The Benue State government has taken its campaign on crowd funding scheme to parents and teachers across the state, to solicit support from communities and individuals for the improvement of public primary schools.
The state coordinator of the Benue People Education Project PEBEP, Mrs. Betty Kajoh in company of the Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board, Mr Philip Tachin inspected the ongoing reconstruction of over 700 public schools says, a lot more can be achieved with public support.
The Samuel Ortom administration, according to the SUBEB Chairman, inherited a lot of dilapidated public primary school structures, but reconstruction work has reached 80% completion in the over 700 projects.
Primary school pupils in Vandeikya Local Government Area of Benue state are said to be taking classes in one of the many dilapidated public primary schools across the state.
At the Local Government Education Authority school in Lesser, Ushongu Local Government, school facilities like doors, windows and desks, are by far, luxuries these pupils cannot afford.
But all hope is not lost, as the Benue state government has almost completed work on the new class room blocks for them.
Many of the projects have been completed, while finishing touches and dressing is ongoing in some cases.
Pupils and teachers at Saint Anne’s primary school Adikpo, gathered to receive the state government team and made a few request.
“I think the government should provide sound learning environment like good class rooms to enable us improve leaning. The teaching is very good and sound, which is what I love here most”.
“We are 25 teachers in number in the school and pupils are over 300. The challenges we have here, are lack of infrastructure like class rooms, desks and instructional materials.
If the government can look into these problems, we will be happy”.
The Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Mister Philip Tachin, gave assurances on the standard of work and delivery.
“To be fair, I am pleased with some of the contractors on the job done so far. A number of places, they have done the projects according to specifications with solid floors, ceiling and roofing, but in some places, the contractors will have to step up their performance, especially with the finishing because I insist, without good finishing, I will not pay them”.
The state Coordinator of BEPEB, Betty Kajoh, appealed to the communities, parents and well to do individuals to support the rehabilitation work of the state government.
“In grade one level, they have five classes and they had to merge A, B, C and D in one class, you can imagine some of them sitting on windows. Within us here, there are people who can give us N200. 00, N500. 00 and N1000. 00 and it will not hurt them”.
“If we had a million people in Benue state giving us N1000. 00 only, we would raise a billion naira which will translate to these buildings, teacher training, computers and Science Labs”.
“To run a strong academic programme, we need a lot of money, If you don’t have money, give us produce, we are collecting yams, garri and soya beans”.
From the three Senatorial district of the state, work on the over 700 projects of reconstructing the dilapidated primary school class rooms, have reached advanced stages.
