By Musa Solomon.
In continuation of the ongoing visit to schools to monitor the level of compliance of the new education policies, the State Commissioner for Education, Hon. Wemi Jones on Tuesday visited some public and private schools in Lokoja, the state capital.
The team, led by the Commissioner, visited Saint Thomas Aquinas School, Nurum Mubeen International Schools, Saint Clement Minor Seminary, GYB Model Science Secondary School, Baptist Group of Schools, Rock N Gardens Academy and Michael Omonogun Memorial Nursery and Primary Schools.
Speaking on the new education policies, the Commissioner said that the policies will ensure that students learn subjects that are relevant to what they want to be in the future.
According to him, the New School Curriculum has been streamlined to ensure that students are not overburdened with subjects that are not necessary but ensure that they learn subjects that will make the students add values to themselves and the society after living schools.
He advised the schools to quickly adapt to the New School Curriculum to ensure that the students passed the subjects in the forthcoming WAEC and NECO Examinations.
Speaking on the Teachers Registration Council Certification, the Commissioner advised the schools management to advise teachers to take the advantage of the window provided by the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria to enroll for their programs, noting that as from 2027 no teacher without the Teachers Registration Council Certificate will be allowed to teach in Kogi State.
The Commissioner who was impressed by the level of Compliance of Schools visited said the ban on Graduation Ceremonies and Customized Notebooks and Textbooks will address the decay in Education system and reduced the financial burden on parents.
He reiterated that the only graduation ceremony at the Basic and Secondary Education Level will be Speech and Prize giving day which should come at the end of the completion of Senior Secondary School (SSS3).
He advised the schools in their own interest to comply with the policies as the State Government will not take it likely with schools that will go against the policies.
In Freedom Faith Academy, Adankolo New Layout, the Proprietor of the School, Bishop John Ibenu thanked the Commissioner for the visit, saying the visit to schools will keep the school administrators on their toes.
He commended the Executive Governor of the State Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo for appointing him as the State Commissioner for Education, adding that the school has started the implementation of the New Education Policies rolled out by the State and Federal Governments.
Also the Principal of GYB Model Science Secondary School, Adankolo, Chief Godwins Ajofe informed the Commissioner that the New Policies are being implemented in full in the school.
The principals of the schools visited called on the Government to make the contents of the New School Curriculum available to ease the work of the teachers.
The Commissioner was accompanied by the Special Adviser On Education Honorable Abdullahi Abdulmalik, Senior Special Assistant on Private Education Institution Honorable Clement Daudu and the Director Quality Assurance Ministry of Education Mrs. Ruth Opaluwa
