Plateau govt constructs 325 classroom blocks, recruits 4,800 teachers

The Plateau government said on Monday that it has constructed 325 blocks of classrooms and recruited 4800 primary schools teachers in the last two years.

Gov Simon Lalong made this known while presenting his score-card to stakeholders at a town hall meeting to mark Democracy Day in Jos.

The governor said that his administration would continue to prioritise education, adding that the sector has continued enjoying the tremendous support at all levels.

“During the period under review, we have achieved the following, renovated and constructed over 325 blocks of classes in primary schools across the three Senatorial zones under the School Renewal Programme (SRP).

“Through the Teachers Service Commission, government recruited teachers in areas they were lacking and phased out unqualified ones.

“About 4,800 primary school teachers with a minimum of NCE qualification through a community based approach meant to address the teachers’ deficit in this critical formative stage of education.

“Promoted 15,399 SUBEB staff comprising of 15,196 LGEA Staff members across the 17 Local Governments Areas (LGAs) and 203 Staff of the SUBEB Headquarters.

“We organised a sensitisation workshop for 17 Agriculture Desk officers for the 17 LGEAs and the establishment of a domestic farm at the Primary Education Department in Hwolshe, Jos.

“We cleared the backlog of general students allowance studying in all the tertiary institutions both locally and internationally, amounting to N364 million,” he stated.

He said his administration had facilitated the established SUBEB mini Museum/Arts and crafts gallery.

Others are the display of arts and crafts works during the career day to showcase the skills and talents of our pupils to also serve as a historical reference for both teachers and pupils.

The governor stated that Plateau Agency for Non-Formal Education has been repositioned and classes have resumed for all adult education programmes in the state within years under review.

Lalong added that government had instituted the pre-resumption meeting of teachers and stakeholders at the school level to ascertain preparedness for resumption by pupils and parents.

“We have also reached advanced state in preparing for take-off of the Home Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP) for primary one to three pupils, which has been introduced by the Federal Government and is billed to commence in the current academic session” he said.

Support funding to all our tertiary institutions; particularly successful accreditation of all Seventeen (17) programmes of the State University, which in turn facilitated the mobilisation of the two (2) sets of grandaunts for NYSC scheme in 2017.

Since the establishment of the university and above all, we held the first convocation in February 2017 successfully.