By Mercy Obot
Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly on Monday vowed to sanction erring teachers in public primary schools following series of complaints of absenteeism from classes from the motoring public.
Chairman of the Assembly Committee on Education, Hon Godwin Ekpo, said in an interactive session with officials of State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) at the State Secretariat complex in Uyo, that his committee was intensifying efforts to ensure that primary school teachers in the state live up to expectations in the area of teaching and learning.
Ekpo expressed displeasure over the high rate of absenteeism of teachers in primary schools, noting that unscheduled inspection visits would be carried out by the committee to checkmate the activities of public schools in the state.
“I just want to use this opportunity to give a note of warning to erring teachers in various public schools because the education committee will be on ground to checkmate their activities”, he said.
Also speaking at the meeting, Hon. Aniekan Uko (Ibesikpo Asutan state constituency) urged SUBEB to ensure adequate provision of security in the schools in order to arrest activities of vandals in the schools.
He persuaded the board to revive the teaching of ibibio/Efik langauge subjects in the school so as to promote the local dialect among the pupils.
Similarly, the member representing Oron/ Udunguko, Hon.Effiong Bassey emphasized on the need for provision of seats in the classrooms, noting that it would help in the learning process.
On his part, Hon. Victor Ekwere (Mkpat Enin state constituency) stressed the need for the board to provide teacher’s headquarters to enable them keep check on the facilities in the school as well as reporting to their duty post on time .
Hon. Anietie Eka of Uyo state constituency urged the board to do more in helping to maintain the educational facilities in remote areas, even as he commended them for ensuring that the educational system meets up to standards.
The member representing Nsit Ubium, Otobong Bob urge the board to provide more educational materials which include textbooks to the schools across the state.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Board, Prof. Maria Ikorok listed some accomplishments the board had achieved over the years to include the recruitment of 3,000 teachers with NCE qualifications in 2019; provision of instructional materials in basic schools through intervention fund; remittance of withholding taxes, VAT to government, among others.
On the challenges of the board, Prof Ikorok said they included chequered participation in home grown school feeding programme; encroachment on school lands by community members; and schools property vandalism.
Later, the Committee together with the SUBEB team inspected the U-BEB South South Zonal office at St.Michaels African Church Schools at Effiat Offot, and a four classroom block at Government Technical College, Ewet Offot.
