nsukka, Isi-Uzo, Oji-River, and Igbo-Etiti LGEAs told the Chairman some innovations they introduced to improve the standard of teaching and learning in their areas.
Some of them initiate meetings with their new local government council Chairmen and Members of the School-Based Management Committee (SBMC) for assistance in organizing a computer training program for their teachers.
According to them, some were able to attract donations of sportswear, exercise books, learning materials, internet facilities, i-Phone from individuals in their various communities, and the establishment of reading corners and a tracking system to check lateness among teachers.
