Benue state government has so far spent over N20 billion on the renovation and equipment of schools across the state.
State Commissioner for Education, Prof. Dennis Ityavyar, who disclosed this while playing host to the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Benue state council, Wednesday in Makurdi, said the state government also established two schools for the physically challenged as part of the administration’s inclusive education programmes.
He explained that the physically challenged students who earlier had to go out of the state to write final examinations now have the opportunity of writing WAEC, NECO and SSCE examinations in the state.
The commissioner disclosed that the state government has also upgraded the Akawe Torkula College of Advanced and Professional Studies, Makurdi and Akperan Orshi College of Agriculture, Yandev to Polytechnics, adding that, “The two schools can now access money from TETFund for their developments.”
Commenting on schools’ compliance with the COVID-19 safety measures for the exiting classes that have reopened, the commissioner said the ministry was strictly supervising the schools on regular basis.
According to Tyavyar, no student has been tested positive to the virus since the schools reopened.
Tyavyar also noted that the e-learning centre approved by the governor will take-off in the next three months for primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in the state while training of teachers for the programme will commence any moment from now.
He said books will be made available for the students who will enroll in the e-schools.
Earlier, in her address, the state chairman of NUJ, Comrade Victoria Asher, who was represented by the state secretary, Comrade Moses Akarhan, sued for partnership with the ministry in the area of education and appealed to the ministry to extend the distribution of palliatives to NUJ Pen schools to enable the schools cope with Covid-19 guidelines.
