Free Education: Students, teachers express excitement, gratitude as Kogi govt. pays WAEC, other exam fees »

…we are only implementing state’s 2021 – 2030 education sector plan, education Commissioner affirms.

Students across Public Schools in Kogi have continued to show excitement and express gratitude to the Kogi State Government following the recent announcement of the free education from Primary 1 – Senior Secondary School 3. This pledge has however been met with immediate fulfilment as the government on Monday confirmed the payment of the West Africa Examination Council fee for about 15, 033 students in public secondary school in across the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.

Speaking during a routine inspection to the GYB Model Science School in Adankolo, the State’s Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr. Wemi Jones said the fund totalling, N497, 592, 300.00 also include settlement of other internal and external examination for the student by the New Direction Government.

The Commissioner said ‘’Earlier in the year, the Kogi State Government under the leadership of Alhaji Yahaya Bello pronounced free education for students, from primary 1 – Senior Secondary School three. An integral part of this policy is the payment of Internal and external exams for students by the state government’’.

‘’Government has just fulfilled the payment of WAEC fee for about 15, 033 students in public secondary school in Kogi state, The State Government approved and has released that fund to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology for onward settlement for the registration of the students’’ Mr. Wemi added.

Clarifying on the intention of the government, he said the Ministry, under The Kogi state government created an Eduction Sector plan which its implementation spans from 2021 – 2030 adding that this plan serves as blueprint for the education sector in the state as it details plans, policies and programs and the Ministry was only working according to this template in the good interest of delivering maximally in the sector. This is the stage where intend to implement in this plan, he added.

He hinted that Governor Bello places premium importance on the education sector as his antecedents justify such claim and will not mix politics with education

The Commissioner stressed that every student of the public schools will benefit from the government’s policy as the state government in preparation for this implementation earlier captured every students across all the local government assuring that government plans to continue the policy in the next administration.

He however charged the students to study hard and ensure they passed all their exams with flying colours to justify governments investment in their education.

A teacher and the Vice Principal Administration of GYB Model Science Secondary School Adankolo, Mrs. Ladi Hamidi, pointed out the that payment of WAEC and other examination fee has often being a burden on the parent.

She added that the burden which has now been lifted by the state government under Governor Bello’s leadership would help parents put in more efforts to ensure that all other supports their wards needed will now be adequately supplied.

“We are very grateful for his administration’s efforts in the education sector,” she added.

One of the beneficiary student, Adini Grace Oluwabukola, an SS3 student of GYB Model Science Secondary School Adankolo expressed gratitude to the Governor for the priority his administration has placed on their education.

She expressed that government’s payment of her fees will serve as a relieve for her parents considering other financial burden the family have to resolve.