The Chief of Party, SIMLE Project which partnered with Catholic Relief Services Nigeria Country Program Dr Emeka Anoje disclosed this to newsmen on Thursday in Makurdi during the handing over of educational materials to the Benue State Government.
Tribune Online learnt that the NGO partnered with Catholic Relief Services (CRS) for the implementation of the projects while USAID Nigeria was funding the projects expected to last five years.
According to Emeka, the NGO was implementing projects in 17 local governments with 18 CSO with a target of reaching out to 270, 000 children and their caregivers which account for over 40 per cent entire project beneficiaries.
He explained that it was with the aim of helping the children overcome their educational challenges that “SIMLE sought for and obtained approval from USAID to implement and education block grant scheme in 41 schools across 17 project LGAs in the state.
He further disclosed that the NGO also renovated six blocks, equipped one school library, provided 2583 dual desk to schools in the state.
“One of the strategies to increase access to education, school enrollment and retention is an education block grant scheme designed to significantly reduce financial barriers to education access especially those faced by vulnerable households.
“The finding of the assessment revealed some gaps in infrastructure which hinders learning in the classroom such as the absence or poor state of classroom furniture, specifically chairs and desks.
“The assessment also revealed that majority of the pupils could not afford payment of schools levies that are being demanded by school authority due to poor economic status of their parents/caregivers”.
Impeccable sources told our correspondent that prior to the intervention, pupils at Holy Family Primary School Kansio were sitting on bare floor in the last seven years while receiving lessons.
At R.C.M Primary Tyodugh, Mbayongo, Makurdi, SIMLE also commissioned a renovated block of classroom and donated 200 desks at LGA Primary School Tse Swem, Christian Academy Tse-Orkar and LGEA Primary school Orowa respectively.
Receiving the school materials and renovated building, the state Executive Secretary, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Dr Philip Tachin said the state primary schools were facing serious chairs and tables challenges.
Tachin disclosed that the situation has forced many rural children to stay away from schools adding that the government was doing everything possible to support the primary education in the state.
“Many of our school don’t have sits and tables for our pupils not only in the rural areas but in the township too as a result of this most ruler children stay away from school but we are doing everything possible to address the situation.
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