Imo has only 87 Maths Teachers in 548 Public Schools, APGA Guber Candidate Attacks Okorocha | CNR

Governorship aspirant on the platform of the all Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA in Imo state, Okey Ezeh has revealed that only 87 teachers are currently being paid by the state government to teach Mathematics in the state's 548 public schools.

The governorship aspirant for the 2019 guber election in Imo state blamed the situation for the continuous falling standard of education in the state.

Addressing the 9th batch of undergraduate beneficiaries of the skills acquisition programme of the Okechukwu Theodore Ezeh Foundation in Owerri yesterday, Mr. Ezeh regretted that successive administrations in the State have neglected critical social services like health and education.

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Mr. Ezeh insisted that Imo state currently has a dysfunctional educational system that creates and sustains mass mediocrity and offers an education without knowledge.

According to him, “We currently have 87 Mathematics teachers to cater for the 548 public schools in the State while we have about 103 teachers for English Language with a significant number due for retirement soon. There are eleven faculties at the Imo State University with disciplines not accredited by the relevant rating boards. 

"The Polytechnic at Umuagwo has not fared any better in passing the accreditation hurdles of the National Board on Technical Education (NBTE) hence her products have been having running battles with all manner of authorities questioning the relevance of their certificates including the NYSC scheme which has repeatedly ejected them from camps. 

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"We have tumbled from our previous Olympian height in educational attainment to now record average performance grade of 46.03% in WAEC results, a performance that placed us in the 5th position behind states like Abia which came 1st and second-placed Anambra. 

While noting that sound education remains the key to success in any society, the governorship candidate promised that under his watch as governor, no Imo child would be poorly trained as they would be adequately prepared for a prosperous life.

“Education is key to building successful and progressive societies and the program on education in the Imo Marshal Plan will ensure that no Imo child is poorly trained and inadequately prepared for a prosperous life. The program is driven by a determination to train Imo children to be skilled and competitive both nationally and globally through the adoption of the use of modern pedagogical methods including ICT and multi-media platforms, and creation of an education-business partnership framework. 

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"Students would be exposed to skills acquisition as part of the school system. Incentives to learning and motivation to teaching will be taken care of. Infrastructure will be upgraded, curricula updated. We can’t allow our children keep passing through the doors of 19th Century schools to face the 21st Century economy. I believe we have a great opportunity to make Imo work again. Let’s do it together", Mr. Ezeh said.

He reminded them that their ability to play a pivotal role in choosing a new crop of leaders who have the vision, passion and credibility to usher in a glorious dawn for Imo is the voters card they hold in their hands.