Investing in education the Ekiti way
The people value education so much that poor parents sell their personal belongings to sponsor the education of their children.In the old Western Region, old Western State and old Ondo State, Ekiti students towered above their counterparts in public examinations recording phenomenal successes and breaking academic records.There was hope that the state would maintain its […]
The people value education so much that poor parents sell their personal belongings to sponsor the education of their children.
In the old Western Region, old Western State and old Ondo State, Ekiti students towered above their counterparts in public examinations recording phenomenal successes and breaking academic records.
There was hope that the state would maintain its pride of place in the field of education after the state was created on October 1, 1996 but years of neglect of public schools, poor quality of teaching personnel, lack of quality instructional materials, among other problems contributed to the decline of education in Ekiti State.
When Governor Kayode Fayemi took office in 2010, students in public schools in Ekiti State posted a performance rate of 20 per cent in the Senior School Certificate Examination organized by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
The performance rate of Ekiti WAEC candidates increased to 27 per cent in 2012. The government initiated series of reforms to improve the situation.
The reforms are yielding results as can be seen from the release of the outcome of the 2013 May/June WAEC SSCE exams, which showed that students in public schools in Ekiti recorded 99.9 per cent in the examination.
Individually, schools like Christ’s School, Ado-Ekiti, Ikere High School, Ikere-Ekiti and Government Science College, Iyin-Ekiti recorded 100 per cent success rate by their students.
This clearly demonstrates that the government’s huge investment in education have not been a waste of resources.
I wish other states can follow this example of commitment to turn around the fortunes of education at all levels. It can be done; with commitment, it will succeed
Odunayo Ogunmola, Orereowu Street, Ado-Ekiti<[email protected]>;