The Ondo State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) said, on Monday, that about N13 billion had been committed to basic education by the state government in the last three years.
The SUBEB Chairman, Mrs Oladuuni Odu, stated this during a stakeholders’ meeting in Akure.
“As at date, a sum of N13.2 billion has been expended by the Gov Oluwarotimi Akeredolu-led administration on basic schools in the state.
“There are constructions of new classrooms and perimeter fencing as well as the renovation of the existing ones.
“There has been the provision of playground and information technology equipment as well as erection of containerised toilets and supply of pupils and teachers’ furniture to the newly-constructed schools,” she said.
Odu added that the government had also provided borehole and water sanitation, and early childhood care development equipment for public primary schools in the state.
According to her, the government has introduced some games such as volleyball, badminton and table tennis to develop the interest of the young ones in sports.
“All the equipment for these games have been provided for some selected schools in the state. Agriculture has also been introduced into some of our schools,” she said.
The SUBEB chairman noted that the infrastructural development had greatly impacted on the standard of primary school education in the state.
“Our enrollments have increased significantly within the three years of this administration,” she said.
Odu further explained that training of teachers had been uppermost in the agenda of the present administration.
“We have continued to do training, in collaboration with the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), under the Teacher Professional Development (TPD).
“About N165 million has been spent to retrain over 6,466 teachers in different programmes, including Junior Secondary School teachers, under the TPD programme,” she explained.
She said that a total of 4,670 teachers had been promoted in three years.
The SUBEB chairman stated that government was converting officers with education background from the state civil service and the local government service to primary school teachers in the state.
She, however, expressed the government’s willingness to employ more teachers and non-teaching staff into public schools across the state.
