18 Years After: Joy reigns as Basden Special Education Centre gets facelift By Ikenna Asomba

The Special School for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb otherwise known as the Basden Memorial Special Education Centre, Isulo, in Orumba South Local Government Area of Anambra State, was among the 1,320 primary and secondary schools, categorized under (public and public-mission schools) across the three senatorial districts of the state that have been renovated by the state government.

This was even as the schools have continued to receive direct government funding.

Governor Willie Obiano of the state had remembered the students and staff of Basden Memorial School for the Blind, Deaf and Dumb, which was established in 1996, to carter for special students for renovation.

The school which had been neglected by successive governments in the last 18 years in terms of infrastructure, as well as conducive learning and teaching environment, received the attention of the Obiano administration following the development of its blueprint expressed through the Wheel of Development. The blueprint is anchored on four pillars including: agriculture, oil and gas, trade as well as commerce and industrialization.

It was against this backdrop that the government also distributed 25,000 computers with internet connectivity, 450 50KVA generators, and 500 school buses, as well as provision of sick bays, libraries to schools in the state.

Infrastructure

South East Voice undertook a three-day tour of schools in areas like Uli, Ihiala, Azia, Okija, Ozubulu, Oraifite, Oba, Obosi, Onitsha, Nnewi, Nnobi, Agulu, Adaziani, Neni and Isiakpu.

Other areas also visited include Nise, Nibo, Umuawulu, Mbaukwu, Awgbu, Amaopkala,Ndiowu, Ndikelionwu, Omogho, Awa, Ufuma, Ajalli, Nawfija, Isulo, Ekwulobia, Agulueze Chukwu, Onneh, Achina, Umuchu, Ugah, Achalla, Akpo, Nkpologwu and Nanka among others to confirm the renovation exercise.

In her reaction, the State’s Commissioner for Education, Prof. Kate Omenugha told South East Voice that for the Obiano’s administration, raising the infrastructural base of the schools was a priority.

According to her, providing comfort for secondary school students in the state ‘’goes beyond the erection of building and equipping it with state-of-the-art equipment, but also focusing on pupils/students development and teacher improvement.

“In ensuring continuity in the administration of Anambra State, the government has gone into serious renovation of dilapidated structures and construction of new structures in basic education schools across the state. “Remarkably, there is an increase in the supervision and monitoring of these projects to achieve the administration’s vision of quality infrastructural development in the sector,” she said.

On the Universal Basic Education Projects, she said that the, “The construction of 385 units of 4-classroom blocks, renovation of 862 units of 5-classroom blocks giving a total of 1, 247 units of construction spread across the 21 local government areas in the state; construction of toilet facilities including 13 6-rooms VIP’s, procurement of pupils’ furniture including 629 two-seater wooden desk and 545 ECCD round tables and chairs.

“Others are construction of fencing round the school compound in 37 primary schools and two culverts in two primary schools. This has helped to create child-friendly environment and reduced the extent of infrastructural decay in schools, even as the 2014 matching grant of N952, 297, 297.30 has been released to UBEC Abuja.”

Speaking further she said to continuously meet the needs and challenges of education, the government has gone ahead to acquire two more secondary schools, Ebe Unity College, Ukpor, in Nnewi South Local Government Area, LGA. and Anthony Obaze Community Secondary School, Ochuche, in Ogbaru LGA, putting the number of secondary schools in the state to 256.

According to her, “Other infrastructural strides taken by the Willie Obiano adminis-tration include, completion of provision of power generating set to 420 schools in the state along with 50KVA generators to 110 schools; and 30KVA to 310 schools. Furthermore, internet facilities were provided by Galaxy Backbone just as N30 million approved for St. Mary’s High School, Ifite Dunu for its rehabilitation. Five million approved as counterpart funding for the development of Community Education Resource Centre, CERC, by the state Ministry of Education, leading to the equipment of the Creche at the centre.”

Security

“The government has also keyed into the safe school initiatives by the provision of Hilux Patrol vans to the 33 police stations in view of the increasing security network within the Nwafor Orizu College of Education environs; setting-up a six- member committee to look into cult activities in the schools with a view to stemming the tide. All secondary schools in the state will be fenced in this order. They include 10 Girls’ Boarding Secondary Schools in Awka Etiti, Mater Amabilis, Umuoji, Onitsha, Ozubulu, Anglican Girls Secondary School, Ogidi, GSS Oraifite, GSS Ojoto, GSS Igboukwu, GSS Uga and the Eastern Academy, Onitsha.

“Four security men and women called School Marshals are being trained for recruitment in all secondary and primary schools in the state. All these are geared towards reduction in the theft and vandalism of equipment in the schools, as well as securing lives.”

On teachers’ welfare and improvement, among other things, she said: “For Obiano’s administration, teachers’ welfare ranks very high in priority. As part of the strategy, there has been introduction of a rigorous recruitment exercise and revised remuneration for teachers to attract the best resources in Nigeria across all levels of education in the state. Over 5000 additional teachers have been employed to ensure pupils –to- teacher ratio improves from 24:1 to 15:1.

“There has been deployment of 3000 NCE holders to various primary schools on April 1, 2014, thereby reducing staff vacancies existing in our primary schools especially in rural areas.

“Approval has been given for the payment of arrears of promotion exercise for the years 2012 and 2013 for tutorial and non tutorial staff, thus boosting the morale of teachers, and resulting in improved performance and productivity.”

Quality Assurance

“Under the watch of Governor Obiano, a lot of structures are in place to ensure that this is effectively done. The monitoring and evaluation is squarely in place, through the provision of six project vehicles for the ministry of education to ensure effective monitoring, through the Quality Assurance Unit in the Ministry of Education. Two Toyota Hilux vans were also approved for the Post Primary School Service Commission, PPSSC, to conduct intensive supervision and monitoring of the implementation of the new curriculum for quality service delivery just as Visitation Panels are in place at Anambra State University, Uli and Nwafor Orizu College of Education, Nsugbe among others.”

‘’The administration has taken capacity building for teachers very seriously. Between June 16 and June 20, 2014, staff of the state Ministry of Education including directors, zonal education officers, area education officers and PROs among others were trained to others to key into the e-governance of this adminis-tration. Microsoft conducted the train-the-trainers’ workshop for 52 ICT demonstrators in schools among others. We are also retraining 256 principals, 100 internal Auditors of the PPSSC and 256 Bursars/teacher Bursars of PPSSC; partici-pation in Ebola Virus Disease Management Training, EVD, in 256 Secondary Schools among others.”

Photo:Newly rehabilitated structure at the school