South East breaking News
Abia State Government has called for cooperation, understanding, synergy and assistance from the Private Schools Proprietors in the State to enable government achieve its visions and policy thrust for the education sector in State.
The Abia State commissioner for Basic Education,Hon.Ukwu Rocks Emma who made this call during a stakeholders meeting with the National Association of Private Schools Proprietors Abia State chapter held at Ibeku High School Umuahia,said the state ministry of education has been interacting with all the education stakeholders so as to collaborate with them as partners in progress to move at the pace the Governor wants .
He charged them to make available their school data to the government, explaining that provision of accurate data to government will help the government in planning and getting some of the benefits from Federal government and Donor agencies adding that denying the ministry the necessary data will affect the education sector negatively.
He described private schools Proprietors as stakeholders and partners, urging them to key in to the education policy thrust of the present administration in the state, while urging them to continue to maintain those standards for which their schools were accredited and shun practices that will bring down those standards .
His words,
” We are interacting and addressing you because we are partners. We must know that the education policy thrust of the Governor Ikpeazu is what everyone must key in .
” We are calling for your co-operation, assistance, understanding and synergy from you.
” We need to appeal to you know that everything about education in the state is driven by the ministry of education and it is important that you follow what the ministry said and if we must make progress,we must work at the same pace .
” We sometimes have problems with private schools, especially in data collection.Most of you are co-operating while some are reluctant to give us the accurate data,thinking that making available accurate their data is for high taxation, rather it is to help government plan for future.
” We want to assure you that all Services the state government owns you,we will make sure they go to you.
” We want you to be united come out sometimes with a communique on how to improve the quality of education in Abia state and I urge you to be positive partners .
” You are here because you are accredited and before you were accredited, you must have reached a particular standard and we know that you have not gone down in that standard “
In his response,the Private Schools Proprietors Association chairman Abia state chapter Pastor Joseph Okowu commended Abia ministry of education for organizing the interactive session with the proprietors of Private schools.
He disclosed that ,” We are ready to pay all the necessary levies required of us ,but we want you to protect us from multiple taxation .We are not protected .We are not finding it easy ,we are open to so many revenues in the state,hence we are appealing to government for protection ” he pleaded
He urged all the private schools proprietors in Abia state to ensure that the data of their various schools are compiled and made available to the ministry of education to enable them plan for future, while promising to partner with the ministry of education towards the progress of the Abia education sector