Rochas causes a revolution in the education sector
-Sets up education trust fund committee
Determined to leave a lasting legacy in the education sector, aware that nothing better defines what we are and what we will become than the education of our children, and worried that subsequent administrations in the state might reverse or indeed jettison his flagship free education policy, the Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, recently inaugurated a 13-man Education Trust Fund Committee in the state.
The Committee, headed by Engineer Emma Ezeonyeasi, has the onerous responsibility of ensuring the sustainability of the free education programme beyond 2019, when the governor is expected to leave office. By this singular act, the governor hopes to institutionalise the policy in the over-all interest of the state.
Governor Okorocha's decision to embrace free education, which his predecessors had said was not possible was informed by his realisation that the life chances of a child are limited if denied the opportunity of being educated, since in today's world, education determines not just which students will succeed but also which nations will thrive in a world united in the pursuit of freedom in enterprise. This unquestionable love for the less privileged and unwavering commitment to his campaign promise to Imo people is aptly captured when he said, 'as governor, I am poised to see that the free education programme is sustained in the state beyond 2019. There is no greater gift you can give to a child than education. Education remains the pivot upon which the wheel of every success in life rotates. We must do everything as a people to keep the free education programme alive'
The mere fact that Governor Okorocha is thinking beyond his exit from Douglas House in 2019 in the over-all interest of the less privileged in the state is not only demonstrative of his humane and humanitarian disposition, but goes a long way to situate him as the most forward looking, foresighted, futuristic and genuinely patriotic politician the state has ever produced. There is therefore no doubt that the governor has consistently and continuously demonstrated competence, intelligence, vision and mission in the governance of the state since the last five years in office.
That Owelle has clearly shown that he deeply cares about education is definitely not in doubt, for, his commitment to spend more time, more energy and more effort on education is second to none, while the leadership he is providing in getting personally involved in the implementation of the free education policy is outstanding. It is therefore indubitable that his indefatigable determination and leadership have been the driving force in the realization of this noble programme.
Encouraged by his innate desire to offer succour to the down trodden, his 'can do spirit', the determination to eradicate crime, create hope and opportunities across the state, the need to dispel the darkness of illiteracy with the enlightenment that sound and well-rounded education provides, and the successes recorded in the old Western region under the leadership of the late Obafemi Awolowo, Governor Okorocha developed an effective and robust education policy and supported its absolute implementation across the three tiers of primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Thus, Owelle has been able to achieve sustained high performance in the execution of his free education policy to the envy of his detractors.
As a leading light in the crusade to prepare our children for the exciting future that looms ahead, Governor Okorocha truly appreciates the fact that our greatest resource as a people lies within us; our intelligence, ingenuity and the capacity of the human mind. For him, 'the lives of our children born and yet unborn are very important. So this is the time to secure the future of our children and children yet unborn by saving for their education. Every child must go to school and education must be made free so that the children of the poorest can go to school as we don't know where the person who may change the face of the state or the nation will come from'.
Consequently, upon his emergence as the Governor of the state in 2011, Owelle quickly realised that the days of the status quo were over; that the time for all the reports, white papers, studies and surveys about what was wrong in our educational system was past. The time for too much talk was over. The state had to move forward and remain competitive in this era and in the future; there was no more need to convene panels to report on the obvious.It was therefore time for us to accept the responsibility of educating everyone among us, regardless of background or disability. It was time for action; the action of putting our children and the future of the state first.
Hence, the action Governor set out to revolutionize the education sector. Starting with communicating the need and vision for the reform in the sector, and through the different actors, engaged parents and leaders from education, the community, business and philanthropy, in order to improve education effectiveness.
Accordingly, he declared free and compulsory education in primary and secondary schools. And, pained by the hardship of the burden of high school fees in tertiary institutions in the state on parents, being that his predecessor had increased tuition to a staggering 150, 000naira per session before his exit from Douglas House, the Governor quickly reversed the policy and declared free education at all levels in the state for all Imo indigenes. He however later extended the gesture to non-indigenes studying in any of the state-owned institutions.
The over-all intention of the free education policy of the government is to adequately prepare our children for career training and eventually jobs that provide enough income for self-sustenance. Also, the policy would help to reduce ignorance, a critical draw back to democratic growth by putting the citizens in the position to impact positively on policy development, civic life and governance. While past administrations in the state preferred the seemingly safer but ultimately less robust laissez affaire education policy, leading to failure to achieve hoped-for-outcomes, and therefore making schooling less attractive and unpopular among our youth, who saw other means of livelihood, especially crime as more rewarding, the government of Governor Rochas Okorocha is focused, committed and determined to bring about a paradigm shift in the education sector.
In other to strengthen the state owned university, Imo state university, the Governor caused the accreditation of the Faculty of Engineering and Nursing Science, while clearing the arrears of 138m naira owed academic and non- academic staff of the institution as a result of the CONTISS/CONUAS salary structure agreed to between the union and the Federal government. In addition, Governor Okorocha increased the state subvention to the institution from a meagre 57.56m naira to a whopping 100m naira monthly. Similar transformations also occurred in all other state-owned tertiary institutions.
The Governor also embarked on wide sweeping reforms and transformation that have resulted in total systemic and structural changes in the states' education system through improving the quality of learning. He also undertook the construction of new schools and the total reconstruction of existing ones, provided the necessary facilities like uniforms, chairs, tables, sandals etc. to pupils. Determined to key into the 21st century notion of schooling with hi-tech connectivity and application, the government embarked on the provision of computers to secondary schools, establishment of E-libraries and ICT centres in various schools across the state. For instance, the governor recently commissioned a state of the art ICT laboratory at Girls' Secondary School, Ikenegbu, Owerri.
Unarguably, Owelle has demonstrated that he clearly understands the strategic importance of having teachers, particularly at the primary and secondary levels, who are adequately prepared for the expectation of the needs of their students. This, he has done through a concerted action programme with the State Ministry of Education, which focuses on policies aimed at building effectiveness of educators through preparation programme and other forms of short in-service training. In addition, the Ministry of Education has been relentless in conducting assessments and other forms of interventions aimed at improving low-performing schools.
It is indeed remarkable that all of these have been in spite of the fact that the state revenue has remained highly constrained by the present economic recession, which has resulted in reduced spending on education in most states at a time of increasing students' enrolment and expectations. However, Governor Okorocha has remained focused on ensuring that the sector is well provided for. This, he has been able to achieve through a well-articulated and efficient allocation of the state's education resources. As a result of all the efforts and initiatives of the government in the sector, the standard of learning has greatly improved and the results are there for everyone to see. For instance, this year's JAMB registration figures indicated that Imo state registered the highest number of candidates – 102, 277 out of a total of 1, 589,175 candidates nation-wide, with Osun state coming a distant 2nd with only 83, 060 candidates.
Also, according to the State Commissioner for Education, Mrs.Getrude Oduka, Imo state came first in this year's (2016) JAMB examination. In addition, the state came 3rd in the West African School Certificate Examinations (WAEC). These are no mean achievements and are a proof that the governments' huge investments in education are paying off handsomely. Thus, the establishment of the Education Trust Fund by the Governor is another testimony to his commitment to continue to offer our children the opportunity to acquire quality education at no cost as well as equip them to serve the state and country.
There is therefore no doubt that Governor Okorocha has immensely demonstrated imaginative, creative problem solving, critical thinking and collaboration. Through this and his administration's forward looking education policy which has further been strengthened by the establishment of the Education Trust Fund, the governor aims at sustaining his brain-child (free education) beyond his tenure in 2019. This definitely will make Imo state to continue to remain a leader and a force to reckon with in education in the country.
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